- Illustrated Chapter Books
- Ages 7–10
- Fantasy
Hilda and the Ghost Ship
Book 5 of 9 in Hilda Chapter BooksView the full series
Part of the Hilda universeOpen the collection
A more mystery-driven Hilda tie-in with ghostly adventure, folklore strangeness and approachable chapter-book pacing. It suits readers who like spooky ideas without truly frightening content.
- Best for7–10
- FormatIllustrated
- Length200 pp
- Read aloud~2 hr50 min
The vibe
What it’s like.
Style
- Conversational
- Comedic
Tone
- Adventurous
- Suspenseful
- Whimsical
- Funny
Themes
Experience meters
What’s it about?
The story.
Hilda and Twig are drawn into another strange Trolberg adventure, this time involving ghostly legends, mysterious happenings and the kind of magical trouble that rarely stays neatly contained. As always, Hilda's curiosity leads her towards things other people might avoid, and the story balances spooky atmosphere with warmth, humour and problem-solving. This fifth Netflix tie-in novel gives developing readers a satisfying prose adventure while keeping the accessible illustrations and familiar characters that make the series so welcoming. The ghost-ship material adds a little more suspense than some earlier entries, but the overall feeling remains child-friendly rather than frightening. It is a good fit for readers who enjoy mysteries, supernatural folklore and Hilda's habit of discovering that even alarming creatures or legends deserve a closer look before being judged.
Fit check
Right for your child?
Where it lands by age
- 1
- 3
- 5
- 7
- 9
- 11
- 13
- Best fit · 7–10
- Read aloud · 6–9
- Independent · 7–10
Prose load
Moderate
Visual support
Moderate
Reluctant-reader friendly
Very
Read-aloud quality
Workable
Works well for
- Reading together
- Reluctant readers
Preview before sharing if a child is sensitive to: scary imagery.
Bedtime suitability
2 / 5 · Better outside bedtime
Sensitive-child
2 / 5 · Use judgement
Graphic intensity
3 / 5 · Some
Best for
- Spooky but safe
- Ghost story
- Tv to book bridge
- Hilda fans
- Magical mystery
Avoid if
- Very sensitive to ghosts
- Bedtime only
- Prefers realistic stories
Particularly good for children who are…
- Reluctant reader
- Nightmares or fears
- Anxiety and worry
In the classroom
How it works in school.
Illustrated Hilda adventures — a classroom-library pick for fans of the comics moving into longer reads.
A book children love that happens to support school — never a stand-in for the texts a class is taught with. Reviewed for the classroom · June 2026.
Why it lands
Why they love it.
Why kids love it
The specific draw is friendly-spooky — a ghost ship in Trolberg's harbour, ghostly legends, mysterious sightings, all rendered safe enough for a seven-year-old who's curious about haunting without being properly frightened. The Hilda chapter-book for the spooky-curious phase.
- Secret world
- Adventure and freedom
- Animal companions
- Surviving danger
Why parents love it
The Hilda for a child going through their ghosts-and-haunting curiosity — spooky setting, real mystery, none of it actually frightening. Useful when a younger reader is intrigued by older siblings' Goosebumps but you'd rather they didn't have nightmares.
- Shared humour
- Quick to read
- Beautiful illustrations
- Conversation starter
In the series
Hilda Chapter Books.
9 books · open the series →
About the creators
About the creators.
If you liked this
Three ways out of this book.
If you liked this, try…
Lateral matches. Same shelf, different texture.
Come into this from…
Easier or preparing reads — perfect lead-ins.
Where to go next…
Escalation reads — a step up in scale, silliness, or stakes.
More like this…
Books that share themes and topics with this one.
Buy or borrow
Pick up a copy.
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- Hive ↗
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