The Gold Sceptre by Elizabeth Arnold

                                                           

 

2009

fluent reader,  Key Stage 2, 7-9,  upper primary, Arnold Elizabeth,  ghost, historical,  

This is a ghost story and also contains a little bit of history.

Joe has to go and stay with his grandparents on a remote farm in Scotland. His mother has had an accident and is not able to look after him. He makes friends with local boy, Robbie, and is accompanied on his adventures by blind dog, Daffy.  The farm is in an area where the Kildonan Gold Rush took place and gold dust is found on Daffy’s coat.

There are two ghosts in this story and they both help Joe to put something right in his family. The ending borders firmly on “happily ever after”.

This is a short book – just 93 pages but including a little note about the story and also information about the author. 

Chapters are reasonably short. The text is blocked in quite a large but adult font. There are boxed-off black and white illustrations that reinforce the meaning of the words. The pictures contain some texture and are three dimensional .