Ghosted

By Michael Fry

From the best-selling author of the How to Be a Supervillain series comes this laugh-out-loud, heavily illustrated story of a shy boy, his best-friend-turned-ghost, and their bucket list of adventures and dares. Perfect for fans of the Timmy Failure and Diary of a Wimpy Kid series.

Larry’s got a few problems. In school, he’s one of those kids who easily gets lost in the crowd. And Grimm, Larry’s best friend in the whole world, has ghosted him. Literally. One minute Grimm was saving a cat in a tree during a lightning storm, and the next, he’s pulling pranks on Larry in his new ghostly form.

When the two best friends realize that there’s something keeping Grimm tethered to their world, they decide that finishing their Totally To-Do bucket list is the perfect way to help Grimm with his unfinished business. Pulling hilarious pranks and shenanigans may be easier with a ghostly best friend, but as Larry and Grimm brave the scares of seventh grade, they realize that saying goodbye might just be the scariest part of middle school.  
 
 

• Language: English
• Publisher: HarperCollins
• Release date: Jan 19, 2021
• ISBN: 9780358270102

Michael Fry

Michael Fry has been a cartoonist and bestselling writer for over thirty years. He has created or cocreated four internationally syndicated comic strips, including Over the Hedge, which is featured in newspapers nationwide and was adapted into the DreamWorks Animation hit animated movie of the same name. He is also the author and illustrator of the bestselling middle grade novel series How to Be a Supervillain and The Odd Squad. He lives on a small ranch near Austin, Texas, with his wife, Kim, and a dozen or so unnamed shrub-eating cows. Follow him on Twitter at @MFryActual.  

Book preview

Chapter 1

I first met Grimm in fourth grade.

I was at lunch. Normally my mom gives me money for lunch, but that morning she was out of cash, so she made my lunch.

Larry with his lunch, a jar of peanut butter and warm soda

My mom is a lovely person with many fine qualities. Making nutritious lunches is not one of them. But to be fair, I didn’t mind. A jar of peanut butter and a warm soda beats cafeteria mystery soup any day of the week.

Two kids eating lunch. One asks the other 'Wait. Is that?' and the other responds with 'A Monkey Eyeball!'

I was just about to open the warm soda when it slipped out of my hand.

The soda can slips out of Larry’s hand and bounces off the floorThe soda can rolls on the floor and under a healthy snacks machine, containing snacks such as kale chips, carrot dots, and beet rinds

There was silence. Everyone knew I’d just let loose a live soda grenade in the cafeteria.

Kids run past Larry screaming 'Run away!'

I was suddenly alone with a warm soda bomb of my own making. Or so I thought.

Another kid approaches Larry and says 'Hey.' Larry says 'Hey' as well.

Why didn’t you run away with the others? I asked.

You looked like you needed some help, he said. Also, I’m an expert at bomb disposal.

It’s not a bomb. It’s a can of warm soda.

If we don’t get it out of here and it explodes, you’re going to be in detention for a month.

That’s when we heard a metallic . . .

The soda can starts popping from the inside

We don’t have much time, said the kid.

Do I know you? I asked.

The new kid responds 'No. I’m new. My name’s Grimm.' Larry introduces himself, saying 'I’m Larry.'

First thing we need is body armor, said Grimm.

Body armor? I said.

Let’s see, said Grimm, looking around the cafeteria. This should work.

Grimm puts a soup bowl on his head and wears his backpack backwards on his chest. Larry says 'Oh.'

I found a bowl and a backpack and suited up as well.

Now what? I asked.

Grimm said, We need a couple of those long lunch-lady spoons.

Right. The kind they use to stir the Monkey Eye Soup.

A lunch lady frantically stirs a large pot with large spoons and yells 'More monkey eye-balls!'

We found two spoons and approached the vending machine.

This is a delicate operation, said Grimm. We have to move as one. You grab one side of the can; I’ll grab the other.

We both reached under the vending machine and pinched the can between the two spoons.

Larry and Grimm strain to reach under the healthy snacks machine

We slowly pulled out the can. Then, very carefully, we stood up.

Larry and Grim hold the popping soda can with the long spoons. 'Whatever you do, don’t drop it' says Grimm. But the can slips out of the spoons and crashes on the floor as the boys scream.Someone yells 'We gotta hurry!' as the can looks close to exploding

The can could have exploded at any second. It was about one hundred yards from where we were to the school’s back door and the soccer field beyond. We each took a deep breath, then carefully, oh so carefully, picked up the can again and slowly started to move. We looked like two deranged giant mice tiptoeing down the hall.

Thanks, I said. You really didn’t need to help me with this.

Are you kidding? This is a blast! said Grimm.

The boys grasp the can with the spoons again and run. 'Don’t say blast,' says Larry. 'Right' says Grimm

We got out the back door and headed straight to the soccer field as carefully as we could.

Larry and Grimm run holding the can. 'Almost there!' Grimm says. But then the boys trip while yelling. The soda can slips out of their grasp and bounces on the floor.The can stops and stands still. The boys let out a 'whew!' in relief. But then the can explodes all over themThe boys laugh at the exploding can

From that point on we were best friends forever. Pinky-swear friends. Spit-shake friends. And walla-walla-elbow-bump friends.

Larry and Grimm raise their hands at each other saying 'Wal-la!'Larry and Grimm lower their hands, saying 'Wal-la!' And then elbow bump one another.

The Warm Soda Grenade Incident was just the first of many adventures.

In fifth grade our big adventure was climbing the water tower. No big deal. Walk in the park. Piece of cake.

The boys climb down a water tower, with Larry yelling 'We’re all going to die!'

In sixth grade we painted ourselves silver and pretended to be statues in the park.

Larry and Grimm stand on chairs, spray-painted silver and standing still

This fooled only the pigeons.

Pigeons land on Larry and Grimm’s heads and the boys scream

This year we topped ourselves. We decided to dig a hole to China. This was Grimm’s idea. I was a bit skeptical that China was within digging distance.

The boys dig a hole. 'Almost there. I can hear them talking' says Grimm. 'Talking?' Larry responds. The ground gurgles under them.A column of water shoots out from underneath the ground, launching Larry and Grimm into the air

We were both grounded for life after that, but it was worth it. We made the local news.

A news reporter reports on Larry and Grimm, saying 'Area boys dig tunnel to China and almost drown'

We had a great time together. Grimm helped me get out of my shell. Normally, I kind of blended into the background.

A transparent Larry is shown blending into the background among his peers

And when he needed it, I provided him with cover.

Grimm says 'I spilled milk on the front of my jeans' and Larry goes to cover him with his body, saying 'I got you, dude!'

We had so much fun that we made a list of future adventures. We called it our Totally To-Do List.

A sheet of paper with the heading 'Totally To-Do List.' The list is ordered as follows: 1. Sit in a bath of spaghetti, 2. Run a tough mudder, 3. Dye your hair purple, 4. Ride the deathcoaster, 5. Kiss a girl.

A couple of weeks ago we made plans for the spaghetti bath thing. We were all set. We had the spaghetti. We had the tub. Mom was at yoga class. There was just one problem. No Grimm. He didn’t show. Which was weird. He always shows.

I called his phone. No answer. I went to his house down the block to get him. It had been a