Ghostwriter (1992)

Jamal sees some strange masked creatures in the park and finds a THABTO button where the masked creatures were. Also, Jamal's sister, Danitra, goes to college and leaves him her computer. On the first day he gets a weird message asking ""Where are the children, are they OK?"". Lenni Frazier, a school mate of Jamal's, is also contacted by the strange ghost-like creature. Who is this mysterious being? Meanwhile, elementary student Gaby Fernandez gets her backpack stolen on her way to school.

Jamal and Lenni learn that the mysterious being is a spirit that wants to be friends. With no memory of where it came from, they nick name it Ghostwriter. Jamal goes to see Alex Fernandez, a friend of Lenni's, to help decipher a coded message he found in his locker and in the park. Now, Ghostwriter decides to write to Alex, too.

Alex learns about Ghostwriter. Jamal and Alex figure out that the THABTOS, are who have been stealing backpacks (including Gaby's) and learn that these are the same kids Jamal saw at the park. Gaby, Alex's sister encounters the mysterious being.

The team, consisting of Jamal, Lenni, Alex, & Gaby, discover that the backpack thieves are planning a final secret ceremony. They leave a fake message in one their lockers saying that the ceremony is cancelled. Alex goes undercover as one of them but there's one problem: Alex doesn't know which code name to go by.

The team, with the help of the robbed kids, set a trap for the backpack thieves at the video arcade. After the theives are caught, the four decide to become the ""Ghostwriter Team"" and vow to try and solve mysteries.

A mysterious man delivers a letter to Brinker. Whatever it says makes Brinker so mad he takes his anger out on Jamal and his friends. Jamal writes a letter to calm Brinker down and delivers it to him on the same night a fire is set.

Jamal finds himself in hot water when the fire is blamed on him. Lenni learns that Jamal was at the arson but didn't commit the crime.

The team learns that they have only a few days to clear Jamal before his arrest.

The team later learns that Mr. Brinker copies video tapes, which is against the law. They also learn that Mr. Brinker set fire to his own store, but shut off the smoke alarm, so Mr. Brinker is arrested. Also, according to Tina and Gaby, Mr. Brinker set his clock 1 hour earlier than when the fire happened.

Alex is running for school president and his friends are happy but soon it takes a serious turn when someone starts putting up flyers that have embarrassing secrets about him.

The team tries to look harder for the ones responsible for the smear flyers. Alex learns that the girl who is susposely trying to sabatoge his election likes him. New transfer student Rob encounters Ghostwriter.

Alex considers dropping out of the election but his mother and friends convince him not to. Alex learns that Calvin and Jeffery are doing some campaign parties on school grounds.

Alex decides to teach his pen pal a lesson about telling embarrassing secrets.

Lenni encourages the team to get involved in a comic book contest. The team thinks it's lame until she tells them the winner gets to star in a comic book with Cosmic Cook's drawing of Hood Man. Someone, however, wants them out of the way.

Jamal and Lenni try to figure out who sent that terrible cartoon of them. Rob visits a homeless poet and hears him read one of his poems. Alex and Gaby fear their parents might get divorced after hearing them argue.

Even more strange things start happening at the comic book contest. Someone impersonates one the guides and gives out phoney pannels. A mysterious guy named Stoop Dude sends the competitors in the wrong direction.

Lenni discovers Manny Gytes rejection letter of his cartoon Stoop Dude. The team sets out to confront Manny with the help of his aunt.

Rob takes Jamal to see his friend Double T who he met at the homeless shelter. When they go, Double T has mysteriously vanished leaving no trace of where he is. The only clue is a broken broom and a torn diary. Rob fears that someone is out to get Double T.

Rob meets up with Double T's daughter. The team wants to help but Rob leaves them out of it. Ghostwriter says that they should help. They learn of an abandoned subway where Double T and his friend Hush used to sleep. Lisa decides to go there to look for her father but Rob doesn't think it's a good idea. He proves to be right when there's a cave-in and his Ghostwriter pen is gone.

While trapped in the abandoned subway, Rob tries to spell out a message to Ghostwriter to tell the team where he is. Can Ghostwriter read the message?.

The team learns of Double T's whereabouts. When they find him, he confesses that he was the one who broke his broom and tore his journal. The team asks where Rob is, but he says that he doesn't know. He agrees to help the team look for Rob.

The team learns of Rob's whereabouts and the tunnel he's trapped in. With the help of Jamal's dad, Double T sets out to rescue Lisa and Rob.

