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Lewis always dreamed of living in an old house full ofsecret passageways, hidden rooms, and big marble fireplaces. Andsuddenly, after the death of his parents, he finds himself in justsuch a mansion--his Uncle Jonathan's. When he discovers that hisbig friendly uncle is also a wizard, Lewis has a hard time keepinghimself from jumping up and down in his seat. Unfortunately, whatLewis doesn't bank on is the fact that the previous owner of themansion was also a wizard--but an evil one who has placed atick-tocking clock somewhere in the bowels of the house, marking offthe minutes until the end of the world. And when Lewisaccidentally awakens the dead on Halloween night, the clock onlyticks louder and faster. Doomsday draws near--unless Lewis can stop the clock!

This is a deliciously chilling tale, with healthy doses of humorand compassion thrown in for good measure. Edward Gorey'sunmistakable pen and ink style (as seen in many picture books,including TheShrinking of Treehorn and Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats) perfectly complementsJohn Bellairs's wry, touching story of a lonely boy, his quirkyuncle, and the ghost of mansions past. (Ages 9 to 12) --EmilieCoulter ... Read more

Reviews (65)

My all time favorite book, because.....
..Lewis, the main character in the book, is FAT....just like me bhwahahhahaha. Seriously, i adore this book ever since i read it awhile back ago. It scare me alot like no other book ever did. I had nightmare where a clock is ticking inside the house and i was chubby Lewis, trying to find a way to save the world from destruction. I think i hid under the bed in my nightmares but that is another story. I saw the made for saturday movie based on the book but it was nowhere as scary. Read the book and be forewarn... it will scare you senseless. I am scared just by thinking about it.

John Bellairs knows how to write a good scarefest with exact detail and heartfelt suspense. I have read his other books on the Lewis saga and enjoy every one but this one started it all. Check out Edward Gorey's illustration...this guy is good!

Well that's enough...now give it a read....and be terrified!!!

A "timeless" story!
I first became acquainted with "The House With a Clock in Its Walls" around the age of eight. It was made into a kids' TV show (an "After School Special", perhaps? I don't remember), and I immediately checked the book out from the library. Over the years I read several other of Bellairs' books, but my favorites were always the books linked with (and continuing the story of) "The House With A Clock In Its Walls". The stories were especially fascinating for me, as they all took place in Michigan, my home state (in fact, "The Letter, The Witch, and The Ring" - book three of the series - takes place in no small part near Petoskey, Michigan, which is only 25 miles from my hometown). When I was in college, I found that the college bookstore had some copies of T.H.W.A.C.I.I.W. for sale, so I bought one. I found the story was just as enjoyable then as it had been 16 years before. I'm now 27, and I STILL enjoy these books! These are truly stories for young and old alike.

Bellairs' Best
It was his first Gothic chiller for the younguns, and was his best.

Orphan Lewis Barnavelt moves to the town of New Zebedee, MI, to live with his uncle Jonathan, only to find himself in the middle of eerie goings on. Why does his uncle behave so oddly? Why do things change around the house? Why does the front hall mirror show images of faraway places? And...what is the reason for the ticking sound heard in the walls of the old Victorian mansion they live in?

All this is contrasted with some of the everyday problems that Lewis faces. He's a fat, bookish kid who's no good at sports and also fairly depressed, so of course he worries about bullies and about making friends.

Supernatural chills abound as Lewis discovers that his uncle is a wizard (although not a very powerful one) and that another, evil wizard is using the clock for a nefarious purpose. The story ends happily and has a good message about courage.

Bellairs maintains just the right balance between scares and whimsy in this terrific little book, great for middle readers and for adults looking for an afternoon's amusement. I would like to see the return of the original Edward Gorey cover, but his illustrations are still there and are sublime.

One of my childhood favorites
Lots of reviews here recount the plot, so I'll skip that.

This book is great fun for younguns who enjoy a good eerie tale. I first read this about 1978 and enjoy revisiting it every so often. Lewis is a great character, smart but also emotional and prone to making bad decisions. He's also fat, bookish and not good at sports although he keeps trying and trying. His Uncle Jonathan is a great parental figure, loving, nonjudgemental but also seemingly baffled sometimes by dealing with his nephew, someone who's a lot like him.

The plot is full of chills and thrills. It does amble somewhat and there are lots of scenes that have nothing or little to do with the main storyline, but this book is also a primer for Bellair's world of wizards and supernatural chills.

The book has a good message about courage that lots of kids like Lewis would benefit from hearing. It helped me as a bookish kid who was no good at sports (although I wasn't fat...that waited until I was an adult!). The writing is brisk and Bellairs is a master of atmosphere. He creates a great feel for the old house and the town of New Zebedee.

As an adult, I enjoy this book immensely, and highly recommend it to kids. Parents whose kids enjoy a good chill may enjoy sharing it with them. Kids who enjoy Harry Potter are likely to enjoy this as well. Bellairs' books are basically gothic horror for the younger set, and this was his first in that genre and his best.

