Terry Fide and the Bakery Ghost Review

Terry Fide and the Bakery Ghost by Jeanette Stampone, illustrated by Jasmine Berry (About Kids Books)

Terry Fide’s dad is a brilliant ghost detective. When Mr Horry Fide is called to a haunting, he talks to the ghost to find out why it's so scary. Problem solved!  Terry wants to be just like him, but the trouble is, Terry is afraid of ghosts! All except his ghost dog, Bones. Terry didn’t inherit his family’s unique way of dealing with unruly spirits. Instead, every time a ghost comes near, Terry gets wobbly knees and an itchy belly that makes him feel like a thousand fleas have invaded his clothes. Worse still, he scratches and jiggles and simply cannot stand still.
 
But when Dad is called away to Sydney to attend to several meddlesome ghost sightings, he leaves Terry in charge to sort out the ghost in Miss Quibble’s bakery. Along with Bones and his best friend Max, he reluctantly heads over to the bakery. On the way, the boys see Avery, who is in the same class as the two boys and insists on coming along to ‘…check this out – like it’s even true.’
 
Chaos and mayhem ensue when they try to get the ghost to talk to them. Avery, now a firm believer in ghosts, devises a clever trap, and once caught, Terry can finally talk to the ghost and find out the true reasons behind this very messy haunting.
 
This is a fabulous, fast-paced, spooky adventure that will have readers hooked from the very first page. The language, settings and characters are all easily relatable for the target audience. Love the play on words for the main character’s name – Terry Fide (terrified) and his dad Mr Horry Fide (horrified) – and the way the author expertly has us emotionally invested in Terry from the beginning with sentences like - In fact, he feared anything remotely spooky – spiders, rats, creaking floorboards, even the dark and Terry felt sick. Even a spelling test would be more fun than chasing after ghosts. I know that’s exactly how I would feel!

Themes of kindness, bravery and friendship are embedded in this first book of the Ghost Detective series, with the other two central characters – Max and Avery - appealing to both boys and girls. STEM plays a part in the story, too, with Avery’s character interested in inventing and designing.

The black-and-white illustrations seamlessly support and enhance the narrative throughout, and readers will love their fun, comic-book feel. And the endpapers are delightful!
This will be a must-have series, especially for those looking for something engaging and challenging and a step up from early readers.

Teaching themes could include friendship, bravery, resilience, ghosts, design thinking, engineering, inventions, and problem-solving. 

Find out more about Jeannette Stampone
Find out more about Jasmine Berry

Published by About Kids Books
Release date March 2026
ISBN: 9870994642813
Highly recommended for ages 6 to 9

Terry Fide and the Bakery Ghost, a book launch

A TERRYFIC BOOK LAUNCH!

On an appropriately eerie, stormy morning, Terry Fide and the Bakery Ghost, a chapter book by Jeanette Stampone (About Kids Books) was officially launched!

The event was held in Jeanette’s hometown of Waroona on Saturday 9 August and was a wonderful success. Waroona is a small town in Western Australia, similar to where Terry, the book’s protagonist, lives. And just like the start of the book, the local library was the venue for all things spooky.

The book was launched by Annette Mason who is a well-known and respected community member—and a brilliant librarian!

The author, Jeanette Stampone and illustrator, Jasmine Berry presented an insight into the book and how it was created.  Jeanette spoke about her inspiration behind the story. She shared photos of the three-hundred-year-old house she grew up in (which was most definitely haunted), as well as her parents’ bakery. These two elements were brought together to create the ghost-inhabited-bakery plot.

Next, Jasmine demonstrated her illustration process through a video recording of Procreate. The kids and adults were enthralled to see how it all came together.

Soon it was time to present the door prizes! George won a glow-in-the-dark Halloween bucket, haunted house craft, and ghost glasses. Phil won an extra-special prize—an original signed watercolour of Terry Fide and his friends, donated by Jasmine. Amazing!

The kids loved the spooky-themed craft. Cupcakes were decorated with edible ghosts, bones, bats, and oozy green icing. Bouncy spiders were created and jumped through the library! Swirly paper ghosts were decorated, twisting and turning from their strings.

