2025 Newbery Potentials: A Spooky, Ghost Filled Year
There’s no time like October to take a moment and recognize all the ghostly spirits present in children’s literature this year. Is it more than usual? Let’s take a look!






There’s good ole Rose in THE CATS OF SILVER CRESCENT. Elsby does her best to avoid meeting her, but as we learn.. ghosts can’t be stopped. Rose is a complicated character because you’re not really sure whose side she is on… ever.
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Then as mentioned last week and above- we have the mom that is present as a young child in THE COLOR OF SOUND. I really love the dynamic of mother meeting daughter here, and think this should actually be a larger plot point to the book.
And of course FERRIS, where the ghost is possibly there to usher Charise to the Great Beyond? While typing this I feel the need to give FERRIS a reread so that I can properly remember the ghost and all the plot points and character development…
I guess technically Ridge is not a ghost in THE FIRST STATE OF BEING. But really with him being from the future and in danger of fading away and everything I feel like you could make an argument that he is. And his character literally makes that title. Speaking of can you call Kwame’s grandmother a ghost in KWAME CRASHES THE UNDERWORLD? And you can argue that Mr. N finds the ghost of himself in THE FRINDLE FILES? Or can objects be ghosts? OLIVETTI? TELEPHONE OF THE TREE? OK, OK, OK, I’m getting ahead of myself here and will stick to ghosts that are clearly presented as ghosts!
I was SHOCKED to see the ghost in THE NIGHT WAR, mainly because I was expecting a straightforward historical fiction title from Kimberly Brubaker Bradley. I also thought the ghost’s character was too overdramatic and over-the-top and we could have had plenty of plot and drama with Miri, her friends, the nuns, and the soldiers.
Of course I can’t make a ghost post without mentioning NOT QUITE A GHOST by Anne Ursu, a title that received a lot of love at the beginning of the year but to be honest has not resonated with me a lot. I would love to hear other’s thoughts on this title.
I even get to mention a non-fiction title I suggested, SPIRIT SLEUTHS by Gail Jarrow where we learn about magicians exposing ghosts hoaxes. Nothing like taking a look at everything from the scientific side. I thought Jarrow did an excellent job of displaying all the facts in this title- but of course it ruins the fun of believing in ghosts.
What do you think about all the ghosts present in this years titles? Do they add to or take away from the plot? Which ghost character is the most memorable to you? Let me know in the comments.
Filed under: Book Discussion
About Emily Mroczek-Bayci
Emily Mroczek (Bayci) is a freelance children’s librarian in the Chicago suburbs. She served on the 2019 Newbery committee. You can reach her at emilyrmroczek@gmail.com.
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One of many things I liked about NOT QUITE A GHOST is how the supernatural element was closely tied to the other things going on in Violet’s life. She’s struggling with her mysterious illness and tricky friendship dynamics, so it’s not just a (possible) ghost in the wall that she has to deal with. And we’re really not sure until well past the halfway point that there really even is a ghost.
And although the novel more than just a spooky story, that moment (in chapter 16) when Violet finally realizes it’s real is very well done. Scary, but it also brings in that self-doubt that she’s struggling with…until the reality of the ghost kind of overwhelms those doubts:
“She was seeing things. Her mind was telling her stories. Did that mean her mind was telling her stories about her body too? Was everyone right? She couldn’t think about that for too long because the wallpaper was still writhing.”
While I liked NOT QUITE A GHOST and agree that the parallel between the supernatural and health issues of the main character builds tension and story arc- I actually found the ending confusing.
(spoiler alert) At the end I thought: Ok. The ghost was real, but Violet is struggling with mental health and not physical illness. Or are they both NOT REAL? Wait, is her anxiety making her sick? Or is she sick with something doctors don’t understand? It was only after reading he authors notes was that more clear. Maybe that is the point.
I understand the merits of the book, and how for adults the confusing ending actually strengthens the case for addressing the stigma associated with mental/ total health. But if I was confused as a advanced youth reader and youth health advocate- will middle grade readers get the point? Or is it a interesting read ghost story?
I’m a little confused why you think it’s a book about mental health. The whole point is that she’s physically ill but people aren’t believing her…
I THINK Quade’s saying that the book and everything is confusing, and my thoughts from reading the authors note is that it’s all meant to be confusing and hard to understand… that’s what makes invisible illnesses so stressful.
The author note discusses how this book was inspired by THE YELLOW WALLPAPER, written by Charlotte P. Gillman in 1892 where a women is prescribed a “rest cure” for postpartum mental health issues. The author’s note in NOT QUITE A GHOST states “For Violet, as you know, there really is something in the wallpaper, and because of her illness, she’s trapped with it. Violet has a postviral syndrome, that, if it lasts would eventually qualify as chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/ CFS). Postviral syndromes are considered invisible illnesses- difficult to see and difficult to diagnose. And that means that some patients themselves are rendered invisible.”
When I was reading THE NIGHT WAR I wondered whether Miri made up Catherine’s ghost as a coping mechanism. The ghost seems very real in the text (I think KBB intended the ghost to be read as real), but the way Catherine affects events could maybe be explained as luck and/or as Miri’s imaginary friend. I eventually decided to see her as an unusual guardian angel.
There’s a good interview with KBB in PW about why she decided to include a ghost: https://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/childrens/childrens-authors/article/94724-q-a-with-kimberly-brubaker-bradley.html
THE COLOR OF SOUND by Emily Barth Isler
One of the key components of the character story arc was the chance meeting of Rosie and the young version of her mother. I love the idea of a child meeting their parent as a peer during identity formation. Emily Barth Isler could have chosen to explore this element of the story more deeply and communicate the mother’s adult narrative transition as a priority. However, her writing choices are exceptional, touching on generational trauma and parental expectations in a notable way that connects the dots enough while checking the appropriateness of style and interpretation of theme rubrics listed in the Newbery guidelines.
This book would have sparked magic for me as a middle-grade reader, and it was fun to see how it resonated with my HS and MG kids. After reading this, they asked for pictures and stories of my life at their age, which sparked some quality time, including 80s music and a description of past technology. This book offers teachers and librarians an incredible opportunity for project-based, multi-sensory learning and a chance for parents to bond with their children through shared experiences.
As the parent of two very different children, this story reminded me that one of the significant challenges of that daily role is to guide the child you have, not the child you were or want them to be. Loving children as they are and seeing their unique gifts is a lesson Emily Barth Isler delivers in a written symphony. Standing ovation.
Ghosts and surreal did creep in to many books this year.
If I had to sum up FERRIS in one word, it would be “whimsical.” I appreciated the multiple threads of family tied together in a creative and entertaining way. The book hits that younger reader 7+ range and Di Camillo gives great context clues with easier to read funny dialogue. The ghost element previewed a circular resolution with the grandmother. The central character is the spoke of the family wheel, full of playful narratives. Di Camillo, is a Newbery standard of incredible writing for young readers.
THE COLOR OF SOUND seemed more metaphysical than ghostly. It reminded my of books WHEN YOU REACH ME (R. Stead/ Newbery 2010) and A WRINKLE IN TIME (L’Engle/ Newbery 1963, ) both touching on an alternative view of time that is thought provoking. Isler did a great job of gently touching on a relational view of time, and the idea of meeting a parent as a peer is legit.
What makes Isler’s writing truly exceptional is how she balances complex themes of identity, generational trauma, and the unique experience of synesthesia with a original style, aligning with the Newbery guidelines for thematic interpretation. Her choices made the story impactful and appropriate for its middle-grade audience.