Goth Girl and the Ghost of a Mouse

by Chris Riddell

Overview

A beautiful new cover look for the paperback edition of Chris Riddell's Costa Award-winning Goth Girl and the Ghost of a Mouse. Illustrated in black and white throughout, full of adventure and dark humour, it is perfect for children aged 8 to 11!

Ada Goth is the only child of Lord Goth. The two live together in the enormous Ghastly-Gorm Hall. Lord Goth believes that children should be heard and not seen, so Ada has to wear large clumpy boots so that he can always hear her coming. This makes it hard for her to make friends and, if she's honest, she's rather lonely.

Then one day William and Emily Cabbage come to stay at the house and, together with a ghostly mouse called Ishmael, the three children begin to unravel a dastardly plot that Maltravers, the mysterious indoor gamekeeper, is hatching. Ada and her friends must work together to foil Maltravers before it's too late!

Continue this deliciously dark series with Goth Girl and the Fete Worse Than Death and Goth Girl and the Wuthering Fright.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781035022656
Publisher:	Pan Macmillan
Publication date:	07/23/2024
Series:	Goth Girl
Pages:	224
Product dimensions:	5.15(w) x 7.70(h) x 0.55(d)
Age Range:	8 - 11 Years

About the Author

Chris Riddell, the 2015–2017 UK Children's Laureate, is an accomplished artist and the political cartoonist for the Observer. He has enjoyed great acclaim for his books for children. His books have won a number of major prizes, including the 2001, 2004 and 2016 CILIP Kate Greenaway Medals. Goth Girl and the Ghost of a Mouse won the Costa Children's Book Award 2013. His previous work for Macmillan includes the bestselling Ottoline books, The Emperor of Absurdia, The Cloud Horse Chronicles series and, with Paul Stewart, the Muddle Earth and Scavenger series. Chris lives in Brighton with his family.

Editorial Reviews

A deliciously dark offering from the award winning author illustrator of Ottoline” —The Bookseller’s Buyers Guide

“...the most covetable book of the year. It is simply the most outstandingly beautiful piece of book design and production....This book is a triumph from an author and illustrator at the height of his powers...” —ReadingZone

“I'm sure this will become a cherished book and will be opened more than once.” —The Book Bag

“Both illuminated and illuminating this is a magnum opus from the singular talent of Chris Riddell and is certain to be the jewel in the crown of every book case it adorns.” —Droplets of Ink

“What I discovered with this book is that [Chris Riddell]'s a pretty children's writer... This whole book is a delight - a worthy winner of the Costa children's book award.” —awfullybigreviews.blogspot.co.uk

“Through its entertaining play of surface trappings, the book opens out into a varied network of gothic texts that lead the reader down several enticing garden paths - reminiscent of the overgrown gardens that surround Ghastly-Gorm Hall itself. I urge readers to give into the temptations offered by the sumptuous packaging, and enter the delightfully silly world of Goth Girl and the Ghost of a Mouse. Have fun exploring!” —gothic.stir.ac.uk

“This solo venture is a cracking combination of rollicking mystery adventure and ghost story, beautifully illustrated and written with an outright humour aimed at children and a sly, literary wit aimed at parents reading aloud.” —Daily Mail

“Fans of Chris Riddell's Ottoline books will love this quirky story. With its purple-edged pages and silver-foiled endpapers, this beautifully-designed book is a real treasure.” —Booktrust

“Goth Girl and the Ghost of a Mouse is a warm, witty and beautifully illustrated and presented book which delivers an original, entertaining and heart-warm tale of courage, friendship and loyalty as well as a teeny, weeny surprise tucked into the back cover.” —Lancashire Evening Post

“Beautifully produced book” —The Independent

“Witty, clever, warm and unashamedly wacky” —Library Mice

“This book is so well illustrated that nothing and no-one is left to the imagination[...] perfect for anyone who has read and enjoyed Marcus Sedgwick's The Raven Mysteries, or anyone who just likes a brilliant story. Well done, Chris Riddell!” —Wondrous Reads

“Quirky, clever and (as ever) marvellously detailed to the eye, Goth Girl is a beautiful object, and full of good jokes - a combination that's hard to beat” —The Independent

“Delicious.” —Literary Review

“This is one fantastically packaged novel and it was the most entertaining and whimsical story I have read in a long time” —beyondbooks.ca

“All you need to do is set your eyes upon Goth Girl to know that you will be in for a treat. With its purple gilt edges, and silver foil skulls lining the endpapers, Macmillan Children's Books have certainly done a fantastic job of capturing the magic of this story. Riddell's book stands out as a thing of beauty, which is something that this King of Illustration deserves for his work.” —nightlightbooks.wordpress.com

“This is an extravagantly well produced book... Great detail in both pictures and words work in unison so that it is all sheer delight in the long tradition of entertaining codswallop. Codswallop of the highest order and a compulsive read for many youngsters.” —The School Librarian