P.S. Hollywood, if you're reading...these books would make great movies, or maybe a TV series!

THE HOSE WITH A CLOCK IN ITS WALLS
THE hOUSE WITH A CLOCK IN ITS WALLS.THE SETTING TAKES PLACE IN nEWNEBEE. THE MAJOR CHARACTERS ARE LOUIS, UNCLE JONATHAN, MRS. ZIMMERMAN,TARBY AND MR. AND MRS.IZARD. THE FASCINATING EVENT OF AN MAGICAL ECLIPS OF THE MOON AND THE RISE OF THE DEAD. I WOULD RECOMMEND THIS BOOK TO ANY ONE THAT LIKE WISARDS, MAGIC AND MYSTERY. THIS BOOK A BOOK THAT YOU PICK UP A WON'T PUT DOWN BOOK.
ASHLEY ... Read more

Book Description

What is it about the old Wilder Creek Bridge that makes Lewis Barnevelt so curious-and so afraid? When Lewis and his best friend Rose Rita Potttinger set out to explore the bridge and the deserted farm nearby, they discover shocking secrets-and a horrifying monster. Even Lewis's Uncle Jonathan and the magical Mrs. Zimmermann may not be able to vanquish this ferocious creature!

"[Strickland's] characters ring true in this entertaining page-turner that will captivate readers." (VOYA)

"A wonderful blend of mystery, adventure, ghosts, and friendship." (School Library Journal) ... Read more

Reviews (7)

Ghastly and gruesome
Upon the death of John Bellairs, Brad Strickland stepped into some very hard-to-fit shoes. The story of "Beast Under The Wizard's Bridge" is both exceptionally clever and somewhat awkward in places, as Strickland still was adjusting to the necessity of writing like another author.

The old iron bridge over Wilder Creek is being torn down by the county, to make way for a newer, more modern structure. Lewis Barnavelt's uncle Jonathan is nervous about this -- not only is the bridge a familiar landmark, but it was constructed by a wizard to keep a long-dead relative from returning. The dead relative was Jedediah Clabbernong, a man obsessed with his own aging, and determined to become one of the immortal alien Great Old Ones.

Now something is creeping from Wilder Creek. Under the sway of the equally determined Mr. and Mrs. Moote, a hideous squidlike humanoid is rising to the surface again -- and it can suck the life from any creature and reduce it to a disintegrating husk. Now as a comet returns -- the comet that claimed Clabbernong a century before -- Lewis, Rose Rita, Jonathan and Mrs. Zimmerman must stop the Mootes before more hideous creatures are unleashed...

Brad Strickland sure knows how to send chills down a spine. In excellent imitation of Bellairs' style, he creates some outstandingly horrifying situations. Jonathan Barnavelt's description of the disintegrating woodchuck he encountered (and pounded to death) is only outdone by the encounter that Lewis and Rose Rita have with an incredibly old, hideous horse. What's wrong? While Bellairs was never the most subtle of writers, the twelve-foot-tall tentacled squid-headed Lovecraftian nightmare seems more than a little excessive. However, his usage of preexisting Bellairs material -- the bridge in "House With a Clock In Its Walls" -- is flawless.

Despite this, Strickland shows excellent skill during the fight scenes and the gradual dramatic buildup. Lewis and Rose Rita are well-characterized and excellent counterparts. Jonathan is the good-natured fretter (portrayed as something of an older version of Lewis) and Mrs. Zimmerman is still the kindly, sharp-witted witch, and even the grandmotherly Mrs. Jaeger makes an appearance. The Mootes are also excellent, reminiscent of the couple in "Killer Robot."

While not outstanding, "Beast" is an excellent continuation of Bellairs' books. Strickland manages the right balance of drama, comedy, and horror.

Their Back Again
Lewis and Rosa Rita are back again in Brad Strickland's terrifying chiller. Lewis Barnevelt and Rosa Rita are moving fast in this sci-fi mystery. Their tearing down the old bridge on Wilder Creek revealing the secrets it hides! You'll have to join in on this creepy mystery Strickland style!

A Beastly Good Book
As a hardcore Bellairs/Strickland fan and fellow writer, it was with no small amount of pleasure that I found this one sitting on the library shelf and grabbed it, instantly knowing it would be a good read. Not many books can you do this with, few authors are talented enough that their books are given to be good before you read them.

This book is no exception. I was a very picky fan of John Bellairs, and when Brad Strickland began carrying on his work I was highly skeptical that he would be able to fill the shoes of an incredibly talented author. Not only has he done so with an uncanny ability to emulate Mr. Bellairs' style, he has also gone on to write some pretty memorable adventures involving the Bellairs characters.

I found this book to be one of the more inventive and memorable ones in the entire Bellairs/Strickland history since the Trolley to Yesterday. Strickland was not afraid to go to the same lengths that Bellairs himself did to give the reader a good scare, and I really enjoyed the added sci-fi element in this book.

