Watch for the ghost

Dan is nearly 11 and he can't read. School is well meaning but ineffectual. His parents are unsympathetic. His twin sister is literate. Not nice-but literate. He has no friends. Under stress Dan escapes from school, and makes friends with a labrador. When the dog is knocked down Dan meets his owners and Gran -- the ghost at the window -- who helps him learn to read. Sheila Haigh has written a gripping, touching tale. The book is to be strongly recommended for its rich array of characters and situations; for its head-on look at the plight of a boy who sees no one in his immediate orbit able to answer his most crying need. The final chapters in which Dan suffers his family's rejection, finds a new friend and learns of Gran's death are strong meat but provide a fitting end to a satisfying, provocative read.