Tina gets an after school job answering fan mail to famous actress Lana Barnes. She is having fun answering her mail but she finds out something else; someone is sending her obscene mail.

Tina gets worried when Lana doesn't show up at the tailor shop. She finds her locked in her garage. Lana believes that it's just an obsessed fan. Tina and the team go to Lana's house to find out who might be after her. They find out that she had four husbands. One of her husbands was the one who made her a star, but she divorced him. Another member of her family is her long lost daughter who's holding a grudge against her.

Tina and the gang go to the hotel where Lana Barnes is getting her award. Lana confesses that she does miss her daughter. Her divorced husband tells them that he doesn't hate her, but her daughter still seems suspicious.

The gang gets all set for the award show, but the trouble begins when Lana goes to work on her speech. Tina is suspicious when she discovers an imposter in Lana's room.

The team is having fun in the community garden, but when Gaby faints the team starts getting suspicious. Even more strange things start happening when the pet rabbits die. The team learns that each victim has been in the garden before they got sick. They go straight to the source where they find barrels filled with toxic waste.

The team is frustrated when the garden is closed. They make their own warnings signs and learn that the barrels where dumped illegally. Tina's brother gets into a fight with her family and the team gets a mysterious phone call.

Tina and Alex learn from Momo that someone substituted his boss's barrel's but he has no access to his files. They ask Ghostwriter for some help and learn who substituted the barrels. They go straight to Miller's place and learn that he also sponsors a children's program. They overhear him arguing over the phone about the barrels and planing to destroy some invoices that prove he is responsible for the toxic waste. They head town to Momo's place to get the invoices but someone has gotten to the invoices first. They realize that Miller is probably the thief but have no proof.

The team writes a petition for reporter Fannie Mae Banner who does reports on people caught doing something wrong. They decide to picket while Alex and Gaby video tape Miller destroying the evidence.

The team is excited about the upcoming star jam talent show because they are in charge of it. When their friend Cambell arrives with a sore eye, they realize that violence is in the neighborhood. Rob, a coaching assistant, makes friends with an ex-gang member. The gang feels safe that Hurston hasn't been the target of vandalism. Or has it?

Miss Kelly considers canceling the talent show but the students convince her not to. Rob learns the reason why Victor left his gang but then more vandalism occurs.

Rob feels that somehow Victor is being framed for the vandalism. He suspects either Tony Boyd, because he's no longer the best player on the team, or Walter Haines. because he fought with Victor the other day. Victor considers quitting after finding out that he's been accused of the vandalism.

Rob gets into a confrontation with the thunderheads while trying to prove Victor's innocence. Victor agrees to let Rob find out who's been trying to frame him.

Gaby is excited when she learns that her heroine, Galaxy Girl, is making a special show at Hurston. She wants to buy a Galaxy Girl costume to wear at the assembly but she doesn't have enough money, so she borrows some money from her parents cashier planing to return the costume and get a refund. At the show something goes wrong and the model spaceship is stolen. She can't return the costume because it was on sale. Gaby is heart broken when she doesn't get to meet Galaxy Girl. She becomes more worried when the team leaves to confront Calvin but is even more scared when she finds the space ship model in her toy chest.

Alex and Rob confront Calvin and Jeffery but they say nothing about Gaby's purchasing the costume there. Gaby hides the model in her room making it look normal so no one will find it but someone breaks into the room and messes it up.

The police connect the cup in Gaby's room to the missing spaceship. The costume is found in the toy chest. Gaby confesses that she got the money from the cashier, but has no idea how the spaceship got in her toy chest. However, no one believes her except Alex. Just as Alex confesses to the police that Gaby didn't steal the spaceship, The producer of Galaxy Girl rushes over to tell the police that he got a note from Galaxy Girl's #1 fans, and the police suspect Gaby again because she is Galaxy Girl's #1 fan.

Gaby writes an apology letter to her parents while the team learns of the real culprits identities. Gaby is cleared from the suspect list and to show their forgiveness, her parents and the producer of Galaxy Girl surprise Gaby with a visit from the actress who plays Galaxy Girl.

Tina is videotaping Max setting up his instruments when he is nearly killed in a car accident caused by Mr. Fernandez. Fernandez says that he swerved to avoid hitting someone that ran in front of his car, but Max thinks he did it deliberately. Lenni begins accuse Fernandez of being a reckless driver and Alex angrily begins stalking Lenni. Gaby breaks up her friendship with Tina when Tina writes an unpleasant story in the paper.

