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Ash Van Otterloo
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A Touch of Ruckus Hardcover – September 7, 2021

by Ash Van Otterloo (Author)
4.8 4.8 out of 5 stars 22 ratings
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A laugh-out-loud, ghostly Southern mystery that's perfect for fans of Cassie Beasley and Natalie Lloyd.

Tennessee Lancaster has a hidden gift. She can pry into folks' memories with just a touch of their belongings. It's something she's always kept hidden -- especially from her big, chaotic family. Their lives are already chock-full of worries about Daddy's job and Mama's blues without Tennie rocking the boat.

But when the Lancasters move to the mountains for a fresh start, Tennie's gift does something new. Instead of just memories, her touch releases a ghost with a terrifying message: Trouble is coming. Tennie wants to ignore it. Except her new friend Fox -- scratch that, her only friend, Fox -- is desperate to go ghost hunting deep in the forest. And when Tennie frees even more of the spirits, trouble is exactly what she gets... and it hits close to home. The ghosts will be heard, and now Tennie must choose between keeping secrets or naming an ugly truth that could tear her family apart.

Magic and mayhem abound in this spooky story about family legacies, first friendships, and how facing the ghosts inside can sometimes mean stirring up a little bit of ruckus.

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Previous page
  1. Reading age
    8 - 12 years
  2. Print length
    240 pages
  3. Language
    English
  4. Grade level
    3 - 7
  5. Dimensions
    5.75 x 0.75 x 8.5 inches
  6. Publisher
    Scholastic Press
  7. Publication date
    September 7, 2021
  8. ISBN-10
    1338702033
  9. ISBN-13
    978-1338702033
  10. See all details
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Editorial Reviews

Review

Praise for Cattywampus:

An Indies Next pick

An Indies Introduce pick

"Deftly weaving elements of magic and nature with a story of adolescent change, debut author Van Otterloo conjures a timeless contemporary fantasy." -- Publishers Weekly

"A spirited debut." -- Kirkus Reviews

"Lively and entertaining! Ash Van Otterloo delivers spooky fun and an essential new kid-lit character in this spirited debut." -- Ingrid Law, Newbery Honor-winning author of Savvy

"Cattywampus is a Southern yarn in all the best ways -- it's warm and welcoming and promises you a wild ride. You'll want to settle into this story and stay awhile." -- Erica Waters, author of Ghost Wood Song

"It is southern, witchy, magical fun about friends and family and the histories that connect us and haunt us. The dialogue is fireworks... The subtle creepiness won't scare you (too bad), but the vibrant, beating heart of this story will haunt you for a good long time." -- Natalie Lloyd, New York Times bestselling author of A Snicker of Magic

About the Author

Ash Van Otterloo is the author of Cattywampus. When they're not writing and freelance editing, they love gardening, hiking, exchanging playful banter, and collecting folklore stories. A longtime resident of the foothills of the Smoky Mountains, they now live in Washington with their family and an enormous collection of plants.

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Scholastic Press (September 7, 2021)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 240 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1338702033
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1338702033
  • Reading age ‏ : ‎ 8 - 12 years
  • Grade level ‏ : ‎ 3 - 7
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 12.8 ounces
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.75 x 0.75 x 8.5 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.8 4.8 out of 5 stars 22 ratings

About the author

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Ash Van Otterloo

Ash Van Otterloo

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A. Van Otterloo was born and raised in the Appalachian foothills, then made their home for seventeen years as an adult in Eastern Tennessee. They currently reside in the PNW with their best friend and four wild forest gremlins. Ash is the author of CATTYWAMPUS & A TOUCH OF RUCKUS.

Whether or not their house is haunted is a topic for gossip among their neighbors. The ones, at least, that the ghosts haven't eaten yet! You can learn more or contact them at ashvanotterloo.com.

Customer reviews

4.8 out of 5 stars
4.8 out of 5
22 global ratings
Folksy, spooky, downright darling
5 Stars
Folksy, spooky, downright darling
Oh my goodness, this book. Ash Van Otterloo is quickly becoming one of my insta-read authors. Their folksy, spooky, downright darling stories are such a joy to read! A TOUCH OF RUCKUS was magnificent. I adored Tennie and Fox's relationship, the ghosts were creepy as heck, and the setting of a small, mountain-side town was as charming as ever. If I could eat pizza, I would have taken a bookstagram pic with it and this book! Boy, did it make me hungry!! 🍕
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Top reviews from the United States

Danielle Terkhanian
5.0 out of 5 stars A ghost story with tons of heart
Reviewed in the United States on April 15, 2023
Verified Purchase
On the surface, this is a story about two kids ghost hunting in the Appalachian woods. But in reality, it's a beautifully nuanced exploration of loving (but messy) families, opening up to those you love, kindling new friendships, cherishing and protecting the environment, facing challenging emotions head on, and so much more. I'm so grateful that highly sensitive children (and adults) will get to know this empathetic, peace-keeping main character. There are so many protagonists that save the day with their heroics, but bravery so much more often looks like Tennie. This book serves as a beautiful reminder for those of us constantly filling others' buckets that our own needs and wants matter too.
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Jim Sibigtroth
4.0 out of 5 stars Good middle-grade fantasy/mystery
Reviewed in the United States on February 27, 2022
The they/them pronouns made for difficult reading at times but the strength of the family a friendship dynamics more than made up for that. An adult reader may see some of the ‘surprises’ coming but typical middle grade readers probably wouldn’t be able to read between the lines well enough to spoil the surprise twists.
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Beth Gawlik
5.0 out of 5 stars Delightful spooky middle grade
Reviewed in the United States on August 21, 2022
Verified Purchase
I was thrilled to learn that Ash Van Otterloo was releasing a second spooky middle grade set in Howler's Hollow. Instead of the zombies we find in Cattywampus, this book stars a girl who can release memories and, it turns out, ghosts from objects. She needs to figure out what the ghosts are trying to tell her before it's too late.
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Kindle Customer
5.0 out of 5 stars A book with so much heart
Reviewed in the United States on March 18, 2022
Verified Purchase
An absolutely delightful story with the perfect amount of spookiness. Light-hearted but also deep in its exploration of the ways we push down our own souls because of what we think others need.
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Evren D
5.0 out of 5 stars Spooky Middle Grade Book
Reviewed in the United States on September 7, 2021
I cannot explain how excited I was to hear that Ash Van Otterloo was putting out another book. I was a big fan of Cattywampus and was very excited once I read the summary of this book. I requested and was granted an ARC copy of this book by Scholastic in exchange for a fair and honest review.

