Search for Lost Gold

[A]n engaging story full of mystery and mischief. --Foreword Reviews Full of humor, friendship, and new beginnings. --Booklist Lisa Schmids debut novel for middle-grade readers Ollie Oxley and the Ghost is an engaging story full of mystery and mischief. Ollie has moved, again, with his mother and little sister. His mothers new job is in her hometown of Granite City, California, and the family is hoping that they will get to stay permanently. Making new friends has never been easy for Ollie. The school bully, Aubrey, targets him immediately. When Ollie meets Teddy, he is happy to have a friend, but Teddy is not an ordinary boy; he is a ghost! Soon Ollie finds himself pulled into a race against Aubrey for class president while also trying to find the lost gold that Teddys father had discovered during the nineteenth-century gold rush. Solving the mystery of the lost gold becomes urgent when Ollie learns that his moms new boss is about to lose ownership of the theater, which will force his family to move again. Granite City is an excellent settinga town with an interesting gold mining history. The theater Ollies mother works in, the local candy store, a history museum, and the pink Victorian home the family lives in all provide a wonderful environment for the story. The characters are endearing. Ollie is used to moving from place to place and has developed his own rules for surviving any new environment. His interactions with his little sister and with the other children are amusing. Teddy is a funny but lonely ghost who always seems to cause trouble. Even Aubrey has a bit of personality underneath the bullying and bravado, making her nearly sympathetic. Ollie Oxley and the Ghost is a satisfying middle grade mystery that hints at future adventures for Ollie and Teddy. - Catherine Thureson, Foreword (May/June 2019) A preteen detective solves an important case with an unusual partner.Ollie Oxley is not pleased about moving again, but his mom's new job at the Bingham Theater in Granite City, California, may provide some form of permanence. After moving so many times, Ollie's friend-making skills are a bit rusty, but it isn't too long before he finds a pal in Teddy. But Teddy isn't like most 12-year-olds. First off, Teddy is a ghost, a ghost of a boy who lived during the Gold Rush. The two friends tangle with the school bully and solve a mystery that will save the Bing and (more importantly) keep Ollie's mom's job. The novel is light and breezy, moving forward at a quick clip. Readers may bump up against Ollie's snark-filled attitude at first, but the author provides just enough reason for the character's hard edges before sanding them down. Teddy's character is a bit more interesting, and readers might find themselves wondering how the story would seem from his perspective. While there's nothing here that bucks any trends, the novel remains a well-built work: smartly structured with enough character work to hold interest and a solid mystery that springs like a well-coiled mousetrap. Readers fascinated by ghost stories and mysteries and even history will find that this scratches those particular itches. The book adheres to the white default. A sturdy mystery with engaging sleuths. (Supernatural mystery. 8-12) - Kirkus Reviews It's never easy being the new kid, but when Ollie Oxley moves to California, things get off to a weird start. He meets Teddy, who turns out to be a ghost; a bully sets her sights on him; and he runs for class president. But his mom's job is at stake, and he may have to move again. Teddy, though, has a plan: all they have to do is find the gold his father buried. Schmid's characters use humor to cope with tough situations, as seen through Teddy's jokes and Ollie's continuous sarcasm. The treasure hunt incorporates a historical element, and Ollie has several mysteries to solve as he searches for the gold and attempts to discover the truth of Teddy's identity. Ollie comes of age and eventually starts to find a place for himself as he deals with bullies, his difficulties making friends, and his family's constant moves. Through Teddy, the narrative takes a lighthearted approach to the concept of death, and this debut is full of humor, friendship, and new beginnings. Elizabeth Konkel, Booklist