Initially, the ghost’s presence is subtle and easily dismissed by the adults. The key event is the discovery of a secret drawer in James’s room. Inside this drawer, James finds an ancient bottle. When he unwittingly uncorks it, he releases the ghost of Thomas Kempe.
Penelope Lively’s The Ghost of Thomas Kempe , winner of the 1973 Carnegie Medal, remains a staple of elementary and middle school English curricula. The novel follows James Harrison, a ten-year-old boy whose family moves into an old cottage in the Oxfordshire village of Ledsham. Almost immediately, James finds himself harassed by the ghost of Thomas Kempe—a 17th-century apothecary who was also an inept, arrogant, and self-proclaimed sorcerer.
This guide provides a comprehensive breakdown of the key plot points and character motivations from Penelope Lively's Carnegie Medal-winning novel to help you verify your comprehension. Core Comprehension: Key Plot & Answers the ghost of thomas kempe comprehension answers
While the local records might list him as an apothecary, he identifies strongly as a practitioner of "physicke," "sorcerie," and "alchemie".
A: After a series of increasingly destructive events (a window smashed, a fire lit in the wrong hearth, and the ghost’s ink scrawls demanding that James “obey”), the Harrisons are desperate. James’s father is skeptical but worried; his mother is frightened. Mrs. Verity represents old rural wisdom versus modern skepticism. She diagnoses the ghost correctly without ever seeing it—she calls it a “residual haunting” of a “bossy, bad-tempered man.” Initially, the ghost’s presence is subtle and easily
High-level comprehension answers often require discussing themes. Here are the central themes in the novel and how to address them.
In the context of your search, a "proper feature" often refers to a guided reading or literacy unit used in schools. These typically focus on James’s growth from a frustrated boy to someone who understands the weight of history and time [3]. Sample Comprehension Questions When he unwittingly uncorks it, he releases the
A: Kempe cannot accept that the world has moved on. In his time, a master apothecary had legal and social power over his apprentice. By calling James an apprentice, Kempe is trying to reassert his relevance. James resists this label fiercely because he is a modern child who values autonomy. The conflict is generational and ideological: obedience (old world) vs. individual rights (new world).