What a spooktastic celebration of Terry Fide and the Bakery Ghost!

Terry Fide and the Bakery Ghost

Terry Fide and the Bakery Ghost by Jeanette Stampone, illustrated by Jasmine Berry (About Kids Books) PB RRP $14.99

Nine-year-old Terry Fide dreams of being the next great ghost detective like his dad. But there’s one problem: Terry is terrified of anything remotely scary (except his ghost dog, Bones).

When his dad is called to work in Sydney, Terry is left to deal with a spook causing havoc at the bakery. He is joined by Bones and two friends. Max, an avid clue collector, and Avery, an inventor. Will they solve the mystery? Will Terry overcome his fears and become a real ghost detective?

This is a fun, spooky junior fiction book for emerging readers. The first of three in the Ghost Detectives series. 

Highly recommended.

Here are links to where you can buy the book:

QBD https://www.qbd.com.au/ghost-detectives-terry-fide-and-the-bakery-ghost/jeanette-stampone/9780994642813/

Booktopia https://www.booktopia.com.au/terry-fide-and-the-bakery-ghost-jeanette-stampone/book/9780994642813.html?srsltid=AfmBOoraniXmtQeuhGwZ4Yn-6SxHYsWLI3RSbdRr__S62V86m0WB3W1j

Sanity https://www.sanity.com.au/products/3378804/Ghost-Detectives-Terry-Fide-A?srsltid=AfmBOorDzqQvDPf5qMykfiv_j0yX2shpMT5UQIHjgRVE2w-mFRdxcqEc

Dymocks https://www.dymocks.com.au/catalogsearch/result/?q=9780994642813+

Of course, the book is also available at your local bookseller. Or you can buy the book for $20 which includes postage by contacting dibates@outlook.com

 

 

 

Terry Fide and the Bakery Ghost

Terry Fide and the Bakery Ghost by Jeanette Stampone (About Kids Books) 

Nine-year-old TERRY FIDE dreams of being the next great ghost detective like his famous dad. But there’s a major problem. Terry Fide is terrified of anything remotely spooky. The only ghost he’s not afraid of is his own pet ghost dog, BONES.

When Terry’s dad is called to work in London, Terry is left to deal with a bakery haunting. His best friend MAX is keen to help (mainly because free cakes are offered). On the way to the bakery, the boys’ bossy classmate, AVERY, decides to join them so she can prove ghosts are not real.

Terry knows that ghost detectives don’t get rid of ghosts; they must discover the problem. But when the new bakery owner, MISS QUIBBLE, shows them the chaotic kitchen, Terry wonders why a ghost would cause so much trouble! The ghost has been opening all the cupboards and throwing cakes in the bin. It’s a mess and no customers are coming.

The frightened children decide to get Bones to protect them, but the cheeky dog causes nothing but trouble. He floats in the air to chase a cat and even dives inside the bakery wall, barking like crazy. As their investigation unfolds, Max collects clues. Even Avery is asking many questions (for someone who doesn’t believe in ghosts).

Terry is still scared but feels a tiny bit braver with his friends.

When they return at night, Avery presents her latest invention, the Ghost Vac. The ghost is sucked into the machine, and Terry amazes his friends with how he communicates with the aged spook. They discover the ghost is the first owner of the bakery and is only trying to help. He tells them he’s throwing away the cakes because they’re revolting. He is also looking for his lost recipe book, which he wants to pass on to Miss Quibble.

After looking at Max’s clues, the children find the old recipe book hidden in the wall. This is when Miss Quibble realises the ghost must be her grandfather. She bought the bakery so she could be a great baker like him. Unfortunately, she’s a terrible cook and can’t remember his recipes. Guided by the old recipe book, Terry, Max, and Avery help the bakery owner to perfect her skills until she produces the most delicious cakes and treats.

People can’t get enough of the baked delights when the bakery celebrates its grand reopening. Terry is proud of himself and his friends, but he’s also a little sad their ghost adventures have come to an end.

If you want to buy a copy of this funny chapter book for readers aged 7 to 10 years, (only $20, which includes postage), contact dibates@outlook.com for details of how to pay.