by Allison Mills
Annick Press
9/10/19, paperback
SKU: 9781773212951
Ghosts aren't meant to stick around forever . . .
Ghosts are everywhere in Shelly's life. Recently passed people, pets, and a boy who lives in the local graveyard and lends her Smiths tapes are all part of spirit world she and her grandmother are privy to. In the tradition of their Cree ancestors, Shelly and her grandmother help these lost souls transition to the next world by catching them in their hair. But when Shelly's mom dies, her relationship to ghosts--and death--changes. Instead of helping spirits move on, she starts bringing them home and hiding them in her room. But no matter how many ghosts she collects, Shelly can't ignore the one that's missing. Why hasn't her mom's ghost come home yet?
Rooted in a Cree worldview and inspired by the author's great-grandmother's stories, The Ghost Collector delves into questions of grief, loss, and the many ways people can linger after death.
Target age: 10 to 14
Reviews:
“Offers readers a gentle and interesting lesson on ghost lore — as well as a refreshing challenge to assumptions about traditional knowledge. ”-- Toronto Star
Mills’s spare prose is poignant and never heavy-handed, culturally specific yet universally resonant. ” -- The Horn Book Magazine
About the Author:
Allison Mills (Ililiw/Cree and settler) is a writer, archivist, and librarian who loves all things ghost-related. The Ghost Collector is her first novel. She lives in Vancouver.