So Lenny Among Ghosts was a fun ghost story book a bout a boy who is sent to go to school in this castle that is actually a school for ghost. While there he learns that the place is about to be torn down and wants to help. I really liked this book up till the end and then it was either lost in translation or I just didn't get the ending. So because of that it got bumped down in rating.

I thought this little middle school story was a lot of fun. It deals with a very common fear: what if you have to move to a new school and you don't fit in? Lenny's case is pretty extreme because his parents decide to drop him off at a boarding school they don't really look into and it turns out he's the only one there who's alive. The story is short and fast-paced, and I found Lenny and the ghosts to be sympathetic characters. They brought up another question: what happens to your loved ones after you leave them behind? Lenny's parents are pretty irresponsible, and it would be fun if they dropped him into other ... interesting situations. Thanks to NetGalley for letting me read this.

A lovely children ghost story, perfect for Halloween. We have ghosts, castle, some villains and some heroes. Just what a 7-8 year old would want. Nothing too spooky or creepy to scare kids away.
The only thing I wasn’t a huge fan of was rhetoric ending.
Just too abrupt, left me with a lot of questions. And the other thing that’s bothered me throughout the book was parents of Leny, no parent should act like they did.
All in all I think you should give this book a shot.

The premise of this was incredible. It truly had so much potential, but unfortunately for me it just missed the mark.

First of all, I understand that as an adult I am not this books target audience, but I still love middle grade books and the amount of times the word “fart” was used in this book would have deeply annoyed me even as a kid.

I just don’t feel like the characters were memorable other than that though, and when I tell you that the ending would have literally had me throwing a book at a wall in my younger days I truly mean it.

I wanted to love this so much. I really did. The concept is fantastic, it just fell flat.

Frank Maria Reifenberg’s Lenny Among Ghosts delivers a delightful blend of eerie charm and school adventure. The story sets the stage with Lenny’s unease about his parents’ extended research trip and his enrollment at the peculiar Shadowsnout Castle Academy, which immediately feels like anything but a typical school. Reifenberg weaves a spooky and playful atmosphere, with details like rhyming radio ghosts and invisible pirates adding an unpredictable, whimsical layer to the narrative.

Lenny’s journey through the castle’s unusual classes and mysterious events keeps readers hooked, especially as he encounters various supernatural entities, each carrying a balance of creepiness and unexpected allure. The looming danger adds suspense, but the story's real heart lies in Lenny’s growing realization that perhaps his place at the school is no accident. The plot deepens as Lenny is forced to confront external threats and the possibility that his arrival at Shadowsnout was meant to happen.

This book balances humor, adventure, and a dose of the supernatural, making it an engaging read for middle-grade audiences who enjoy a mix of thrills and laughter. My only critique is that some moments feel rushed, leaving specific details or characters wanting more development. Nonetheless, Lenny Among Ghosts is a captivating, light horror fantasy with a satisfying sense of adventure.

What a fun middle grade novel. Such an out of the box concept. A school with ghosts with an actual back story as well. The book was done wonderfully and the pictures were great. I think many children will love this book.

This definitely has a Lemony Snicket feel! I loved this book from the warning to the end.

What happens when a living person accidentally gets sent to a school for ghosts? Lenny is about to find out! Not only is he named after his grandfather's dog, he is mistakenly admitted to a school for ghosts while his parents are gone on an extended research trip. What else could happen, possibly being found out...

I will definitely share this with my students. It is so snarky and fun, I am sure my more reserved readers will love the story of Lenny and how he came to be in school with ghosts.

I was given the opportunity to read this title by NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review.

A thoroughly engaging read with great Halloween ambiance. Fast-paced, whimsical, and fun. The light, playful tone set this book apart from most ghost stories while still delivering on the spooky vibes.

Hauntingly delightful. Exactly what you want, when you want Halloween vibes but still want to keep things upbeat and cheerful.

This was a very rough read to get through. I have to say the ending was honestly the worst part of this story, and if I read this as a kid it would have legitimately made me mad. But the ending at least helps make other parts of the story make "sense" and that's me stretching my thoughts on this,

The idea of Lenny getting accidently sent to a school for ghosts is an intriguing idea, unfortunately the execute leaves something to be desired. I feel one the biggest issues was that there was too many plot lines for the length of the story. Lenny trying to not get caught at the school for ghosts, the interview for getting into said school, the knight who owns the castle and his family line, and the excavator trying to tear down the castle, Lenny becoming friends with the ghost kids. All these plot lines make it hard to stay focused because they are all rushed through as quickly as possible and don't exactly tie in together well. We don't get enough time of Lenny interacting with the ghosts kids, so his need for saving the castle doesn't hold much weight for them. We don't get to see any friendship bloom between him and Polly so him being concerned about the castle being torn down also holds no weight. We get one scene with Polly expressing concern about losing the castle but again it holds no weight because ultimately it's just a surface level reason for wanting to keep it, because we don't really know Polly. The plot linewith the knight could have been cute but it was just more page filler to be perfectly honest.

