The Ghost Collector
Description
Shelly and her grandmother catch ghosts. In their hair. Just like all the women in their family, they can see souls who haven’t transitioned yet; it’s their job to help the ghosts along their journey. When Shelly’s mom dies suddenly, Shelly’s relationship to ghosts—and death—changes. Instead of helping spirits move on, Shelly starts hoarding them.
Awards
- Short-listed, Hackmatack Children's Choice Book Award 2020
- Nominated, Silver Birch Fiction Award, OLA 2021
- Joint winner, Best Books List, CBC Books 2019
- Short-listed, Rocky Mountain Book Award 2021
- Short-listed, Red Cedar Book Award 2020
- Short-listed, Willow Award 2021
- Short-listed, Chocolate Lily Book Award 2020
- Long-listed, Manitoba Young Readers' Choice Award 2020
- Joint winner, Sunburst Award 2020
Reviews
“Simple language makes The Ghost Collector accessible to its tween audience while introducing sophisticated concepts. In Shelly, Mills has created a believable, likeable character who learns important life lessons about the future in the rich context of her cultural past. ”
- CM Reviews, 09/20/19
“A moving, compassionate story. ”
- Falling Letters, 01/08/2020
“Mills explores the confusion and anger loss can bring, as well as the difficulties of being different in middle school. It’s a quiet, contemplative read. ”
- Booklist, 09/10/19
“Mills’s spare prose is poignant and never heavy-handed, culturally specific yet universally resonant. ”
- The Horn Book Magazine, 11/19
“Offers readers a gentle and interesting lesson on ghost lore — as well as a refreshing challenge to assumptions about traditional knowledge. ”
- Toronto Star, 11/06/19
“[An] original paranormal tale. ”
- Kirkus Reviews, 06/12/19
“Mills has created a gentle, understated story about grief and loss through a paranormal lens. This is a necessary book that is sure to have readers. Highly recommended. ”
- School Library Journal, *starred review, 08/19
“Perfectly balances suspense and the supernatural . . . [A] powerful and moving story about coming to terms with the death of a loved one. It’s an auspicious debut that is sure to delight middle-grade readers. ”
- The Globe and Mail, 08/25/19
“Allison Mills’ The Ghost Collector is both delightful and haunting. A delicious blend of the supernatural and the very real. Mills has great respect for her audience. Taking great care to keep the narrative moving while never simplifying the novel’s ideas and themes of loss. The result is a nuanced study in empathy for both the characters and the readers. ”
- Sunburst Award Jury, 08/20
“Young readers will delight in the inventiveness of The Ghost Collector. ”
- Canadian Children’s Book News, 01/24/20
“Excellent read, great characters and a neat story. ”
- Village Media (syndicated), 08/16/20
“Poignantly haunting. ”
- The Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books, 09/19
“An enjoyable, moving read, excellent for independent reading or literature circles in junior grades.”
- Elementary Teachers’ Federation of Ontario (ETFO), 03/22