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Getting Back to Normal
Sixth-grader Vannie Taylor’s mom has just died. Her father, completely lost without his wife, brings Vannie and her younger brother to live in a dismal cottage on the estate where he manages craft fairs, dinners, and other events. When strange events start happening around the estate, Vannie decides to investigate, and soon discovers a ghost who wants her to help him make amends for something in his past. Vannie’s life is starting to get back to normal, but in a way she’s never imagined.
Recommended for grades 6-8.
Recommended for grades 6-8.
103 pages, ebook
First published May 29, 2013
30 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
February 10, 2014
Eleven-year-old Vanessa (Vannie) has lost her mother and is left with her inattentive father and younger brother, Robby, for company. Anxious to move away, Vannie’s father rents out the house they have been so happy living in as a family, and they move to a cottage on the estate where he works as the Director. He is so busy planning events and running the estate, Vannie and Robby are more-or-less left to their own resources. Despite the lack of food, Dad, who needs as much looking after as the children do, has forgotten to go shopping, and failed to turn up with the promised take-away. Vannie is at a loss and Robby keeps crying hunger. Unable to deal with what little food is available, Vannie takes a walk in the grounds.
““I want to cook dinner tonight,� she says out loud. “But what can I make? Number one, I don’t know how to cook.�"
Without warning, a formally-dressed young man appears from nowhere and helpfully answers her question. He offers Vannie a quick and easy recipe to try. The mysterious stranger introduces himself and they talk for a while. Seeing him sitting on a nearby bench, Vannie notes, to her alarm, she can see right through him. She later thanks him and he disappears without trace. At this point she realises she has been talking to a ghost.
Thereafter, ‘Archie�, the ghost, continues to manifest himself to Vannie, always with helpful tips and recipes, until he finally puts in a request for some help in return. Still grieving for her mother, Vannie is flabbergasted by Archie’s cri de cœur, and battles with her inner self about the rights and wrongs of it all. All she really wants to do is live a normal life. Vannie shares the secret of Archie with her best friend, Tammy, who is thrilled at the prospect of meeting a real ghost, and off they go to the library to find out who Archie really is.
Meanwhile, the family have begun to enjoy Vannie’s cooking. Needless to say, no-one has any idea her mentor is a ghost, nor that certain romantic plans may be afoot.
Though vastly different, this book put me in mind of Oscar Wilde’s ‘The Canterville Ghost�. The spectres in both stories have a certain rakish vitality and pizzazz, neither are scary, and both need the help of a child to leave this earth in peace.
Getting Back to Normal also offers a great line-up of characters, all of which are well-developed and extremely likeable; ranging from Aunt Mayda to Robby’s feral cat, Theodore. There is a sweet little sub-plot about the sensitive Robby rescuing Theodore. He had been feeding him at their old house. Left behind, he does not believe the new tenants will look after Theodore properly, and sets out to rescue him and bring him back to the cottage; very much against his father’s wishes. But, Robby perseveres and the outcome is worth all the tension.
This well-written story, told from Vannie’s perspective, makes for a fast, easy and very enjoyable read. It is also fun. I hadn’t planned to read this book when I did. I opened it to glance at the first paragraph and I kept reading through to the end. It is that sort of book. It draws the reader straight in and there’s no escape. With lots of secrets to unfold and plenty of surprises along the way, it’s hard not to stay focused.
Although Archie can be generally considered a friendly ghost, and not at all scary, there is one small scene which is a tad frightening. In it, Archie reveals another aspect of his personality. For this reason I would urge caution when reading with children under eleven. This does not detract in any way from the fact it is an excellent book with a great plot, and I highly recommend it.
This review is also published at Mungai and the Goa Constrictor
““I want to cook dinner tonight,� she says out loud. “But what can I make? Number one, I don’t know how to cook.�"
Without warning, a formally-dressed young man appears from nowhere and helpfully answers her question. He offers Vannie a quick and easy recipe to try. The mysterious stranger introduces himself and they talk for a while. Seeing him sitting on a nearby bench, Vannie notes, to her alarm, she can see right through him. She later thanks him and he disappears without trace. At this point she realises she has been talking to a ghost.
Thereafter, ‘Archie�, the ghost, continues to manifest himself to Vannie, always with helpful tips and recipes, until he finally puts in a request for some help in return. Still grieving for her mother, Vannie is flabbergasted by Archie’s cri de cœur, and battles with her inner self about the rights and wrongs of it all. All she really wants to do is live a normal life. Vannie shares the secret of Archie with her best friend, Tammy, who is thrilled at the prospect of meeting a real ghost, and off they go to the library to find out who Archie really is.
Meanwhile, the family have begun to enjoy Vannie’s cooking. Needless to say, no-one has any idea her mentor is a ghost, nor that certain romantic plans may be afoot.
