Sage Cookson's Christmas ghost by Sally Murphy
New Frontier Publishing, 2017. ISBN 9781925594058(Age: 8-10) Themes: Cooking; Christmas. Ten-year-old Sage Cookson's parents are celebrity chefs with an overwhelming interest in food that regularly takes them into new territory in their search for a new story for their television audience. In this latest episode the family is off to Perth for a Christmas episode with a world record attempt at the largest Pavlova ever. Sage's interest is in solving problems and mysteries, and when the Pavlova attempt is beset by the possible presence of a mysterious ghost in the unusual 'kitchen' in an old brickworks, Sage's curiosity is set into action.
Sally Murphy has written a simple tale that would meet the needs of 8-10 year old female readers who do not relish the challenges of longer novels. It is a very predictable tale, and although set in the week prior to Christmas, has very little to do with Christmas itself. The pavlova recipe at the conclusion of the book may inspire an attempt to make this sweet dessert treat.
Carolyn Hull