Ollie Oxley and the Ghost

Everything changed for Ollie when his dad left. Now he has to move all the time, and he’s tired fo being the new kid. What he really wants is a new friend. He find that elusive friend in Teddy—except Teddy is a ghost!

Now things are finally looking up, but his Mom’s boss has money trouble that might make them have to move again, and the school bully has Ollie in his sights. It’s a good thing he’s got a friend to help, but how much can a ghost do to help?

This was a light-hearted, fun read full of wonderful life lessons. It may not be as hard to make friends as Ollie thinks. And it’s never too late to do the right thing.

I’ll be getting this story for my kids for sure.
Thank you NetGalley for the ARC.

This was a quick, enjoyable book. Ollie is a fun character and I loved going on this adventure with him and Teddy!

You had me at ghost and gold! The cover is super cute, I love Ollie and the ghost working together in search of something. This is something I would have devoured at 11 and did now, I still have such a love for ghost stories like these.

I adore this cover on so many levels. 12-yo Jenni (and adult Jenni) would certainly yank it from the shelves. I’m equally drawn to the premise of a kid befriending a ghost from a different era to solve a mystery from said era. The fact the mystery involves a missing cache from the gold rush is gravy. That time period has always intrigued me. And I knew as soon as Ollie and Teddy discovered a secret passageway that I was in for an adventure. I really enjoyed the boys’ hunt for Teddy’s Pa’s missing gold, culminating in a heartwarming and satisfying ending, though I wish we knew a bit more about Teddy’s existence between the 1850s and today. There are quite a few instances of name calling, “bullying the bully,” and a plot point where Ollie’s popularity is grown in a not-so-honest manner, so I think parents and educators should be prepared to have discussions and open-dialogue about these topics. I also think the adults fell short a few times, with how quickly Ollie’s mom accepted a suspension/didn’t support him and how the teachers/principals knowingly allowed bullying. But overall, the search for gold was a fun storyline that kiddos will surely enjoy.

Every time Ollie Oxley's mom gets a new production to direct, he and his sister are uprooted to another house and school. So, he isn't too eager to settle in and get comfortable in Granite City. Ollie knows they've been chasing paychecks ever since his dad asked for a divorce and disappeared from the family. Ollie's used to teachers being suspicious of newcomers, and he's mastered the social strata of middle school. Plus, this is a temporary arrangement, right? Before he knows it, Ollie has gone and provoked the Granite City school (and town) bully, Aubrey.
But Aubrey isn't the thing that surprises Ollie about the historic 49er town they've moved to ~ it's the ghost that's begun following him around. That's definitely new.
As it turns out, this ghost is a helpful one, and he wants to find and share his deceased father's hidden gold with Ollie. If only he can remember where his dad hid it...
Ollie Oxley and the Ghost is the story of a boy tired of not being at least a little in control of his life. Ollie is entertaining and endearing. I recommend Ollie Oxley and the Ghost to kids looking for an adventure!

Totally loved this book.

Ollie is used to moving a lot. When he moves with his mom and sister into a pink house in his mom's hometown, he is sure it's going to be a disaster. New school, new kids, and a ghost. Everything fits together nicely. I really loved Teddy (the ghost) and his interactions with Ollie.

I was provided an e arc from net galley and exchange for a Honest review all opinions are my own. I really enjoyed this. I thought Ollie was such a loveable character. Even though it was middle grade it kept me hooked.

Middle grade mystery readers have a new guy in town! Ollie Oxley is your typical 7th grader trying hard to fit in while managing to survive an uncertain home life. He's the universal "new kid" who moves around a lot due to his mother's search for stable work. He's a champ at knowing who to avoid in school, but not so great at making friends. He's a kid with a bright imagination who has faced some obstacles, but is resilient enough to land on his feet. He is, all in all, the quintessential middle grade hero!

Ollie is a likable character, as are the rest of the folks who round out his universe - his Mom, sister DeeDee, Miss Sally, Captain Cook, the school friends (even bully Aubrey who seems to be stuck in a toxic situation at home and may not be as bad as she seems!), and finally, the "ghost" Teddy. The plot here reminded me of one of my all-time favorite kids books, The Ghost of Dibble Hollow, which I read in 6th or 7th grade. Two boys, one real and one ghostly, team up to find a long-lost treasure. It's a simple story, with enough drama to hold the attention of both boys and girls.

I loved this! It was an easy read & would really engage middle grade boy readers in particular.

Ollie has a good heart and doesn’t want to keep moving. He wants to stay with his ghost friend Teddy but he wants the school bully & his nemesis Aubrey to leave him alone!

A great story, well-written & I’d be eager to read more about Ollie and his new life.

A full review will be posted on my blog on 3rd June but can be rescheduled if requested.

I already post my review on Goodreads https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2678985086

I received a softcopy of 'Ollie Oxley and the Ghost: The Search for Lost Gold' from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review*


I love middle grade stories, and I love ghost stories, especially in positive vibe. So, this book is a gem for me ♥️

A boy tired for always moving, with a mum and a sister, move to his mum's childhood city. As always: new school, bullying, and... a ghost.

I love the ending. And, I usually love standalone books than series, but in this case, I would love to have other sequel. Just make it as 'a-book-for-a-case' and I'll read all ♥️

Thanks for this ARC, and apologize for my English, as I'm not native in English

I received this book from Netgalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

This was a really cute book! I like Ollie and his relationships with his family. Teddy was an absolute hoot!

There's really good stuff here involving peer pressure and bullying.