Though vastly different, this book put me in mind of Oscar Wilde’s ‘The Canterville Ghost�. The spectres in both stories have a certain rakish vitality and pizzazz, neither are scary, and both need the help of a child to leave this earth in peace.
Getting Back to Normal also offers a great line-up of characters, all of which are well-developed and extremely likeable; ranging from Aunt Mayda to Robby’s feral cat, Theodore. There is a sweet little sub-plot about the sensitive Robby rescuing Theodore. He had been feeding him at their old house. Left behind, he does not believe the new tenants will look after Theodore properly, and sets out to rescue him and bring him back to the cottage; very much against his father’s wishes. But, Robby perseveres and the outcome is worth all the tension.
This well-written story, told from Vannie’s perspective, makes for a fast, easy and very enjoyable read. It is also fun. I hadn’t planned to read this book when I did. I opened it to glance at the first paragraph and I kept reading through to the end. It is that sort of book. It draws the reader straight in and there’s no escape. With lots of secrets to unfold and plenty of surprises along the way, it’s hard not to stay focused.
Although Archie can be generally considered a friendly ghost, and not at all scary, there is one small scene which is a tad frightening. In it, Archie reveals another aspect of his personality. For this reason I would urge caution when reading with children under eleven. This does not detract in any way from the fact it is an excellent book with a great plot, and I highly recommend it.
This review is also published at Mungai and the Goa Constrictor
August 16, 2013
In movies, casting makes or breaks the film. The same can be said for books.
The author has a great cast in Getting Back To Normal.
Vannie’s almost twelve when her father uproots the family and moves them into a dumpy old cottage on the grounds of Merry Mount Gardens, the estate he works for.
She’s not happy with the move and neither is her little brother Robby. He’s obsessed with a stray cat he’s been feeding, Theodore, and worries if the new people living in their old house will take care of him.
Vannie worries about who will take care of them, as her father has immersed himself in matters of the estate and is often absent.
Her father looked to his wife for comfort and support. They all did. She was the glue that held them together.
Now that she’s gone, they are quickly becoming a dysfunctional family.
Vannie’s saving grace is Aunt Mayda. She’s not really her aunt. She was her mothers best friend. She owns Merry Mount and helped them to get the cottage.
Aunt Mayda lives in the city but makes frequent visits, lending her support where needed.
One day, Vannie makes a new friend.
Archibald Heatherton is Mayda’s grandfather. He’s also the resident ghost.
Vannie is the only one who can see him, and he’s asking for her help.
He chose to stay after his “foolish death� to ensure Mayda lives happily ever after.
Vannie thinks it’s a pretty tall order. Does anyone get their happily ever after?
Vannie is a brave young lady. Her situation adds a heavy responsibility on her small shoulders. Her dad is buried in his work, her brother is obsessed with a stray cat, she’s missing her home, her school, her friends.
Now a silly ghost wants a real life fairy tale ending. Can helping Archie maybe help her own family? Will they ever get back to normal? What is normal anyway?
Without Archie the ghost, this could have been a heavy read. Archie, with his backflips and cartwheels, and aura of mystery, lightens the mood, making this a fun story told from Vannie’s point of view.
Getting Back To Normal is for young readers. I’d say middle grade. The characters are real and the situations are true to life, well, except for Archie, and the adventures are exciting. And I’m all for a happily ever after.
This took me back to when I was young and I spent all my time in the library. I would grab my selected books and sit in a quiet corner, reading until it was time to go home. I loved taking those books home, choosing which one to read first, and diving into a new world.
I wish I had young children to share this book with. I would love for them to meet these characters and interrupt me when I’m busy to exclaim about something that happened in the book.
I was provided this book for my honest review.
The author has a great cast in Getting Back To Normal.
Vannie’s almost twelve when her father uproots the family and moves them into a dumpy old cottage on the grounds of Merry Mount Gardens, the estate he works for.
She’s not happy with the move and neither is her little brother Robby. He’s obsessed with a stray cat he’s been feeding, Theodore, and worries if the new people living in their old house will take care of him.
Vannie worries about who will take care of them, as her father has immersed himself in matters of the estate and is often absent.
Her father looked to his wife for comfort and support. They all did. She was the glue that held them together.
Now that she’s gone, they are quickly becoming a dysfunctional family.
Vannie’s saving grace is Aunt Mayda. She’s not really her aunt. She was her mothers best friend. She owns Merry Mount and helped them to get the cottage.
Aunt Mayda lives in the city but makes frequent visits, lending her support where needed.
One day, Vannie makes a new friend.
Archibald Heatherton is Mayda’s grandfather. He’s also the resident ghost.