None of the characters make a lasting impression expect for one named Oscar-or-Caruso, and yes that is how he is referred to the WHOLE book. but he isn't memorable because he is a good character he is memorable because of how awful and annoying he was. let me give you some quotes from him.

"Fart cannons and poop parades" shouted Oscar-or-Caruso. "That looks Great?"
"Fart Boogers,'" someone groused up on the balcony.
"Fart Demons and poopy pants!" shouted Oscar-or-Caruso
"Fart poopy doop." Oscar-or Caruso yelled.

Do you see the problem? This was the most absolutely annoying part of this entire book. This tells me that the author probably doesn't spend much time around actual children, because while I know it is common for young boys to make fart and poop jokes, having every single line from this kid be this way was absolutely unnecessary. You can cut this kid and all his lines from the book and it would not change anything, and it doesn't even help to serve as comedic relief, its just annoying.

Now to go back to me saying the ending helps "explain" certain parts of this story is to simply say it retcons everything that happens in the story and explains why certain choices were not made by Lenny while he was staying at the castle trying to help the ghosts. It feels like the author really didn't know how to wrap up his many ideas and thought he would pull some crazy twist at the end to basically say "sike, gotcha" and instead it left me annoyed, irritated and thinking about how I just wasted my time reading this.

The only positive aspect I can give this is that it reads really fast, the pacing is ridiculously quick, but a lot of that is due to the fact that there are so many plots, so much detail missing, worldbuilding and character exploration is completely left out, so it's just jumping through scenes as quickly as you can. There was nothing scary about this either, it kind of hangs on more gross than anything, but even that is stretching it.

Myself and my Year 5 class throughly enjoyed reading this book! Even the most reluctant readers were eager to read another extract. I have pre-ordered several copies for our school library so my class, and others can finish and enjoy the book.

Lenny Among Ghosts is a really silly, cute, fast-paced book that students grades 4-6 would probably enjoy. I think it's a little too immature for my 7th grade book club, but I think elementary age or reluctant readers would like it. It's kind of in the vein of Diary of a Wimpy Kid or Captain Underpants. The basic plot is that through a case of mistaken identity Lenny gets enrolled in a school for ghosts. There he makes friends with the ghostly residents which are all a wide range of children and staff who have parished in various ways. The ghosts are really original and creative and I think that was the best part of the book, because the plot is pretty standard. Lenny finds out that the castle is going to be demolished and only he and his new friends can stop it with some ghostly fun. It's all silly good fun.

The tone is extremely humorous, and the references to horror movies are very funny. The characters are very endearing, and it's a real pleasure to see the elements of Lenny's quest come together... But! All of that was before reaching the end! Suddenly, the conclusion takes us in another direction, and not for the better. Because Lenny had... dreamed. I hate when this kind of ending happens and invalidates all the emotional investment we put into the story as readers.

Lenny Among Ghosts is the perfect mix of fun and spooky. It was very atmospheric and, of course, a quick read.

Thank you to Netgalley for providing me with an advanced ebook copy of "Lenny Among Ghosts."

This book had me snickering out loud by page eight. It had elements that reminded me a lot of The Series of Unfortunate Events by Lemony Snicket but it still definitely had it's own voice and pace.

The plot focuses on 12-year-old Lenny the second (named after Lenny the first-the wire haired dachshund) as he gets packed up and dropped off at a boarding school. Little does he know he was just accidentally enrolled in a school for the undead.

Lenny is a very sarcastic kid- which is clear from the first chapter- and he always seems to finds himself in dangerous situations and involved in mysteries as he navigates his new school and makes friends.

The setting of the book is spooky, medieval, and full of wit. Perfect for children who are looking for their first ghost story. The cover is fun and will draw readers in and the chapters are short and have fun illustrations at the start. Perfect for young readers who are looking for a fast read.

2.5 stars. I had more problems with this book than things I liked. I did like the uniqueness of each of the ghost characters, but I couldn’t for the life of me see where the plot was going. There were no stakes, and no clear point. The ending, too, ended up being a “it was all a dream” twist. I also wasn’t a fan of all the fart references.

I am grateful to Netgalley for lending me an arc of this book. The narrative centers on Lenny, who unintentionally enrols in the school for spirits. Throughout the narrative, he has numerous adventures. He had originally intended to flee the school, but in the end, he grows to love it and resists its eventual demolition. Even while the plot had me entertained throughout, the conclusion caused me to reconsider.

The poor kid, Lenny, is named after a dog. That's just a big no in my book, work in fiction, but please never do this in real life.