Jamal goes straight to the art gallery that Ghostwriter read on one of the shirts of the two men that ran in front of the camera. He learns that one of their paintings was stolen. The security guard chased the thief and it was the same place where the accident occurred. The team's feuding causes Ghostwriter to begin fading away.

Jamal and Rob realize that the only way to stop the feud is to try to get the team to remember how much Ghostwriter means to them. They all get letters from each other but later learn it was a practical joke and get angry. Jamal and Rob give the team the letter. They realize how mad they were and that they were thinking only of themselves. They realize that someone is trying to set them up. Rob figures out that it's probably Calvin who was eavesdropping on them.

With the team reunited and Ghostwriter back. the team puts a phony ad in the paper to catch the art thief.

Ghostwriter travels back in time to the 1920's before the Ghostwriter team existed. There he learns of a young boy named Frank who's living with a foster family named the Camilans. Frank is accused of stealing a priceless tea set. Nobody believes Frank except his best friend Catherine.

The Team sends Frank and Catherine some information. They list suspects Ms. O'Boyle the housekeeper and Lucy since they hate Frank. They also learn that two other people were in the house: a brush salesman and the coal man.

Frank and Catherine learn that the brush salesman might have been a con artist. Jamal's dad is getting sick. The team learns that Frank and Catherine helped catch the thief years ago but history will change if they don't send the information soon.

Catherine gets the message from Ghostwriter and goes to tell Frank but she finds Lucy instead. Catherine and Ghostwriter plead with Lucy to help and she agrees. The team meets up with adult Catherine and she tells them how she and Frank caught the real culprit.

An African exchange student arrives in Hurston and Tina befriends her. Safria explains to Tina that years ago her brother wanted to become an artist. Her father disapproved, they had a fight and Malenga accidentally hit him. Ever since that day Safria's father hasn't forgiven him and won't allow his name to be mentioned. Safria tells Tina that Malenga has been writing anonymous letters to her. She and Tina decide to go on a city search for Malenga.

Safria and Tina go on a city search for Malenga. Meanwhile, Alex is tutoring a young student named Hector. Safria has a fight with her father and storms off.

Malenga finds one of the paintings and realizes that Safria is in New York. Jamal runs into his best friend Rob. Rob arrives at Lenni's house but he has some terrible news. His mom just got a new job in Australia and he just returned to get ready to go. Malenga contacts the team. Malenga and Tina arrive at the hotel. Tina prays for Safria to be all right.

Safria is accidentally locked in the hotel's storage closet. Luckily, Ghostwriter reads the stuff and informs the team where she is. Safria is rescued by Malenga. Hector agrees to join the team and take Rob's place and Rob says farewell to the team.

Jamal is writing an essay for a high school he wants to get into. Just then, Ghostwriter appears with a warning. Suddenly he is kicked out of the computer. A weird message appears from someone or something called Max Mouse. At the auditorium, the computer teacher informs everyone that a hacker is loose. He warns the students not to use any disks. Strange things start happening: the sports page advertisments for basketball tryouts is changed, and Jasmine is arrested because she is suspected of using stolen credit cards. While Tina was trashing in the computer lab, she finds strange words on a sheet of paper with a wad of gum on it, along with Janice Hall's computer quiz, which was very hard, and she had gotten an A on that quiz. [Why would it be in the trash? --minnymouse35] Then Ghostwriter informs the team that Lenni could be in trouble with the police, and they learn that the words Tina found on the sheet are passwords to get into the school computer.

Max Mouse continues to wreak havoc in Hurston. Jamal Lenni, and a lot of other kids grades get changed, false alarms go off and a child is nearly killed in a fire because the fire department is responding to a false alarm. Ms. Kelly has had enough. The kids have never seen her so upset. Then there's a new message on the computer but this one looks serious. The team's three suspects are Calvin, Erica and Janice.

Jamal suspects that Janice lied about having her own computer. The team challenges Max Mouse to some online games and creates their own screen name and get the phone numbers of their suspects. Then they learn Calvin had another screename: Red Parrot, so they take him off the list. Hector gets some tutoring from Alex on how to face up to a bully. Just then Lenni and Jamal's names and phone numbers appear on the police suspect list.

The team challenges Max Mouse to a game of ghost while Ghostwriter heads through cyberspace to finally catch it. Ghostwriter gets the phone number of Max Mouse, and they learn who she is: Janice. She said she did all of the things because she wanted attention.

