Right away I was impressed with the main character of the story, Billy Broccoli. A sensitive lad who wants to play ball on the baseball team and connect with sincere, popular friends in a new school. His challenge in Middle School is learning to deal with a bully successfully. I like how the authors address some very important issues that our youth face today. I especially love the ending on how Billy goes about getting back at the bully the right way. Sometimes I found the pace of the story unfolding too slowly and a bit boring. At other times, the layers of the story are confusing, not connecting. Being the first book of the series it just started out a little slow for me. When you get to book #2 in the series, Winkler finishes with a bang. I loved it. With this one, I liked it. **** stars. ( )

Jake's Review: This book is a little too boring and I think its for younger kids than me. I also don't like books with Ghost's in them (mom's note: um Jake you have 10 goosebumps books). Ok mom I just don't want to read this book. Do I have to read it?

Jake's Rating: 4/10

Mom's Review: The Fonz co-wrote this -- I know I am a nerd, but I think that is pretty cool. I agree with Jake it is definitely more suited for a younger audience (he is 10). So I didn't make Jake finish the book since there is nothing worse than being forced to read something you don't like (Hello Canadian public schools 12 year old kids HATE Margaret Laurence's The Stone Angel -- it is dull and depressing). I thought it was a funny story that was fast paced and not at all boring. Good moral lessons thrown in, without being too obvious. Billy is a likeable kid that most middle grade boys can relate to. These books will definitely be in high use at most school and public libraries. I even laughed out loud a couple of times!

Mom's Rating: 8/10 ( )

Billy Broccoli is determined that moving to a new neighborhood and a new school is the wrong thing to do, especially when the school bully lives next door! Just when he thinks nothing can be worse, Billy discovers a teenage ghost with a whole lot of attitude living in his bedroom closet! Billy Broccoli definitely doesn’t want his own personal ghost!

When Rod, the obnoxious school bully, zeros in on Billy as his next target at school, “The Hoove “ and Billy must work together and come up with a plan to get even.

I enjoyed reading Ghost Buddy. It’s a fast pass story with funny twists and turns and even an unexpected outcome. This is the first book in a new series for Winkler and Oliver so we can expect more adventures and complications that make life interesting for the friendship of Billy Broccoli and his buddy “The Hoove.” ( )

Henry Winkler and Lin Oliver present a story on the theme of bullying, of finding a balance between being yourself and being "cool," and making your way in a new school and finding new friends.

The protagonist, Billy Broccoli, is aided in this endeavor by the titular ghost buddy, Hoover Porterhouse. While Billy tries to fit in, Hoover finds himself forced to help Billy, or risk being trapped in his haunting grounds for all eternity.

The story is uncomplicated, but shines thanks to the language, which is witty and clever in all the right places. The themes won't present much of a challenge to young readers, but they may see themselves reflected in Billy's awkwardness, and take some comfort in watching him deal with his issues.

The circumstances of Billy's victory over the bully Rod may be contrived, but his decision is not--to stand up to a bully, yet refuse to bully him back. It's only one example of a book that does choose to find the middle ground between extremes. ( )

Henry Winkler and Lin Oliver have had a smashing success with their Hank Zipper series (17 books!), but now they are trying out a new series called Ghost Buddy. It stars Billy Broccoli, eleven gong on twelve, about to start junior high, and moving into a big new house with his mother and his new step-dad and step-sister who is a year older than him. And to top it all off, his new bedroom is haunted! By the 14 year old spirit of Hoover Porterhouse, a student ghost who has failed to "move up" because he hasn't been very good at helping people (a MUST for moving up). At first it seems like a terrible thing to be roomies with a ghost, but it does seem that "The Hoove" could help him gain some confidence (including some "Fonzieish" type social coaching), and maybe get even with the next door bully who has made his life miserable since his toe first hit the ground at the new house. This story moves along nicely, has plenty of humor and even a good lesson or two thrown in. I don't see any reason why this series won't be just as successful as their first. ( )