The Beasts of Clawstone Castle - Eva Ibbotson

Eva Ibboton's The Beasts of Clawstone Castle is a ghost story with a difference. Madlyn and Rollo are sent by their parents to stay with their Great Uncle George and Great Aunt Emily at Clawstone Castle. Despite their reluctance to leave London, the children soon fall in love with both the Castle and its rather eccentric, penniless inhabitants. Sir George is rather grumpy and limps; his sister Emily is a rather mousey, timid woman, whilst Cousin Howard is positively reclusive and won't talk to anyone whom he has not known for at least 20 years and he hardly ever leaves his library anyway. But, the children are most enchanted by the Cattle of Clawstone Park, a herd of rare and beautiful beasts, who are pure white and completely wild. No one knows where they originally came from, but the owners of Clawstone Castle have always protected them - it's their family duty, even though it's very expensive. Whilst the castle continues to crumble away, Madlyn and Rollo devise a money-raising scheme that will ensure far more visitors on Open Days. The pair, along with Ned Grove, the son of the housekeeper at the Castle, they interview a number of ghosts who include a Bloodstained Bride, Mr Smith the one-eyed skeleton, an aristocrat whose heart is constantly being gnawed by a rat, an Indian girl who was accidentally sawn in half for real as part of a circus magic act, and a disembodied pair of dancing feet. Together they turn Clawstone into a genuine haunted house, but, as the money begins to roll in, the ruthless Lord Trembellow, who was hoping to see Clawstone Castle go out of business so that he could buy the land for building houses, is plotting to carry out a sinister scheme. Trembellow's own place, Trembellow Towers, becomes less popular as the popularity of Clawstone Castle increases, so he puts in motion his plan which threatens the very existence of the fabled Beasts of Clawstone Castle. It's up to the three children and their new ghostly friends to save them, if they can...

The Beasts of Clawstone Castle is also available from Amazon.com.