Pinkwater, Daniel (illustrations by Calef Brown). (2009). The Yggyssey: how Iggy wondered what happened to all the ghosts, found out where they went, and went there. New York, NY: Houghton Mifflin. ISBN: 9780618594450
Yggdrasil Birnbaum, or Iggy, is the daughter of a famous moviestar cowboy and a beautiful psychiatrist. She lives peaceably among ghosts in Hollywood’s Hermione hotel. The most famous of the phantom residents is La Brea Woman, the ghost of a woman who lived 9,000 years ago, and whose body was pulled out of the La Brea tarpits. When she and the second famous ghost- famous actor of the ’20′s Rudolph Valentino- go missing, Iggy, her friends, and a ghost hunter follow Chase, the ghost rabbit, to New Jersey looking for the reason why the ghosts are rapidly fading away- like ghosts.
The Yggyssey leave readers wondering about whatever happened to all those stars of the golden age, and what is it about LA that makes people (and ghosts) want to stay? Iggy’s sarcastic and insightful narration, quirkey characters, familiar LA territories and not-so-familiar customs fill the story with humor, plus Celef Brown’s doodles are pretty awesome. Ages 9 and up.
Book cover art from Common Sense Media, http://www.commonsensemedia.org/book-reviews/yggyssey