Vannie is the only one who can see him, and he’s asking for her help.
He chose to stay after his “foolish death� to ensure Mayda lives happily ever after.
Vannie thinks it’s a pretty tall order. Does anyone get their happily ever after?
Vannie is a brave young lady. Her situation adds a heavy responsibility on her small shoulders. Her dad is buried in his work, her brother is obsessed with a stray cat, she’s missing her home, her school, her friends.
Now a silly ghost wants a real life fairy tale ending. Can helping Archie maybe help her own family? Will they ever get back to normal? What is normal anyway?
Without Archie the ghost, this could have been a heavy read. Archie, with his backflips and cartwheels, and aura of mystery, lightens the mood, making this a fun story told from Vannie’s point of view.
Getting Back To Normal is for young readers. I’d say middle grade. The characters are real and the situations are true to life, well, except for Archie, and the adventures are exciting. And I’m all for a happily ever after.
This took me back to when I was young and I spent all my time in the library. I would grab my selected books and sit in a quiet corner, reading until it was time to go home. I loved taking those books home, choosing which one to read first, and diving into a new world.
I wish I had young children to share this book with. I would love for them to meet these characters and interrupt me when I’m busy to exclaim about something that happened in the book.
I was provided this book for my honest review.
August 15, 2013
4 STARS
This deals with grief of losing a parent also has a ghost in it at Halloween time. It starts right off getting into the story. Vannie, her brother Robby and father Roger are moving from their nice house into a dark cottage where were father works on the Greystone Gardens and manager.
Vannie's father has a hard time with his wife gone. He is used to her being a support to him when he gets stressed and needs to be calmed down and reassured.
He has a hard time remembering what he needs to do for his children. At first I did not like him. He was trying just needed to be more of a leader.
Vannie was good about taking care of her brother and comforting him and she needed more from her father too at this time. She decided she was going to cook some meals. At some times she was so grown up and others she was child needing and did not want her life to change even more. Vannie has gone through so many changes.
Her first evening she meets a ghost and he gives her a easy recipe to fix. It sounds good to try. The ghost wants her help.
This is a fast easy entertaining read. I think middle school and older would enjoy it. There is one scene that might be scary for younger children.
The ghost sure enjoys tumbling and realizes what is important and wishes he did not make the choices he made because it made his whole family sad with his passing.
Everybody was trying to have a normal life and wanted to be over the grief in their own way. It was important to realize that their mom does not want them to be unhappy.
Robby really opened his heart to take care of a stray cat and worried about it when they moved. Loving his cat helped him a lot also got him into trouble too.
This is a clean read that anyone can enjoy.
I was given this ebook to read and asked to give honest review of it and be part of the book tour.
This deals with grief of losing a parent also has a ghost in it at Halloween time. It starts right off getting into the story. Vannie, her brother Robby and father Roger are moving from their nice house into a dark cottage where were father works on the Greystone Gardens and manager.
Vannie's father has a hard time with his wife gone. He is used to her being a support to him when he gets stressed and needs to be calmed down and reassured.
He has a hard time remembering what he needs to do for his children. At first I did not like him. He was trying just needed to be more of a leader.
Vannie was good about taking care of her brother and comforting him and she needed more from her father too at this time. She decided she was going to cook some meals. At some times she was so grown up and others she was child needing and did not want her life to change even more. Vannie has gone through so many changes.
Her first evening she meets a ghost and he gives her a easy recipe to fix. It sounds good to try. The ghost wants her help.
This is a fast easy entertaining read. I think middle school and older would enjoy it. There is one scene that might be scary for younger children.
The ghost sure enjoys tumbling and realizes what is important and wishes he did not make the choices he made because it made his whole family sad with his passing.
Everybody was trying to have a normal life and wanted to be over the grief in their own way. It was important to realize that their mom does not want them to be unhappy.
Robby really opened his heart to take care of a stray cat and worried about it when they moved. Loving his cat helped him a lot also got him into trouble too.
This is a clean read that anyone can enjoy.
I was given this ebook to read and asked to give honest review of it and be part of the book tour.
August 10, 2013
GETTING BACK TO NORMAL is a charming story about an 12-year-old girl dealing with loss, changes and a ghost.
Vanessa ‘Vannie� Taylor is dealing with the loss of her mother as she cares for her younger brother, Robby. Dealing with his own grief, Vannie’s father moves his family out of their home and into a tiny cottage on the estate where he is the director of Merrymount Gardens. The move is made a bit easier by her Aunt Mayda, who really isn’t an aunt but her late mother’s best friend. Mayda owns Merrymount Gardens, but lives in the city where she’s a lawyer.