Well done, Mr. Strickland!

Mr. Strickland, we are not pleased.
Hard-core Bellairs fans, take up your hardcover Dial copies of "The House With a Clock in its Walls" and BLUDGEON! BLUDGEON the atrocity that is this book! ...Maybe I'm overreacting just a smidge. Nixing the theatrics, this book is typical hackneyed Strickland-as-Bellairs fare.. you can tell that he's trying, and he DOES imitate the style well. However, he falls flat when injecting the gloomy Catholic undertone, and the entire Clabbernong-farm thing was lifted COMPLETELY from a much better Bellairs book, "The Face in the Frost." Also, the Lovecraftian bits are good but not great -- but I'm happy to see that Strickland can get as gruesome as Bellairs could. The villains were more obnoxious than terrifying, and woefully underdeveloped. Yep. This was certainly a book, but I'm not buying it.

I've Got That Old Creepy Feeling...
Although Mr.Strickland has done a marvelous job of writing in the voice of John Bellairs and I've enjoyed all of his continuations, they haven't given me the creeps the way Mr. Bellairs' books used to. THE BEAST UNDER THE WIZARD'S BRIDGE has done just that. Mr. Strickland has taken a brief explanation that Mrs.Zimmermann gave Lewis in THE HOUSE WITH A CLOCK IN ITS WALLS and fleshed it out. Experienced Lovecraft Fans will recognize which story the author chose to pay tribute to in this adventure. (It's a story that frightened me terribly 30 years ago, when I was only 16.) They'll also recognize some familiar literary "friends" when the Capharnaum County Magicians Society meets to discuss the threat. Even if you're not a Lovecraft fan, you should feel at least a touch of fear when you discover what the late Mr. Gorey depicted on the front cover. The villains, starting with old Jebediah Clabbernong, are as evil as villains in a horror book should be. (What Jebediah did to ensure himself of living long enough to complete his work is a good clue as to how loathesome he was. I'm not a bit sorry about what Elihu did to him by having that bridge built.) There were several twists I didn't see coming in this one. Certainly Uncle Jonathan's backyard illusion was like no other. The implications in chapter 10 made me feel so grossed out that I barely took in the dreadful danger Lewis and Rita were in. Yes, the book is a little too short for the big battle at the end. I would think that the enormous popularity of the thick Harry Potter books would make publishers realize that children in this series' intended age group DON'T need to have books kept to 150 pages or so to maintain their interest. As a fat reader, I object to having fat Uncle Jonathan described as "heavyset". Such euphemisms just reinforce the idea that being fat is wrong. I'm also not pleased that Rose Rita's description is so neutral. I was a homely teenager and I remember how pleased I was whenever I found a book in which the heroine was at least plain. It made me feel hope that a girl didn't have to be cute, pretty, or beautiful to have adventures or do well. Those citicisms aside, I heartily recommend this book. ... Read more

Reviews (5)

The story
This book is actually based on a town. In fact its the one i live in. Their is an old opera house that is all run down and John Bellairs wrote a book about it. He also based "The House With the Clock in its Walls" off a Marshall house.

"The dead will rise..."
"Doom of the Haunted Opera" is one of my favorite books by John Bellairs/Brad Strickland, a good mix of spookiness, humor, supernatural megalomania, and a dash of real human fears. Lewis Barnavelt and Rose Rita Pottinger are at their best here.

Jonathan Barnavelt receives the news that a friend -- another wizard -- has recently died, and posthumously asks that Jonathan and Mrs. Zimmermann take care of his old magical objects. The two leave New Zebedee, and Rose Rita and Lewis are left to their own devices. They explore an old opera house and find a crumbling old opera called "Day of Doom," by Immanuel Vanderhelm. As Lewis finds the opera, he sees a ghostly dead man who calls out "Beware the doom of the haunted opera! He means to be King of the Dead!"

Then a strange man appears in the town, claiming to Vanderhelm's grandson. He means to put on as performance of the opera, and at first everything appears to be all right. But soon all the adults in the town are enamored -- and enspelled -- by Henry Vanderhelm, communications with the outside world are cut off, wizards are locked in their houses, and Lewis sees a tomb statue come alive in the graveyard. With the help of a well-meaning ghost and a grandmotherly witch, can Rose Rita and Lewis hope to stop the raising of the dead?

Anyone who has suffered through a badly-performed opera will enjoy the idea of one being a necromancer's spell. The imaginative plot base is only one of the appealing things about "Doom." The incredibly grim and tense plot is leavened by humor, such as Jailbird the whistling cat and Finster, a ghost who inadvertantly freaks out Lewis with ghostly intonations, then makes himself sound more friendly. Aside from the usual fears of evil sorcerers, there is also the chilling fact that the capable adults are not present throughout much of the book -- we get to see how Lewis and Rose Rita can try to handle the situation on their own. Any kid who has had to deal with a crisis on their own can relate to the fear and frustration of the heroes in this book.

