Ghost Voyages

Kristin Butcher writes novels for young adults. Her most recent works
are Cairo Kelly and the Mann, The Gamma War, and The Tomorrow Tunnel.

When nine-year-old Jeremy Thorpe first receives the stamp collection
that once belonged to his grandfather, he isn’t terribly impressed.
Stamp collecting isn’t his idea of a cool hobby. But when he picks up
the magnifying glass to look closely at one of the ship stamps, Jeremy
is sure he can see the old steamboat moving, and as he continues to
study it, he finds himself actually onboard the vessel. Frightened, he
pulls back and is once again in his own room looking at the stamp. But
the lure of mystery and adventure is too great, and Jeremy soon becomes
a regular visitor aboard the Northcote and other ships as well.

When drawn back in time, Jeremy becomes invisible. He is at the same
risk as everyone else of falling from the crow’s nest or being washed
overboard, but unless someone accidentally touches him, no one knows he
is there.

Basically, both novels are about Jeremy’s adventures on the ships
depicted in the stamps. Though his history lessons aboard the Northcote
and Nonsuch in the Book 1 are interesting, there doesn’t seem to be
much point to them. There is no unifying plot. Book 2, however, has a
much stronger storyline, and therefore makes a more satisfying read. In
this novel, Jeremy’s ghost voyages are strongly linked to some serious
real-life difficulties, and when he unexpectedly meets his grandfather
(at age 10) onboard Cabot’s ship, The Matthew, it inspires Jeremy to
find a way out of his problems. Recommended.