To Vannie’s surprise, she encounters Archibald ‘Archie� Heatherton, the estate’s resident ghost and Mayda’s grandfather. After helping Vannie with a problem or two, Archie ask for her help in return. He wants her to help him make amends for something that happened with his death. While she’d like to help Archie, if she does it will mean a drastic change in Vannie’s life. Longing for life to get back to normal, Vannie learns normal may not be what she expected.
Author Marilyn Levinson has taken a story that deals with the death of a parent, added hope and mixed in a bit of humor for a well-balanced tale. Her characters are well-developed, likable and realistic. She blends the stress of family life with a touch of paranormal for a light-hearted tale that will have you smiling.
GETTING BACK TO NORMAL is a quick read that flows smoothly with a surprise or two along the way.
FTC Full Disclosure - An eBook copy of this book was sent to me as part of the author’s virtual book tour in hopes I would review it. However, receiving the complimentary copy did not influence my review.
Vanessa ‘Vannie� Taylor is dealing with the loss of her mother as she cares for her younger brother, Robby. Dealing with his own grief, Vannie’s father moves his family out of their home and into a tiny cottage on the estate where he is the director of Merrymount Gardens. The move is made a bit easier by her Aunt Mayda, who really isn’t an aunt but her late mother’s best friend. Mayda owns Merrymount Gardens, but lives in the city where she’s a lawyer.
To Vannie’s surprise, she encounters Archibald ‘Archie� Heatherton, the estate’s resident ghost and Mayda’s grandfather. After helping Vannie with a problem or two, Archie ask for her help in return. He wants her to help him make amends for something that happened with his death. While she’d like to help Archie, if she does it will mean a drastic change in Vannie’s life. Longing for life to get back to normal, Vannie learns normal may not be what she expected.
Author Marilyn Levinson has taken a story that deals with the death of a parent, added hope and mixed in a bit of humor for a well-balanced tale. Her characters are well-developed, likable and realistic. She blends the stress of family life with a touch of paranormal for a light-hearted tale that will have you smiling.
GETTING BACK TO NORMAL is a quick read that flows smoothly with a surprise or two along the way.
FTC Full Disclosure - An eBook copy of this book was sent to me as part of the author’s virtual book tour in hopes I would review it. However, receiving the complimentary copy did not influence my review.
August 11, 2013
This is a wonderful book for the younger crowd. When I was in grade school I read Apple books by Betty Ren Wright and I instantly felt like I was reading one of her books as I dove into this one.
Marilyn has a fantastic set of characters with Vannie her brother Robby , her dad, her aunt Mayda and her friend Tammy as well as Theodore the cat and Archie the ghost.
The story is told through Vannie's eyes and she really is the picture of the typical 6th grade girl. She's almost grown up, but not quite and her world has been turned upside down. Not only has she lost her mother, but her father isn't coping well and they are moving to a cottage on the grounds of the estate that he works for.
That really makes for a lot of pre-teen angst and even more angst from her younger brother Robby. It doesn't help matters that their dad isn't the best parent in the world. He's way more concerned with work then keeping house. I really felt sorry for the 11 year old who was learning to cook from recipes she was given by Archie the ghost.
Vannie is really inquisitive, as is her friend Tammy and they really work hard to uncover who Archie is, though Vannie is a little less enthusiastic about the request Archie has for her. It has to do with her aunt Mayda getting a husband. (I'll say no more, as that would be SPOILERS)
I recommend this book highly to the pre-teen set. It is a quick, fun read that kids and parents will enjoy.
Marilyn has a fantastic set of characters with Vannie her brother Robby , her dad, her aunt Mayda and her friend Tammy as well as Theodore the cat and Archie the ghost.
The story is told through Vannie's eyes and she really is the picture of the typical 6th grade girl. She's almost grown up, but not quite and her world has been turned upside down. Not only has she lost her mother, but her father isn't coping well and they are moving to a cottage on the grounds of the estate that he works for.
That really makes for a lot of pre-teen angst and even more angst from her younger brother Robby. It doesn't help matters that their dad isn't the best parent in the world. He's way more concerned with work then keeping house. I really felt sorry for the 11 year old who was learning to cook from recipes she was given by Archie the ghost.
Vannie is really inquisitive, as is her friend Tammy and they really work hard to uncover who Archie is, though Vannie is a little less enthusiastic about the request Archie has for her. It has to do with her aunt Mayda getting a husband. (I'll say no more, as that would be SPOILERS)
I recommend this book highly to the pre-teen set. It is a quick, fun read that kids and parents will enjoy.
July 31, 2013
great story told from the viewpoint of a child. I thought it was well written and the voice did feel like it was a child telling the story
October 8, 2013
A heartwarming story a girl adjusting to life after her mother's death, and a ghost making amends before going to his final resting place.
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