Lewis is, as always, a sweet timid boy who has more guts than he knows. Rose Rita is his equal friend (she can't really be classified as a sidekick) who has to take matters into her own hands when Lewis vanishes. Mrs. Jaeger is a little too vague to be entirely believable, but the idea of an absent-minded grandmotherly witch is a nice one. The deceased Finster is a good source for plot-related info, and mildly amusing as well. And Vanderhelm is an outstandingly sinister villain.

Full of the funny and the spooky, this is a first-rate thriller for fans of fantasy, horror, and John Bellairs. Excellent read.

A good book for those into mystery, and horror stories.
I felt that this book really drew me into its plot. The evil man trying to produce this opera made me realize how charming and innocent people sound when you don't have all the pieces of their life story. It was also exciting to see Rose Rita, and Mrs. Jaeger coming together to thicken and enrich the plot. The only criticism is that there's not much of an epilogue at the end of this story.

This was a pretty good book
I have reviewed this book as 8. It was a great book but it needed a better ending. Rose Rita and Lewis go searching through a sealed up opera house when Lewis finds a lost piece of Music. Little did he know he was bring a evil ghost back to life to try to take over the world.

Very smooth transition from author to author
Brad Strickland must have faced a considerable task when he began the completion of John Bellair's books. For years, John's heroes of Anthony Monday, Johnny Dixon, Lewis Barnavelt and Rose Rita Pottinger kept the reader busy as they explored and fell into all sorts of settings and supernatural events. From the Windrow curse to the dark secret of Weatherend, the books that Bellairs wrote captivated me, and it certainly wasn't just because of the plot twists and ever-changing settings. Bellairs had a style of writing that made his books close to the reader, even with a setting in another time or even another dimension. Brad Strickland has proved that the transition from the now unfortunately late Bellairs to him is going smoothly. His Hand of the Necromancer did not fail as he went "solo", and neither does the Doom of the Haunted Opera, which was begun by Bellairs as a sketch and finished by Strickland.

Our Lewis Barnavelt and Rose Rita are stuck in cozy (But boring) little New Zebedee, waiting for excitement. Discovering an old opera score, the excitement quickly comes when all adults in the town are swept up in the music rush. The composer of the opera's grandson comes to town, and it is quickly revealed that he has more interests with New Zebedee's inhabitants than just performing a dusty old work and setting up shop at the local Four Seasons Hotel. But unfortunately, pending the performance of an aria from the opera called "The Sealing", a mysterious fog has descended upon New Zebedee and trapped everyone inside it. And the sinister machinations of our dear villain (posing as the willing opera conducter, and world famous singer as well) go deeper and deeper...

This book was very good; it provided the familiar characters fans of Bellairs' have grown to love yet produced a new predicament (the sealing off of the town, though this curiously resembles Lewis's imprisonment inside Barnavelt Manor in a previous Bellairs/Strickland novel, The Vengeance of the Witch-Finder) and a new villain. Certainly Brad Strickland has pulled it off; Doom of the Haunted Opera is true Bellairs, yet Strickland has also managed to add a little of his own flavor into the story without warping its style. Not as climactic and eerie as the Ghost in the Mirror (which I consider to be an incredible achievement) or as creepy as The Drum, the Doll, and the Zombie, but very good. With the new books out, Bellairs' series have not died. Brad Strickland has managed to continue the Bellairs spirit, but also with something new. ... Read more

Book Description

After Lewis and Rose Rita go to the National Museum of Magic, Rose Rita starts behaving strangely. An evil sorceress is trying to take her over, body and soul, and Lewis, his uncle Jonathan, and their friendly witch neighbor Mrs. Zimmerman must band together to save her! ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Come long-leggedy beastie...
Initially, one would think that a truly talented author's quirky, unique style could not be very nearly duplicated. But Brad Strickland is doing a fine job with the characters that Bellairs created, and this is one of his best efforts.

Lewis Barnavelt and Rose Rita Pottinger have to participate in a talent show whether they like it or not. When they hit on the idea of doing a magic show (fake, not real), they end up consulting a friend at a museum who allows them to borrow some books on stage magic. But when Rose Rita picks up an old parchment scroll, she inadvertantly lets a drop of blood fall on some magic dust -- and the dust turns into a living spider. The two of them flee, but Rose Rita brings the scroll, with intent to return it.

Except she then starts acting oddly. When the talent show results in a dismal failure, Rose Rita is left with a burning hatred and a wish for revenge. Then she starts dreaming of becoming a giant spider, and hearing the voice of the scroll's previous owner -- Belle Frisson, a sorceress who now wants to use Rose Rita to rise again and live forever.