Such a cute and funny story about a boy and some ghosts.


I loved the illustrations throughout, they really made the story come alive!
Bonus points for the rocky horror references!


Book will be featured in an upcoming youtube video.

✰ 2.5 stars ✰

“In no more than twenty years, you will only leave footprints behind when you want to. That is a particularly good method for haunting, because most humans think that ghosts are incapable of making footprints. It takes a while for newcomers to become fully separated from their bodies.”

Ouch.

There were all sorts of things I wanted at that moment, but being separated from my body definitely wasn’t one of them.”

As much as the introduction to Lenny Among Ghosts forewarned its readers not to be afraid of the many revolting or gruesome ghastly ghosts that would make their presence known in the story, it pains me to say how not so terrifying they actually were. In fact, it reminded me a lot of Scooby Doo and the Ghoul School, where much like Scooby and Shaggy who wind up accidentally as students at a school for ghouls, so, too, does our young protagonist, Lenny, find himself dropped off by his parents at a school, whose students comprise only of ghosts - long dead and gone. 👻🏰

For a middle grade read, it is a sweet read and a fast-paced one too, that carries a lighthearted if not bewildered kind of tone to it, that makes the writing very easy to follow. 👌🏻 You can't help but sympathize with Leonard Hohenklaue aka Lenny the Second (just don't ask him who the first is!) as he tries to make do with the startling situation he's suddenly found himself in as a student at Shadowsnout Castle. 'Even the name was a joke. What had possessed Heinrich the Strong to give his castle this name?' 😄 His sense of alarm and bewilderment were very believable and I liked his sense of smart rational thinking as a a purely scientifically minded person,while also trying to do his best not to outsmart the ghosts too much, in the hopes that they didn't view him as a threat.

And even though ghosts were the last thing in the world that I believed in' as he spends more time with them - kids and teachers, alike - he finds himself very much at home with them. He starts to care for their well-being and feel genuinely interested in their past lives and the many talents that they possess as supernatural beings. It is an eclectic, interesting group with their own unique abilities and creative talents that one would have difficulty believing in. 👻But then again - 'there are things that are simply difficult to explain in the middle of the night.' So, when the school's very existence is put in danger by outside forces threatening to rid them of their home, it is upto Lenny to try and save them from a fate worse than the deaths that they've already once experienced. 🥺

“I’m not scared at all,” Polly insisted. However, her voice didn’t sound as assured as it had previously.

“Except when it comes to your sanity. I might be a little concerned about that. A school for ghosts? That’s ridiculous.”

The pacing of the story is very fast-paced and swift, but still very engaging; I do see it as a worthwhile read for perhaps for younger male readers who want something quick and easy to read. The humor of the story is snarky and free-spirited, one that I am actually quite fond of. 'Don’t spoil the romance for us! We rarely have any cause to celebrate—and now we are going to do it!' 😅 As it is translated from German, it was done in a very fluent and comfortable style that I enjoyed. However, I do wish that it could have toned down the constant need for fart jokes. Let's just say I'm not a fan of them. I mean, once was fine, maybe twice, but more than five times! Now, that's where I draw the line. 😒 I did think the dark and morbid humor was a well-balanced one. I would have liked a little more zing on the alluring introduction that hinted that the ghosts would play a more pivotal role, one that also promised some chilling apparitions that would have rattled the senses. But, again, I think, judging by the cover alone, I read a little too seriously into what I thought it was, than what it initially intended to be. 🙎🏻‍♀️

Yet, what really soured my mood was the unfortunate route the ending took, a plot device that is one of my least favorite ones. 😮‍💨 I was so disappointed; no amount of spark or flair to whatever took place that made it enjoyable. You also have to apply a certain suspension of disbelief in regards to the rather macabre way in which the ending was handled, so... Had it not gone that way, I would have really appreciated it much more. 😞

I did love the illustrations, though; very sharp in detail, but with the hint of creepy and whimsy to it that perfectly captured the chaotic madness of the story. 👍🏻

Still, it wasn't all that bad; much of my low rating stems from my own personal disappointment in the execution of the story, so it still had its moments. It is safe to say that it is just another example of how my expectations were of something else, when it clearly became something else entirely. 😔

*Thank you to Netgalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This is a very well written book with a child-like voice. It sounds like Lenny wrote it. Some parts might be a little much for kids, but middle grades and up should be able to read and enjoy. Some of my students would enjoy this book.

This cute little children's book sits comfortably in the realm of other age-appropriate death fiction and I can see it doing really well at my branch where kids tend to lean towards horror inclined fiction.

The fake-outs, witty humor, and illustrations made this a fun read.

I was definitely reminded of Lemony Snicket with how some of these jokes were translated. A chapter being a sentence long has always been one of my favorite literary gags.