“This book will absolutely delight its intended readership - and certain adults as well! I am very pleasantly surprised that it is in the Costa shortlist- and I hope publishers take note. The future of the printed book lies in beauty and quality and individuality like this” —serendipityreviews.co.uk

“It's more than strong enough to compete with the likes of Tom Gates, Wimpy Kid and Walliams that dominate the sales over Christmas. A first class read from a first class author and illustrator” —georgelesterwrites.com

“It is a cracker of a book. Witty, charming and with the most stunning illustrations... It is an utter and absolute delight and made me wish I was 10 again and discovering it for the first time” —Brighton and Hove Independent

“The author and illustrator Chris Riddell has a big skill of drawing and puts great detail into his books. Not only the appearance this story is as good as it looks - maybe even better. It's a lovely book with heaps of description; the illustrations certainly help it a lot. It's very clever as well because it plays on words a little and jokes around with them. The plot is clever and definitely a gripper” —whatlexieloves.blogspot.co.uk

From the Publisher

09/12/2016
Lonely Ada Goth, the heroine of this beautifully designed Gothic tribute, shares the enormous Ghastly-Gorm Hall and its magnificent grounds with her father, Lord Goth, and countless servants, yet she has no one to talk to. After befriending the ghost of a mouse who needs her help, Ada begins boldly exploring her home, discovering new rooms, gardens, and friends while learning of a sinister plot being hatched by Maltravers, the creepy gamekeeper charged with organizing an annual indoor hunt inside the massive estate. Riddell’s detailed illustrations demand and deserve attention, and the novel is delightful to thumb through, though the motley cast of characters can feel a bit like a Victorian menagerie, prizing oddity over depth. Laced with humorous 19th-century literary references sure to entertain older readers (a novelist named Mary Shellfish, an albatross named Coleridge) and plenty of quirky nonsense (including a vampire governess committed to cruelty-free eating), this series opener may be a bit light on plot but gamely sets the stage for more drolly dark fun to come. Ages 7–11. (Oct.)

Publishers Weekly

09/01/2016
Gr 3–6—Young Ada Goth lives at Ghastly-Gorm Hall with her father, a famous poet. Lord Goth appears to have it all—everything except a close relationship with Ada, who reminds him of her deceased mother. Ada doesn't fret; she loves exploring the sprawling grounds surrounding her home and is always finding something new. Late one night, she encounters the ghost of a recently deceased mouse named Ishmael. Ishmael and Ada go looking for the mousetrap that ended Ishmael's corporeal life, only to discover some very strange activities afoot in the Goth household. Ada pursues her suspicions of her father's gamekeeper. She soon realizes that lives may be at stake and is determined to stop the gamekeeper's sinister plans. This title is the winner of the 2013 Costa Book Awards category for children's books, appearing in the United States for the first time. Gorgeous, intricately penned illustrations appear on almost every page, bursting with the characters' quirky personalities. The text is light, though packed with punny literary, cultural, and historical allusions. Readers with an appreciation for absurdity will devour the humorously frivolous details that abound, but those craving plot may grow fatigued by them. The narrative is quite simple; the real joys for readers here are a highly likable protagonist and the witty, exaggerated secondary character sketches. The suspense is authentic, and the sequels will surely continue to develop some of the secondary characters. A miniature book (Ishmael's memoirs) is included in a pocket on the back inside cover. VERDICT This title and its sequels will be snapped up by fans of quirky, atmospheric fantasy.—Sara White, Seminole County Public Library, Casselberry, FL

School Library Journal

2016-07-20
Ada Goth solves a mystery.Ada lives in Ghastly-Gorm Hall with her reclusive father, Lord Goth. Since her mother passed away, her father can barely stand to spend time with Ada, so she spends her days hanging about, keeping to herself and staying out of the servants’ ways. One night, the ghost of a mouse named Ishmael comes to visit Ada, and together they work to discover the truth behind strange happenings at Ghastly-Gorm Hall. Ada is supported by twisted and kooky characters, and the author delights in bending this odd world close to the breaking point. Riddell peppers the story with literary references older readers will chuckle at, but the jokes never come at the expense of the enjoyment of younger readers. The mystery is a bit flat: the sinister gamekeeper is clearly up to something, and the author never suggests otherwise. In compensation for this narrative bust, the characters do more than their part to make the book one worth reading. Future installments are welcome as long as they involve governess Lucy Borgia, pals Emily and William Cabbage, and the Attic Club. The illustrations complement the twisted world nicely. The characters (the humans all seem to be white) are all drawn with fine, squiggly lines and detailed with precision. A small, removable novella, Memoirs of a Mouse, is tucked into a pocket in the back cover. A promising start to a weird new series. (Mystery. 8-12)

Kirkus Reviews