Dial-a-Ghost
After spending most of his 10 years in a London orphanage, Oliver Smith  is horrified to discover he is the sole master of a grand old mansion. Oliver is  quite satisfied with his life just as it is, but he soon finds himself ensconced  in a spooky, creaky tower bedroom in Helton Hall, under the care of his two  cruelly calculating cousins, the Snodde-Brittles. Cousin Fulton and Cousin  Frieda, next in line to inherit the family mansion if something shouldhappento Oliver, have offered to help him settle in to his new home. Of  course, if the matron of the orphanage knew that this assistance involved  renting bloodthirsty ghosts from the Dial-a-Ghost Agency in hopes of frightening  the boy to death, she certainly wouldn't have allowed Oliver out of her sight.  As it turns out, though, there's been a bit of a mix-up at Dial-a-Ghost. The  gruesome specters intended for Helton Hall accidentally end up at a convent,  while the gentle family of ghosts that wind up in Oliver's home suit him just  fine, much to his evil cousins' dismay.Eva Ibbotson has established herself as a true master of her genre with her  extraordinary fantasy novels such asWhich Witch?andIsland of the Aunts. InDial-a-Ghost, Ibbotson continues to excel in wit, whimsy, and wisdom.  It's as if one's favorite crazy aunt has dropped by to tell the kind of  convoluted and magical story childrenreallywant to hear. (Ages 8 to 12)--Emilie Coulter--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.