This is labelled as a "Lewis Barnavelt" book, but at least half of it focuses on Rose Rita. While fans of Bellairs will be well acquainted with Lewis's insecurities, Strickland takes the opportunity to delve into a few of Rose Rita's. He also manages to give us a message about revenge and hatred and grudges without beating the reader over the head with it. The Message is simply there.

How much of a "Bellairs" book is this? Very much so, and not just in terms of having creepy beasties and a megalomaniac villain. The pacing and tone are very correct, as is the usage of maybe-it's-real-maybe-not ancient magics. I could have used a little more bickering between Mrs. Zimmerman and Uncle Jonathan, but the comforting scene between Rose Rita and Mrs. Zimmerman makes up for that.

Strickland does an excellent job with the evil sorceress Belle Frisson, and uses the ever-growing, evil-spirit spider very well also. The idea of a drop of blood turning powder into a malevolent spider is not just good spinechilling material, but it also is quite Bellairsesque.

This is an amazing spinechiller. I do warn you though: Arachnaphobics should definitely not read this book, or they'll never sleep again.

A Good Read!
I think that Brad Strickland Did a good job with this title. The story has some depth, and the character development is good, as well. I think this is the best Bellairs' novel that Strickland Has written so far, and would give it a full five stars!

Strickland Masters Bellairs' Style in Specter
At first serving as a finisher for the late John Bellair's uncompleted DOOM OF THE HAUNTED OPERA, GHOST IN THE MIRROR, and VENGENCE OF THE WITCHFINDER, Strickland took those characters to new heights in the late 1990s by churning out books like THE HAND OF THE NECROMANCER, and THE BELL,THE BOOK,AND THE SPELLBINDER which mimicked Bellair's writing style down to the letter. In SPECTER, Strickland goes from mimicking the man to being the man. He captures the vocabulary and characterizations of Lewis Barnavelt and company flawlessly in a terrifying story darker than all of the other books combined. Please check out this book. I hope Strickland continues to write. He is hitting his stride now. ... Read more

Book Description

John Bellairs, the name in Gothic mysteries for middle graders, wrote terrifying tales fullof adventure, attitude, and alarm. For years, young readers have crept, crawled, and gonebump in the night with the unlikely heroes of these Gothic novels: Lewis Barnavelt,Johnny Dixon, and Anthony Monday. Now, the ten top-selling titles feature an updatedcover look. Loyal fans and enticed newcomers will love the series even more with thishaunting new look! ... Read more

Book Description

John Bellairs, the name in Gothic mysteries for middle graders, wrote terrifying tales fullof adventure, attitude, and alarm. For years, young readers have crept, crawled, and gonebump in the night with the unlikely heroes of these Gothic novels: Lewis Barnavelt,Johnny Dixon, and Anthony Monday. Now, the ten top-selling titles feature an updatedcover look. Loyal fans and enticed newcomers will love the series even more with thishaunting new look! ... Read more

Reviews (14)

very mature horror
for a children's story, this is very mature horror. in this book by horror genius, john bellairs, we have the classic good vs. evil. there are also elements of satanism, roman catholicism countering the satanism, latin incantions, holy water, its...yeah pretty heavy stuff for grade schoolers. its still quite worthwhile to read, as i read them as a child and loved them. yes, they are terrifying, but they are extremely well written, in an easy flowing narrative that makes it simple for children to follow. enjoy these classic additions to children's gothic horror (a...strange genre indeed).

Spell of the Sorcerer's Skull
At the begining of the I wanted to read a different book because it was really boring.More towards the end of the book It started to get WAY better.Over all I thought it was a really good book.

The Spell of the Sorcerser's Skull
AT FIRST THE BOOK,WAS FAIRLY INTERESTING.THEN DURING THE MIDDLE OF THE BOOK IT STARTED TO GET TO BE LIKE SNORESVILLE.THEN IN THE END OF THE BOOK IT STARTED TO BE WHERE I WAS LOOKING FORWARD TO READ DURING READING TIME.OVER ALL IN THE END I THOUGHT IT WAS A PRETTY GOOD BOOK.

"Scary and Suspensful"
In the book The Spell of the Sorcerer's Skull is about Johnny and one of his best friends Professor Childermass.When Professor Childermass is taken away by an un-named force, Johnny has to go and save him.Johnny takes Fergie (his best friend) and Farther Higgins along with him not even knowing what he was getting himself into.The three men follow all of the clues that the professor may have left at the place where the disappearance happened.They finally get to an island where their troubles run thick.
I liked this book because it was very suspenseful and it made you want to read on and on so that you could find out what happened next.I also liked this book because Johnny has to go through a lot and it shows how much of a friends he is to Professor Childermass.

A very haunted clock
Grownups remain out of sight for the most part in this spooky addition to the Johnny Dixon mystery series by John Bellairs.Crusty old Professor Childermass (a series regular) vanishes early on, to be replaced by crusty old Irish-American priest, Father Higgins, who brandishes a silver crucifix and rescues Johnny in the nick of some very frightening situations.