This is a great book for young readers, and I hope it will be the first in a series. Ollie is tired of having to move to new towns with his mother and sister every time his mother gets a new job. His father has recently left, but there is not much information on what the circumstances surrounding his departure were - I hope there is more on this as the series continues. To make matters worse Ollie is forced to move into a pink house and the first child he meets is a ghost!

Teddy and Ollie's friendship is amusing and Ollie constantly getting caught talking to himself adds to the humor. I also enjoyed the bickering between Ollie and his sister DeDe - they may argue all the time, but at the end of the day they do care about one another.

I was a little disappointed with the adults in the this book - Ollie's entire school seems completely oblivious to how Aubrey treats other children and his mother doesn't have his back when he needs her support.

Aubrey is a little too awful to completely believe as a character, but she teaches two of the best lessons in the book: 1) sometimes there is more to a child who bullies others than meets the eye and 2) just because someone is awful to you doesn't mean you need to sink to their level.

"Ollie Oxley and the Ghost" was a simply told, engaging and non-threatening ghost story with family at its centre aimed at kids 8-10. A family move frequently because of mum's job and end up at a house with a history and a mystery. Good clean fun for your kids. It's not going to scare anyone, but it will make them smile.

Ollie is tired of moving. Nothing has been the same since his father left them. They've been moving often enough that he doesn't have a chance to make any friends. Now they're moving back to his mother's hometown where his mom takes on the job of reviving the old theater. Just as he begins to settle in, he learns that they may have to move again if his mom's boss can't bring the mortgage current. As if that's not enough, he becomes the target of the school bully. Luckily he has the help of his new friend, Teddy to figure things out. Only one catch -Teddy is a ghost!

This was a really cute, enjoyable read. Even though it was fun and light-hearted, it had some important lessons, too. Ollie discovers that it's not as hard to make friends as he expects when he does the right thing and stands up to the bully. He learns that there may be more to a bully than just being mean, he makes Teddy do the right thing for an old friend, and of course, he looks for a hidden treasure!

I would definitely read more about Ollie (and his wacky sister, DeeDee)!

I received a copy of this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I thoroughly enjoyed the plot, atmosphere, and characters. I would recommend the book to friends and family for their reading pleasure.

A big thank you to NetGalley and North Star Editions/Flux for the ARC. I am voluntarily reviewing this book. This is a children's book, mystery and or fantasy. It is a cute story. I loved the mystery part. It has bullying in it. Ollie gets bullied by red head Aubrey. The part that upset me the most was that the mom (Jenny) never asked for Ollie's side, and certainly didn't stand up for him! When just assumed he did it!! Wow just wow way to blow it mom. This would have been a 4 but I rate it a 3.5.

Ollie Oxley and The Ghost is a delightful read. Lisa Schmid delivers an original story, with likable characters that surprise you and keep you laughing until the last page. Highly recommend!

Boy moves to new town, befriends a local ghost his age, faces up to social bullying, and tries to save his family from financial woes.

There's a lot of humor here. Some of it situational, some just wacky puns and similes. The plot is really good, with great characters. The bullying is a bit exaggerated, it wouldn't work like that in real life, but for purposes of this book, it's perfect.

I really loved Teddy, the ghost kid. He's the perfect secret friend, haunting the enemies without their knowledge. I must get myself a ghost friend!

I highly recommend this book for middle grade and up. It's a fun read.

I received a copy through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I received a copy of this book from NetGallery as I was intrigued by the title and wanted to read a book for the younger generation as I'm training to be a teacher. I was very impressed by the writing and the creativeness of the story. I don't read many middle grade books but after enjoying this I'll be reading them in the future. Surprisingly I was really engaged with the story and when I put it down I wanted to carry on reading what happened next.

The story starts with a family moving into a new house and starting again. Ollie begins to see a boy named Teddy and doesn't realise he's a ghost until other children think he's talking to himself. They become very good friends and end up going through a number of challenges to get to the end goal the gold to save the bing and theatre. The writing is really good and the story just flows and flows. I didn't even see any clues to where the treasure could be buried so that was a pleasant surprise.

The age range for the book is 8 years and older, this would be a great read for children as it covers ghosts, family, friendship, bullies and adventure. This would be an excellent starting point to go over these themes and see what it means to the children.

Overall I would recommend this book to children and adults who are looking for a fast paced story but also has the humour side to it aswell!

I loved this charming, yet important story about Ollie! Bullying is so prevalent, especially in middle school, so watching Ollie and his friends handle bullies is absolutely the best part of this book. The exciting gold hunt to save the theater and therefore his family's ability to stay is a perfect way for Ollie to save the day. Thank you for letting me read early!

Ollie Oxley was such a fun middle grade book! Twelve year old Ollie Oxley is tired of constantly moving from one town to the next. His latest home is in an old pink house in Granite City. As if a pink house isn’t bad enough, Ollie soon realizes his home is haunted by a boy named Teddy. Ollie has his fair share of problems in his new town but he definitely doesn’t want to move again.
This story has hidden treasure, bullies, a race for class president and the time is running out on all of it. Can Ollie save the day? Ollie was a very likable boy and I was cheering for him!
Thank you to North Star Edition, Flux and NetGalley for this advanced copy! I loved it! My opinions are my own.
www.colecampfireblog.com
LanaLCole@yahoo.com

Ollie Oxley and the Ghost: The Search for Lost Gold by Lisa Schmid is a book I requested from NetGalley and the review is voluntary. This is a delightful middle school book with great characters, dialogue, plot, and mystery! I enjoyed it and I am not a middle grade kid!
I think my 12 and 13 year old grand kids would love this book! Even kids younger than that but like I said, I would even like it! Suspense mixed with mystery and humor!