Lenni, Max and Sally are all watching Lenni's video from the Star Jam episode Building Bridges. Just then, they get a call from Smash Records. Jade Morgan is inspired by the video and wants Lenni to star her in a music video. Lenni has writer's block so she writes a song about self-confidence. Jade is inspired by the song and decides to allow the team to be in the video.

As the team starts rehearsing for Lenni's video, strange things start happening. The lights go out, someone puts glue where their feet are going to be put and a wireboard short circuits. The team realizes that whoever is behind the sabotage must be working on the video. Leif isn't upset with the glue. Sonia wants to use the accidents for publicity. Ghostwriter reads a letter to David from Marlon Campbell, the same guy who tried to bribe Lenni to work for him. But, David says that he doesn't know Marlon. Casey Austin, Jamal's cousin, sneaks into the studio to spy on Jamal. Jamal and Gaby read an article that years ago Leif and Jade used to be lovers. Leif was in show business with a few hits but when he dropped Jade broke up with him and he hasn't forgiven her. They hear a noise and thinks it's Leif running away scared, so they decide to surround him but instead find Casey.

Casey is accused of being the saboteur. Lenni continues to get gifts from Marlon. Lenni asks Marlon if he even knows David but he claims that he doesn't. Lenni suspects that he and David are lying. Hector learns that Avatar is the one leaving the anonymous notes for Jade. Gaby and Tina learn that Casey isn't the saboteur after all. A spotlight falls and nearly kills Lenni and another note is attached but this one is different from the others left by Avatar.

Lenni's music video is finished. Also, Jamal gets a letter informed that he has been accepted in the high school he wanted to get into. Sonia takes it to MTV but on the way there she is mugged and the tape is stolen. Lenni sends Ghostwriter to where the tape might be. Lenni realizes that David is the saboteur and he and Marlon are in cahoots. The team sends David a phony letter from Marlon telling him to meet at an empty parking lot. David is arrested and the tape is saved. At the party Lenni's music video is played.

Jamal is happy when Casey goes back home. Tina finds her school ID in a trash can and realizes the last place she had it was in her jacket - in her locker. Jamal and Tina find out that her locker was broke into and her expensive sheepskin jacket has been stolen. Other thefts occur at Hurston. The team (and Ghostwriter) learn that Maria's camera was stolen, and Delilah's tape recorder as well. With Ghostwriter's help, they discover that a fence named Big Ralph is selling the stolen items and on their stakeout, they see Delilah buying her tape recorder back. Hector goes to look at the stuff but Ralph catches him. Meanwhile, Alex is chosen to be an alternate on the Dragon's basketball team but ends up taking Victor's place when Victor gets mad at the captain (Kevin) and quits. Alex hangs out with his teammates, Kevin and Spencer, and ends up coming home late and getting in trouble with his father.

Lenni finds out Spencer has something to do with how Delilah knew where to get her tape recorder. Tina and Hector go on a stakeout by taping Big Ralph. They find out that a kid is involved, but they don't know who it is. Big Ralph gets arrested in the meantime. Also, another student, Jason, had a gold bracelet stolen from his locker. A boy named Arnie is also acting suspicious about the fact he has Maria's camera. In the meantime, Alex is playing at a Dragons game. After their victory, Kevin wants to celebrate by smoking pot, which Alex doesn't want to do. Alex turns him down. Kevin doesn't show up for school the next day, so Alex is now behind on a project he's supposed to do with Kevin. Kevin offers Alex pot again, but accidently leaves a joint behind, which Gaby finds. Gaby writes Alex a heartfelt letter about why he shouldn't smoke marijuana, which he takes with him on his way to Kevin's house.

When Alex gets to Kevin's house, Kevin is having a party and offers Alex another joint. Alex turns him down and leaves. When Alex gets home, he is greeted by his parents, who found the joint, and they ground him. Jamal and Jeffrey talk to a drug counciler about their school project. Jamal discovers that Arnie's mother used to date Big Ralph, so Arnie knew he could get a deal on the stolen items. The team finds out that the kid in the video is wearing a Dragons' jacket, and suspect it's Spencer. Alex goes to a Dragons game, but Kevin doesn't show up. Alex quits the team when he realizes Kevin's drug use is causing him to slack off in school and on the court. After the game, he goes to Lenni's house instead of going home late, and the team encourages him to write an apology letter to his parents. Jamal and Jeffrey learn to work together on their project and invite Alex to work with them. Later, Alex finds Kevin carrying his TV down the street, and then getting attacked by a mys

The ""mysterious stranger"" turns out to be a drug dealer that Kevin had to pay back. Alex talks to Mr. Oliver about Kevin's drug problem. Meanwhile, the team tricks Spencer into telling them that the Dragons player in the video was Kevin. Jamal, Alex, & Jeffrey finish their school project. Then, Ghostwriter gives clues that Kevin has been selling the stolen items to pay back his drug dealer and is planning on selling his grandfather's prized trophy. Alex goes to the basketball court to try and help him. Later, Alex's father entertains the thought of Alex getting his own room.

