The Royal Theatre has seen better days. But then so have the ghosts who live there.

Newly arrived in her favourite seaside town and its beautiful theatre, Gracie is quickly making friends.

But the old theatre is under threat. Will Gracie and her friends be able to save their home, or is the curtain set to fall on their very last performance?

The performances at The Royal Theatre are extraordinary. You'd have to see them to believe them! But that's the problem. Nobody can see them. Except Gracie, that is.

Newly arrived in her favourite seaside town and its beautiful old theatre, Gracie's quickly making friends. There's Mikey the Mod who wears a parka and drives a scooter, Miss Melluish whose skirt is missing, and Frank Stuart, the maker of mechanical elephants.

But the old theatre is under threat. Will Gracie and her friends be able to save their home, or is the curtain set to fall on their very last performance?

'Everybody should read Geraldine McCaughrean'

Philip Reeve

McCaughrean is a stylist. Her prose is a pleasure to read, and reads as if it was a pleasure to write. There's a lightness about it, a whimsical humour, and a singular relish for language.

Yet another outstanding novel from the remarkably talented Geraldine McCaughrean . . . a beautifully crafted piece with an endearing cast of characters, with not a word wasted.

Funny and touching, true-to-life and whimsical, sad and warm-hearted. It is beautifully written, managing to combine tragedy and comedy in one satisfying whole, and it deserves to become a classic.