Phantom Academy -- Christine Virnig, Hardcover

Lindsay Currie's Scritch Scratch meets The School for Invisible Boys in this fun romp of a middle grade novel about a newly dead boy who faces a spooky new school hiding an unearthly mystery.

After an unlucky collision between a coconut and the top of his head, twelve-year-old Finn joins the ranks of the recently deceased...and of the students at Phantom Academy. The academy is a spectral boarding school for underage ghosts finding their footing in the afterlife, and Finn is the new kid at school.

He doesn't understand why ghosts have to take tests and do homework. Or why making friends doesn't get any easier even when all the students have a very big thing in common. As the new class of middle schoolers get to know each other, it becomes clear something is happening behind the scenes of their new academy.

Can Finn and his classmates figure out their afterlife and crack the mystery?

Author: Christine Virnig
Publisher: Aladdin Paperbacks
Published: 08/26/2025
Pages: 272
Binding Type: Hardcover
Size: 8.25h x 5.50w x 0.83d
ISBN: 9781665980364
Audience: Ages 9-12

Review Citation(s):
Kirkus Reviews 07/01/2025

About the Author
Christine Virnig is a fan of books, candy, spooky stories, poop jokes, and coffee...in no particular order. A former physician, Christine now spends her days writing books, reading books, and working at a library where she is surrounded by books. Christine lives in southern Wisconsin with her husband, two daughters, a ridiculous number of dust bunnies, and one incredibly lazy cat. You can visit her on the web at ChristineVirnig.com.