The Necromancer's Apprentice - Beverly Twomey - Bog

Georgie would do anything to help his father - even learn the dying art of necromancy.
Twelve-year-old Georgie works hard to care for his grieving father while keeping his nosy younger cousin out of trouble. But when his father begins to decline even further, Georgie decides to bring back the one person who could do it all, his deceased mother.
The local Necromancer is an awkward and solitary man with an ancient black cat and a literal skeleton in his closet. With a few words, he can cause a dead sparrow to fly, stop an animated skeleton in its place, and even speak to the dead themselves. Georgie is quickly swept away into a world of skeletal horrors, abandoned graves, and wizard duels where woodland creatures arm themselves against the undead. But can he convince the Necromancer to resurrect his mother in time?
Perfect for fans of Diana Wynne Jones and T. Kingfisher, THE NECROMANCER'S APPRENTICE is a whimsical take on the process of grieving and learning to live again.