Johnny is a shy, likeable boy who tries to act brave in spite of thinking himself a coward.His lower lip quivers almost continuously as he and his friend Fergie set out to find the missing professor.(He has every reason to be nervous in a story that reminds me of "The Haunted Doll's House" by that master of horror himself: M. R. James).For reasons that remain a mystery until the last few pages, our youthful hero is plagued by a tiny human skull and an ominous jack-o-lantern after his friend, Professor Childermass disappears.

As skeletons, demons, and a haunted clock all conspire to make Johnny's life miserable, Fergie and Father Higgins pitch in to help him.The climax to "The Spell of the Sorcerer's Skull" takes place on a remote rock off the coast of Maine, appropriately named 'Cemetery Island.'

The book is set in the nostalgic early 1950s (Johnny's father is a fighter pilot in Korea), but you won't have much time to feel nostalgia.You'll be too busy feeling scared.One of the reliable features of John Bellairs's adolescent fiction is that he doesn't try to make his ghosts cuddly or mawkish, like so many so-called 'teen-age horror' authors. ... Read more

Book Description

Anthony Monday is delighted when Miss Eells and her brother Emerson invite him to spend the summer at an old house on a desolate island. But fun soon turns to terror when Anthony finds a trunk that transports them to another dimension--a horrifying world where a maniacal group plots the destruction of the human race. It's up to Anthony and his friends to save mankind...but will their desperate struggle be the end of them?

"A broth spiced with action and suspense." --Publishers Weekly ... Read more

Reviews (6)

Real Good Read!
I really enjoyed this story. It's a mystery, it's got some sci-fi, and it's definitely got some scary horror stuff. Anthony joins his good friend Miss Eells, the librarian, and her brother for a trip to her brothers old house on an island. When they get there, they find a mysterious room with a mysterious trunk. One day, they get inside the trunk, and it shoots them off to a whole other world in a whole other dimension, one where the people are trying to destroy the earth. Well, of course, Anthony figures out how to do the bad guys in and save the whole planet. This is a real good read.

A Great Book
I have never liked reading but this John Bellairs book, The Mansion in the Mist, kept me reading. I got hooked onto his books in 4th grade and ever since I have enjoyed his books. The Mansion in the Mist has a lot of discriptive words in it, sets the setting and gets off to a great start. All the way through the book he is consistant on good adjectives and is very interesting. I like his endings the most though because sometimes they are scary but in the end his makes sure everyone's O.K. I think John Bellairs is the best author!!

This book is the best book I have ever read
"I could ask Emerson yo invite you to come along, but I don't know if you'd be happy in his rickety old house on that godforsaken chilly lake," said Miss Eells to Anthony. Anthony is a thirteen year old boy in the mid-1950's. You will know more about Anthony and his friends in this suspensful thriller, The Mansion in the Mist, by John Bellairs. Anthony does decide to go to the old house with two of his friends, Emerson and Mis Eells. One night while Emerson and Miss Eells were out fishing, Anthony decides to explore the old house. When he walked into a dark room he notices a chest in the middle of the floor. He opened it up and accidently fell in. when he stepped out he was in a new world. He came to a mansion and saw evil through the window. They were planning to take over earth, but how? How will Anthony be able to save the people of Earth from the evil? i enjoyed this book because every chapter kept you wondering what will happen in the next chapter. If you ever read read any book by John Bellaris and liked it, or just like mystery and suspensful books you will love this book. What will happen to anthony and his friends at this house? You will just have to read it and find out!

Sadly, the last
Sadly, this was the last novel completed by the late John Bellairs, the brilliant writer who more than anyone else sculpted the intellectual and imaginative structure of my mind as I grew up.

A welcome return by the Anthony Monday characters, this book does not have the rushed feel of THE SECRET OF THE UNDERGROUND ROOM and THE CHESSMEN OF DOOM, its close predecessors.

The marvelous characters further develop in surprising ways, and the enthralling mixture of atmosphere, mystery, humor, adventure, and horror that you've come to expect from Bellairs are happily present. The plot twists in the latter half of the novel are wondrous, as is the conception of the story itself.

MANSION is a strong late entry into the series, and it is a tragedy that Mr. Bellairs did not survive to further add to his volume of work. Unfortunately, despite Brad Strickland's valiant efforts, the novels since MANSION contain a void that I'm afraid will never be filled.

Mansion In The Mist by The Master
John Bellairs is truly the king of horror. The book becomes your world as you read it. Their was so much suspense that I stayed up till about Midnight on a school night reading it. You need to read this book. Put down that 30 page one with huge print and lots of pictures. Read Mansion in the Mist ... Read more

Reviews (10)

Hidden treasure never looked so good
Fans of Bellairs beware: This book is slightly different from most of them. While it has a lot of the Bellairs staples (meek young boy, eccentric buddy, evil adversary), it doesn't have any horror or supernatural elements. Despite that, it's an enjoyable little mystery with a twist at the end.

