Monday, April 13, 2020

Marvelous Middle Grade Monday #MMGM Book Review: Ollie Oxley and the Ghost: The Search for Lost Gold by Lisa Schmid

12-year-old Ollie Oxley and his younger sister, DeeDee, are moving again. Ever since their dad left there’s been a lot of moving. Each place turns out to be about the same- Ollie doesn’t make any friends and he gets in a bit of trouble. He also knows he’s not at any school long enough that it will make a difference. But now their mom has a new job, a permanent job, at a theater in Granite City, CA. When they get to their new home Ollie is less than happy about the color of it, and inside seems a little spooky. Then, for the first time ever Ollie connects right away with a boy named, Teddy. Maybe this town will be okay. Unfortunately, it isn’t long before Ollie has a run-in with the school bully, Aubrey. Finding out that Teddy is a ghost only makes Ollie more nervous that he’s going to be targeted. He doesn’t want to be the weird kid who talks to a ghost, but he also likes Teddy’s company and sense of humor. Being friends with a ghost who lived during the California Gold Rush does have some perks, like the possibility of a buried treasure that could change the course of Ollie’s life. If only Teddy knew where the treasure was, but he can’t even remember where he lived in the town when he was alive. Is there really a buried treasure? Will Ollie and Teddy be able to find it if it exists? Is there any way to get Aubrey to stop bothering him? Pick up this fast paced book to find out!

After my grade Skyped with Lisa Schmid for World Read Aloud Day I knew I needed to checkout her debut book from my school library. I was hooked as soon as she talked about the writing process and the fact that she lives in a town where the Gold Rush began. Ollie Oxley and the Ghost: The Search for Lost Gold looks like a spooky book, but it's a story filled with a lot of humor. Ollie and DeeDee have a typical sibling relationship. They fight, but they get along too. I loved that Ollie made a friend, but I also worried that kids wouldn’t be kind if they thought he was talking to himself or a ghost. Teddy likes to crack jokes, so I think he is a great friend for Ollie, plus he helps push Ollie out of his comfort zone. I was really intrigued by the buried treasure. I know I am always up for a mystery and searching for buried gold- sounds like a lot of fun to me. I got to discover the clues with Ollie and Teddy, and it was exciting trying to piece together the puzzle. I would recommend this book to anyone ages eight and up who likes to laugh and enjoys a good mystery. Now I am hoping there will be more adventures for Ollie and Teddy in the future! I bet their town has a lot more to discover!

Has anyone else read Ollie Oxley and the Ghost: The Search for Lost Gold by Lisa Schmid? We’d love to hear your thoughts! Stop back on Monday for our interview with the author. 

Happy Reading!
~L

For other MMGM posts, please visit Greg Pattridge's blog

65 comments:

  1. Sounds like a great book. Have a good week, take care, hugs, Valerie

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    1. Thanks, Valerie! It really is a great read! :) ~L

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  2. It sounds like a heap of fun - which is definitely in high demand at the moment.
    Thanks for the heads up.

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    1. EC- You betcha! It would be a great book for anyone to read right now and get their minds thinking about mysteries and buried treasure. :) ~L

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  3. Fun idea for a story. Ollie is a rough name for a kid though.

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    1. Alex- I think the author's son is named Ollie too. I haven't met any Ollies- but my dad has a school friend named Olie (Long o at the start). :) ~L

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  4. Sounds like a fun one with a good mystery.

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  5. I haven't read this yet, but it sounds like a great book. I love a good ghost story and there's nothing wrong about a possible treasure to be found. Thanks for sharing your review.

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    1. Randomly Reading- I like ghost stories and mysteries to be solved too. Looking for buried treasure sounds like fun to me! :) ~L

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  6. I have not read this yet but this sounds like a fun mystery. Hunting for treasure is sure to be a kid pleaser.

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  7. Haven't read this, but it sounds like fun.

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  8. This sounds good. I am sure my granddaughter would be pulled in.

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    1. Kimberly- I bet she was! Ollie pulled me in right away! :) ~L

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  9. A mystery, a treasure hunt, and a ghost...my eleven-year-old self would have LOVED Ollie Oxley! Heck, my adult self did! A must read for any adventure loving kid!

