Over My Dead Body

Klise, K (2009). Over My Dead Body. Boston: Harcourt

Plot Summary: Les and Diane Hope purchased the house at 43 Old Cemetery Road in hopes of documenting the life of Olive C. Spence, the ghost that lives in the house.  After unsuccessful attempts, they rent the house to Ignatius and abandon their son Seymour.  The three start writing and illustrating a ghost story and are living happily until they receive a letter from Dick Tater, the director of the International Movement for the Safety and Protection of Our Kids and Youth (IMSPOOKY).  He informs them he is conducting an investigation and eventually puts Ignatius in the Home of the Deranged and Seymour in the Ghastly Orphanage due to their story of living with a ghost.  They are both able to escape through the help of Olive and the Bookmobile and write the next three chapters in their book.  Olive and Ignatius also are able to adopt Seymour after showing a letter depicting his parents as unfit and they continue to live in 43 Old Cemetery Road.

Genre: Fantasy

Age Group: This book would be appropriate for grades 4-6.

Series Information: The first book in the 43 Old Cemetery Road series is Dying to Meet You.

Personal Thought: This book offers a creative way of telling a story through using a series of letters, illustrations, and newspaper articles.

Subjects/Themes: Halloween Banned Books, Ghosts.

Reviews: School Library Journal

Character Description: Olive C. Spence is the ghost that haunts 43 Old Cemetery Road.  She becomes good friends with Seymour Hope and eventually adopts him along with Ignatius. 

Seymour Hope is a boy that has been abandoned by his parents.  He is the illustrator of the ghost stories that are being written by Olive and Ignatius.

Ignatius B. Grumpy rented 43 Old Cemetery Road for the summer where he met Olive and Seymour.  He and Olive start writing ghost stories.

Dick Tater is the director of the International Movement for the Safety and Protection of Our Kids and Youth.  He attempts to ban Halloween and all the activities related to it in Ghastly, IL.

Les & Diane Hope are Seymour’s parents.  They originally purchased the house at 43 Old Cemetery Road but then rented it to Ignatius.  They also abandoned Seymour and were arrested for child neglect.

Annotation:  43 Old Cemetery Road has been haunted by Olive since 1911 and she isn’t a mean ghost unless you mess with someone she cares about.  Read along to find out what happens to Dick Tater after he messes with her two friends, Seymour and Ignatius.