Ferris by Kate DiCamillo

The beloved author of Because of Winn-Dixie has outdone herself with a hilarious and achingly real love story about a girl, a ghost, a grandmother, and growing up.

It’s the summer before fifth grade, and for Ferris Wilkey, it is a summer of sheer pandemonium: Her little sister, Pinky, has vowed to become an outlaw. Uncle Ted has left Aunt Shirley and, to Ferris’s mother’s chagrin, is holed up in the Wilkey basement to paint a history of the world. And Charisse, Ferris’s grandmother, has started seeing a ghost at the threshold of her room, which seems like an alarming omen given that she is also feeling unwell. But the ghost is not there to usher Charisse to the Great Beyond. Rather, she has other plans—wild, impractical, illuminating plans. How can Ferris satisfy a specter with Pinky terrorizing the town, Uncle Ted sending Ferris to spy on her aunt, and her father battling an invasion of raccoons?

As Charisse likes to say, “Every good story is a love story,” and Kate DiCamillo has written one for the ages: emotionally resonant and healing, showing the two-time Newbery Medalist at her most playful, universal, and profound.

Hardcover, 226 pages

Published March 5, 2024

 by Candlewick Press

5/5 stars

This is one of the reasons why Kate DiCamillo is one of my favourite MG authors. Sadly, it’s been a while since I have read any of her books, but I was instantly reminded when I dove in and found myself falling in love with her writing again.

Ferris just finished fourth grade. She lives with her grandmother, her parents, her uncle Ted has moved into the basement and apparently there is a ghost roaming the house . Well, not really it roaming seems to have built a connection with the grandmother. Plus, there is her little sister Pinky who is quite the handful, she packs a punch with her antics and confidence, though that confidence isn’t always directed in the right places.

Not only was it the writing that I enjoyed but the story. This book made me smile, laugh out loud with its zany characters, witty banter but ultimately it pulls at your heart string when you really get to the zest of the story. I loved Ferris and I would love to see another book with this family again, I miss them already.

This book was part of my 2025 reading off my shelf challenge.