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    1. Donna- I couldn't agree more. I was pulled right into the story and could relate to Ollie. As a mystery lover myself, I couldn't wait to find out if there was actually buried treasure or not! :) ~L

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  10. What a cute plot!! Would be interesting to have a ghost for a friend, especially one from that era!

    betty

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    1. Betty- I know, right! Interesting for sure! :) ~L

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  11. Hey, I've been to Granite City! So much interesting history in that part of CA (close to my hometown!). This sounds like an excellent read and great for 4th grade CA history students, too!

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    1. Mrs. Which- How cool that you have been to Granite City! It sounds chocked full of history. I hope the grade 4 students in CA love it too! :) ~L

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  12. This sounds like a cool story. I like that it's in gold rush times and is a ghost story. Awesome you featured the author in your class.

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    1. Natalie- The author is super nice and interesting. I haven't read a lot of books that tie into the gold rush- so this was great! :) ~L

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  13. This book sounds intriguing. All of a sudden I am hearing about more books centered around the Gold Rush. It does sound like it has a lot of humor. Will check it out!

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    1. Patricia- Interesting that there are more gold rush books coming out. I have read one other, but that is it. Yes, Ollie is definitely a funny book! :) ~L

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  14. Ghosts and bullies. Two things very popular with middle-grade readers. Sounds like a great story!

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  15. I like the tie in to California history. This sounds like an intriguing book with the search for gold and ghost side kick.
    Thanks for featuring it!

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    1. Jenni- You are welcome! I really enjoyed this story. :) ~L

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  16. I haven't read this book, but it sounds like one not to miss. I'll be tracking down a copy for the summer. The setting and MC have me hooked. Thanks for featuring on MMGM.

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    1. Greg- Thanks for organizing MMGM! I hope you enjoy this book as part of your summer reads. :) ~L

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  17. I've always liked stories that feature ghosts. This one sounds like fun!

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    1. Michelle- I like stories with ghosts too! :) ~L

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  18. I hadn't heard of this, but it sounds like a lot of fun. I'm putting it on my TBR list. Thanks for the heads up.

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    1. Rosi- You are welcome. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did! :) ~L

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  19. Sounds absolutely great and fun !! hugs

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  20. I haven not read this one, but your review 'forced' me to add it to my TBR list. Thanks for sharing this book and author with us for MMGM.

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    1. June- Glad you added this one to your TBR. Happy reading! :) ~L

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  21. I haven't read it but it sounds good.

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  22. That does sound like a really cute children's book! Thanks for posting about it.

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    1. J Lenni Dorner- It really is great! :) ~L

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  23. Sounds like a cute story. I'm looking forward to the interview with the author.

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    1. Love Affair w/Food- Hope you enjoy the interview! :) ~L

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  24. I've been seeing this book around online lately. It looks really good.

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    1. Kelly- Awesome that you've been seeing it around. It's an awesome read. :) ~L

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  25. I haven't read this one, but it sure sounds good. I like friendly ghosts and finding treasures, too.

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    1. Janet- Friendly ghosts are lots of fun and so is treasure hunting. An exciting story for sure! :) ~L

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  26. Sounds like a fun book! I love spooky MG! :)

    Have a great weekend!

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  27. What a neat idea for a middle grade story, a ghost and some history. Sounds like fun.

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    1. Beverly- It's a fun book and I love how it tied in history. I always like a good mystery. :) ~L

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  28. This certainly sounds a good read, which in the present crisis is always an enjoyable past-time :)

    All the best Jan

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    1. Jan- Reading is a great way to pass the time. Trying to solve this mystery will keep anyone busy. :) ~L

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  29. Sounds similar to The Headless Cupid in some ways. That was one of my favorites as a kid.

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    1. The Armchair Squid- I need to read The Headless Cupid. Your comment intrigued me. :) ~L

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  30. Like that illustration on the cover. Will capture the attention of any child.

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    1. Haddok- I agree! The cover is great! :) ~L

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