To get away from his money-obsessed mother, Anthony Monday accepts a job working with his friend Miss Eells at the library. But when he's dusting, he accidently uncovers clues to the seemingly hidden treasure of late millionaire Alpheus Winterborn. Though Miss Eells doesn't think the clues are anything but a joke, she helps Anthony hunt for the treasure. But Hugo Philpotts, the sinister nephew of old Winterborn, is also searching for the treasure.

At about this time, Anthony's father suffers a heart attack that temporarily makes him unable to wor. Terrified that his family is going to run out of money, Anthony becomes obsessed with finding Winterborn's treasure. And when Philpotts threatens his father's business, Anthony finds that he has only a few days to find the treasure...

Even if this isn't a horror book, it's a pretty good mystery. Bellairs did a good job with staples like hidden treasure, clues in a poem, the sinister relative and so on. There's that distinct, slightly unreal flavor of a child's daydream in his books, like this is the imagined adventure of a boy on a summer day. And even though there are no monstrous spiders or cackling sorcerers, the discoveries near the end make up for that. Action fans will especially enjoy a tense scene on a rainy rooftop near the finale.

Anthony Monday is a little darker in some ways than Bellairs' more popular heroes (Johnny Dixon and Lewis Barnavelt), but he's very much in the same mold. Nice, quiet, unassuming, extremely loyal and normally very honest. Miss Eells, a ladylike librarion who can curse like a sailor (don't worry, parents, Bellairs never makes it clear just what she says), makes a good foil as the voice of experience and reason. And Philpotts becomes a little more ridiculous as the book goes on, but is an expert manipulator and very realistic.

I read this book expecting some thrills and chills, but didn't get many "chills." Despite that, one of Bellairs' few straight mysteries is good Gothic fun.

Spooky and Mysterious Fun
I adore John Bellairs, and this one is my favorite. Take one poor, lonely boy, one giant gothic library, one greedy relative, and one mysterious hidden treasure and mix well for an action packed, fun book. Spooky, but not too scary. Lots of kids will identify with the hero, a lonely boy from the wrong side of the tracks who befriends the librarian at the castle-like library. He discovers a clue to the treasure that was rumored to have been hidden by the library's builder, the mysterious and strange Alpheus Winterborn. Winterborn's greedy nephew is on the trail too, and it makes for a great story.

A bit different than his other books, but great fun for all
I loved this book as a chid, so when I ran across it recently I decided to see how well it would hold up today. I'm happy to say that it was just as fun to read now as it was all those years ago.

As an adult it is not too difficult to figure out the mystery, but it's still a fun story. As a child it was quite exciting and I'm sure that children today will love it as well. Unlike most Bellairs novels, which are usually scary stories of wizards, monsters, and curses, this is a more straightforward mystery centered around the hunt for a hidden treasure, and as such it would be appropriate for children who might be scared by some of Bellairs' other books.

Good Story!
This is a good story and it's written very well. A thirteen year old boy, who is desperate to help his family out of their money troubles, searches for a treasure that may be just a practical joke. I didn't like the beginning of the story where Anthony is having trouble with his parents fighting all the time about money, but that's because John Bellairs wrote it so well. Anthony struggles with a lot of things, but everything works out and he's a big hero by the end of the story.

One of the BEST books I have ever read!!!!
This is a GREAT book. I highly reccomend it. Action packed, great storyline, and a spooky mystery, this book has it all!!! ... Read more

Book Description

Professor Childermass is stunned when Father Higgins claims that a ghost is trying to contact him. Then the priest disappears. When the professor and Johnny catch up to him, they make a terrifying discovery -- Father Higgins is possessed by Masterman, the spirit of a long-dead knight determined to rule the world. And it looks as if Masterman is going to get his way."Has enough chills to satisfy readers not quite ready for Stephen King."-- School Library Journal ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Ghastly ghosties
Gruff and lovable Father Higgins is one of the better supporting characters in John Bellairs' many books. Now the evil-battling priest slips into the spotlight in an intriguing ghost story. Though not Bellairs' best, it's a chilling and fast-paced thriller for the pre-Stephen King set.

Johnny Dixon is depressed when his friend Father Higgins is transferred to a different parish. Father Higgins isn't much happier, since he dislikes his new congregation, and his estranged mother has just died. Soon he visits his friends Johnny and Professor Childermass, claiming that a ghost has been trying to contact him, that he is sleepwalking, and he shows them a strange glassy half-plate with golden fishes in it, and a cryptic rhyme.

Soon afterward, Father Higgins vanishes. The professor, Johnny, and Fergie go to England in an effort to track him -- and find that he is in the grip of a demonic dead knight, part of the pirate De Marisco knights that died long ago -- after some sold their souls to the devil. Now the evil knight known as Masterman is trying to set his old comrades free...