Jamal and his family visit London. England. Jamal and his friends discover a plot to kidnap the son of a famous author. Jamal uses Ghostwriter to warn the team about the plot since the author is in New York.

Jamal finds out that the code was written by someone named Wise Rita. He tells his friends in New York about the mystery, and they get involved as well.

Jamal, Becky and Sam find out that the bicyclist's real name is Danny Winkler, and Wise Rita is his aunt. Then Becky and Sam discover something...They can see Ghostwriter! Jamal gets captured by Danny Winkler, and they read the Sophie Madison books for clues to solve the mystery.

The team tracks down where the author is reading a Sophie Madison book, and where the kidnapping is held. The kidnapper is Danny Winkler's brother.

Gaby finds a bird in a dumpster while looking for cans to recycle for her school. She makes a pact with her father to take care of the bird and keep it in her room.

Gaby finds a name tag on the bird and learns that its a palm cockatoo, and they nickname the bird Calypso. Casey still can't understand why she can't go home to her mother. Gaby decides to make some flyers for Calypso's real owner. Hawke finds one of them and makes a phony call pretending to be the bird's real owner. Just then Calvin arrives at Lenni's house and informs the team that palm cockatoos aren't permitted in the usa. The team realizes that Gaby is giving the bird to a smuggler,so they leave hoping to warn Gaby before it's too late.

Hector and Lenni are able to warn Alex and Gaby about the smugglers the retreat back to Lenni's apartment. Jamal and Tina learn that Palm Cockatoos are endangered species,so the team tries to contact the police but it doesn't work so they contact the fish and wild life service, an animal rights society. They tell Mr. Fernandez that they won't give the bird to anyone except the fish and wild life people. Hawke, disguised as a pregnant woman overhears them and has a new idea. Just then two agents from the wild life society arrive at the bodega but Gaby reads a message from Ghostwriter and realizes that they are imposters, but when she goes to save Calypso the van takes off with her inside.

Gaby is taken to the smugglers hide their she encounters two wanted criminals Adoment Poulet and Honey Hawke who have been smuggling endangered birds into the country and skinning them alive. Gaby leaves a message for the team but before she can finish she is captured and put in a giant bird cage. The team learns of Gaby's whereabouts and meet up with the real agents from the animal rights society. They discover where Gaby is and heads straight for the kidnappers lair. Poulet and Hawke are captured and Gaby gives the bird to the agents so they can help restore its species.

Casey is writing a scary story for a local contest about ""Gooey Gus: the Slime Monster"", a doll that spits out grape bubblegum. Casey thinks her story isn't scary enough, so she asks for Lenni's help. Lenni adds atmosphere and writes how the Slime Monster is about to come after Casey. Alex and Gaby come to help, too, and Gaby writes about Alex and Jamal finding the Slime Monster seemingly alive in an alley, and then Alex, Gaby, and Casey find the Slime Monster in a crock pot.

Jamal, Lenni, and Alex are graduating from middle school and Tina is hosting the party, while Jamal and Tina work on the prom committee. However, the band that was supposed to play at the prom backed out. Jamal and Tina convince Lenni to play with Tina's brother Tuan. However, Lenni and Tuan get off to a bad start. Eventually, they learn to play their music together. In the meantime, Alex has been writing the story. He writes about the Slime Monster running away and kidnapping Gaby and about his attempts to save her.

Gooey Gus suddenly explodes in the sun and grows 6 feet tall in the story. Suddenly, at the band practice, Tina tells Lenni that he really likes her. If the gooey gum covers your skin, you are gone for good, so will Gaby and Casey make it?

The team trys to come up with a conclusion. Tina and Casey discover the Slime Monster's weakness, cold. Just before the discover their plan, He attacks Lenni and the rest of the team! Luckily, Tina escapes and Jamal and Tina melt the Slime Monster with vegtable oil.