We’re so excited to tell you all about Strangely Bumptious and the Ghosts of Crypts Academy by Mark Russell! This is a quirky, humorous, adventurous story that’s sure to make you smile. Here’s the blurb:
Ghosts! Spies! Nausea!!! Award-winning author Mark Russell brings us a rollicking ghost story with an endearing protagonist, where the sick kids win the day.
Strangely Bumptious has a problem. There’s a ghost in his closet named Frank. And Frank wants to recruit Strangely to be a Spook for the Ghost Intelligence Agency (G.I.A.) because he has a rare gift. He can turn into a ghost!
Always off balance and nauseous with Meniere’s Disease, Strangely relishes the moments he’s out of his sick body, as a ghost with no ‘tippy’ symptoms. But to be a certified Spook Agent, Strangely has to complete his first mission. He must stop the evil ghost Dr. Dubsdread from haunting his new school, Crypts Academy. To do this, Strangely must find the lost bones of a 200-year-old ghost named Lizzie, and return them to the crypt.
Together with his new friend Waver Standing, Strangely races against the clock (slowly, of course, so as not to get the tippies) to find Lizzie’s bones before Dr. Dubsdread attacks the Halloween Dance and closes Crypts Academy forever.
Not to mention the whole fabric of reality unraveling.
No pressure.
Strangely Bumptious and the Ghosts of Crypts Academy is a contemporary ghost and spy story that’s filled with hope. We can’t wait for you to read it!
Meet the Author
Mark Russel is an award-winning author who loves to write stories that are slightly silly, very quirky, and filled with adventure and meaning. Want to meet him? Here’s a video where you can:
Meet the Author Video
Mark lives with his wife and many kids in Illinois, where he gets to write whenever he can find a moment.
PDF Activity Sheet
When we have a fun story filled with visual wonder, we like to share that more with you. We created this fun PDF Activity Sheet – Strangely Bumptious Hidden Pictures – for you to download and complete. These fun illustrations, and the cover art too, were created by illustrator Sean Bixby. We love them!
Online Courses Too
We’ve created three video-based online courses for Strangely Bumptious and the Ghosts of Crypts Academy to enhance your reading of the book.
Our Explore Course explores the virtues woven into the story. In this book, Strangely learns the power of Self-Confidence. You can too by using the Explore Course as you read.
Our Analysis and Literature Circle Courses are academic deep dives into language arts skills using the book as the basis of the work. We provide a really unique way to practice and learn new reading and writing skills.
All of our courses are a great addition to a great story. Give them a try!