I don’t think I have the exact words to express how much I adore this book. I’ve only recently discovered that as an adult I can actually enjoy middle grade books and this book has probably become one of my new all-time favorite books ever.

One of the biggest things that I adored about this book is the characters. Tennie is an absolute sweetheart who is way to willing to give up and hide pieces of herself for the sake of keeping the peace. It’s sweet and heartbreaking at the same time. I also love towards the end when she gets some fire in her. Fox was also quite a character. They’re kind of a bit much at times, but they’re also aware of their faults. They know that they can forget things and that they might annoy their friends, but they also try to soothe things over. I honestly really liked them, and it was really nice to see a character using they/them pronouns so casually.

The two characters had a really nice dynamic with each other. They grew close quickly, the way kids do, and delved into a ghost hunting adventure. It was honestly really cute and heartwarming to watch them grow closer. This also felt really good because of Tennie and her desire to always be the peacekeeper. She even considered being friends with Fox and exploring the forest together as her being “selfish”. I just really loved it and their interactions made me so happy. It wasn’t always great, but it just gave me so much joy and I was constantly smiling.

I did not expect to love the atmosphere that was created in this book. It was sufficiently spooky without being necessarily scary. It worked really well in the town of Howler’s Hollow. Howler’s Hollow is a town in the rural south, somewhere that’s not always popular with the LGBTQ+ community. The thing is, I don’t know if this book would have worked as well in other locations. It’s one of those towns where everyone seems to know everyone. It appears to be relatively close-knit, even if the people don’t always get on, and it has a great forest. The forest allows the atmosphere to be appropriately creepy while the people in the town add a source of information for Tennie and Fox. It was also built up very well and created an atmosphere that led to a great payoff at the end.

I cannot fully encapsulate everything that I love about this book, but I will recommend it to everyone who asks. This book is fun and whimsical with a dark edge and serious topics that need to be explored. It might hurt at times when things are discussed, but it has a happy ending.
One person found this helpful
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Bayymae
5.0 out of 5 stars Amazing book!!
Reviewed in the United States on August 18, 2022
Ash Van Otterloo is one of my absolute favorite middle grade authors. Their voice is so beautiful and full of heart and I always find myself quickly lost in their books. I absolutely adored everything about these characters and this story. I can’t wait to read whatever Ash Van Otterloo writes next!
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Midnight Library
5.0 out of 5 stars Magic, Mayhem, Ghosts and First Love!
Reviewed in the United States on November 10, 2021
This book has it all: amazing Halloween feels, magic gone awry, ghosts wreaking havoc, family secrets, and even a delightful first crush! As a middle child, Tennie thinks it's her job to keep her big, rambunctious family in order, but she could really use a break. So she's thrilled when she gets the chance to stay with her grandma, away from all the family chaos, but that changes when she accidentally unleashes a whole host of restless spirits. And what's more, those spirits have something to tell her about grandma's mysterious new boyfriend, a secret that might upend everything she knows about her family and their beloved mountain home. This book is teeming with beautiful odes to nature and delightfully folksy language that draws readers into the cozy, bucolic Appalachian setting. The friendship and budding romance between Tennie and Fox shines off the page, and readers will experience all of the tingles, speed bumps and awkwardness of a first crush. Van Otterloo weaves a poignant tale about families going through tough times but ultimately finding hope and strength in each other, and, of course, it's all suffused with a delightful dose of oh-so-cozy magic. Layered alongside the family tale is an important storyline about protecting nature and valuing the "small" lives of country folk, which we can see by the end of the story are anything but small.
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Kristiana Sfirlea
5.0 out of 5 stars Folksy, spooky, downright darling
Reviewed in the United States on March 3, 2022
Oh my goodness, this book. Ash Van Otterloo is quickly becoming one of my insta-read authors. Their folksy, spooky, downright darling stories are such a joy to read! A TOUCH OF RUCKUS was magnificent. I adored Tennie and Fox's relationship, the ghosts were creepy as heck, and the setting of a small, mountain-side town was as charming as ever. If I could eat pizza, I would have taken a bookstagram pic with it and this book! Boy, did it make me hungry!! 🍕
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Kristiana Sfirlea
5.0 out of 5 stars Folksy, spooky, downright darling
Reviewed in the United States on March 3, 2022
Oh my goodness, this book. Ash Van Otterloo is quickly becoming one of my insta-read authors. Their folksy, spooky, downright darling stories are such a joy to read! A TOUCH OF RUCKUS was magnificent. I adored Tennie and Fox's relationship, the ghosts were creepy as heck, and the setting of a small, mountain-side town was as charming as ever. If I could eat pizza, I would have taken a bookstagram pic with it and this book! Boy, did it make me hungry!! 🍕
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