The Ghost in the Noonday Sun

I thought this book was O.K. I think this because it was a good book overall, but some parts were hard to understand. Some of the language is older and words such as thee and thou are used. The book is about a boy who is captured by pirates who believe that since he was born at the stroke of midnight he can see ghosts. They captured him because they are trying to find treasure that has a ghost buried on it. I would recommend this book to any one who likes books about pirates or someone who likes fantasy books.

Fleischman totally engaged me as a child, and impresses me as a teacher. (This isn't a kiddie book Precocious fourth and up could handle it.) Here he covers whaling 19th century New England while dishing up a funny, thrilling book using the archetypal spunky kid and errant dad combo that appears in many of his works. Oliver is a self-sufficent boy whith an absent father. In the end, through his own ingeniuity and moral choices, he finds not only his actual father but a genuine father figure: The reluctant wanderer who ultimately does the right thing. I think this is a fantastic book. My elementary students loved it read aloud. It is so lacking in condescension, so un-patronizing, it is an adult read as well.

Fleischman totally engaged me as a child and impresses me as a teacher. (This isn't a kiddy book. Precocious fourth and up could handle it.) Here he covers whaling 19th century New England while dishing up a funny, thrilling book using the archetypal spunky kid and errant dad combo that appears in many of his works. Oliver is a self-sufficient boy with an absent father. In the end, through his own ingenuity and moral choices, he finds not only his actual father but a genuine father figure: The reluctant wanderer who ultimately does the right thing. I think this is a fantastic book. My elementary students loved it read aloud. It is so lacking in condescension, so UN-patronizing, it is an adult read as well.

Sid Fleischman is a wonderful story teller, who always writes books with such great imagination. It is very easy for children (and adults) to get wrapped up in the tales of his colorful characters. The Ghost in the Noonday Sun is one of his best pieces of work.

Fleischman, in his witty style, writes a wonderful story about a young boy,Oliver, who is kidnapped and impressed into the service of the "Sweet Molly" which is later revealed as the Bloody Hand...devilish Captain Scratch's Pirate ship! While doing research on pirates for my class, I came across this book. The characters are realistic and cause the reader to want to meet Jack o' Lantern and John Ringrose and avoid, at all costs, Cannibal! It's full of humor, facts, twists and turns. It's a true page-turner that 4-8 graders would enjoy and learn a thing or two about honesty, superstitions and the like!