This book has the staples of a good Bellairs book -- evil sorcerers/ghosts/monsters/beasties that will either destroy the world or conquer it, spinechilling chapter endings, cryptic rhymes, and a lot of witty banter between Childermass and other characters. It's not quite as horrifying as some of the other Bellairs books, but it's definitely a good ghost story. Perhaps its greatest weaknesses are that the pacing seems to meander, and some of the plot twists are a bit strained. (Where did Bellairs get the line, "And in case you're wondering, he has developed his powers of ESP"?)

Johnny and Fergie are good as always, the meek Charlie Brown altar boy and the cocky gutsy kid who complement each other like peanut-butter and jelly. Father Higgins is given extra dimension, provided with his sad past with his estranged mother and his wish that he had reconciled with her. And Professor Childermass is his usual grumpy, irritable, generous and brave self.

"Secret of the Underground Room" is not Bellairs' best, but it's definitely a solid ghost-story with

Great Book Found In Underground Room!!!
The Secret of the Underground Room by: John Bellairs

Have you ever been in an underground room full of dead knights? Well, see how Johnny Dixon handled it in The Secret of the Underground Room.

This book is about a boy named Johnny Dixon who traveled all the way to England to try and help a friend who is possessed by an evil spirit. What I learned was that friendship can go a long way.

I really liked this book because it was full of magic and very exciting. Will Johnny save his friend or will he lose him?

Very captivating, I couldn't stop reading.
I like this book because it gives an eerie sense of evil lurking around every corner. Even though Johnny Dixon is the main character, Professer Childermass always plays a huge part in the story. The settings are vivid and interesting, they include an crumbling church, a cemetery, and the inn, where Masterman, the evil knight, uses a spell which knocks the Professer unconscious. This is a very involved mystery with a few ups and downs. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

A mazing tale
John Bellairs is best known as the author of fifteen gothic mystery novels for young adults, plus four similar works completed by Brad Strickland after Bellairs's death. "The Vengeance of the Witch-Finder" (1993) is the next-to-the-last book in the Lewis Barnavelt series, and was completed by Brad Strickland. It takes place in 1951, mainly at the Barnavelt mansion in England.

This book can be read in conjunction with "The Ghost in the Mirror" which takes place simultaneously with 'Witch-Finder' and stars Lewis Barnavelt's friends, Rose Rita Pottinger and Mrs. Florence Zimmermann.

When orphaned Lewis Barnavelt, now age thirteen, and his Uncle Jonathan go on vacation in Europe, they drop in on their English cousin Pelham, who owns the ancestral Barnavelt Manor. The housekeeper's son Bertie, who is blind, takes Lewis on a tour of the old mansion and grounds.

Lewis is especially interested in the maze, which he has read about but never seen, and his new friend Bertie shows him the trick of reaching its center. From the description given in 'Witch-Finder,' it was probably a hedged labyrinth of the sort that became fashionable in the late sixteenth century (see M.R. James's story, "Mr. Humphreys and His Inheritance" for a similar tale of a maze and the awfulness at its center).

All is well, until Lewis discovers an old map of the maze with what might be a treasure in the center. He sets out on a midnight excursion, accompanied by Bertie, to the hidden heart of the maze.

Instead of treasure, Lewis accidentally unleashes a demon that summons the ghost of the witch-finder Malachiah Pruitt, three hundred years dead. Lewis and Bertie barely escape the maze with their lives.

Back during Cromwell's reign in England, Malachiah Pruitt had accused one of Lewis's ancestors of witchery and tried to have him burned at the stake. Now Pruitt's ghost has been set free by Lewis and Bertie.

'Witch-Finder' is full of deliciously spooky occurrences, and I enjoyed the 'Sherlock and Watson' role-playing of the two boys as they try to solve the horrible predicament they've gotten themselves into (along with everyone else in the mansion).

Jolly good fun
Lewis Barnavelt's Sherlock Holmes deerstalker comes in handy in this bone-chilling (no pun intended) adventure in the present and past of England -- and one of its darker secrets.

Lewis Barnavelt accompanies his uncle Jonathan to England, where they are visiting an older cousin. The cousin also has a housekeeper, and Lewis soon befriends Bertie, the housekeeper's blind son. Bertie and Lewis soon begin exploring happily in a hedge maze, until they find a strange monument in the center. When they pry a brick loose, some invisible, laughing creature escapes and chases them back to the house.

Soon afterward, the adults at Barnavelt Manor start behaving strangely. The cousin becomes sly and cackling, the housekeeper is like a sinister wind-up doll, and the gardener is snarling. Lewis suspects that somehow, this is all connected to a psychotic Puritan witch-finder, Malachiah Pruitt, who once made life miserable for Lewis's ancestor... until the ancestor struck back somehow. And now Pruitt is somehow back for revenge against the Barnavelts.

It's always sort of a guilty pleasure to read one of these books, where horror is handled in a way both lavish and sparing. Something as minor as the rustle of twigs or a funny-looking gravestone can be significant and can strike horror in the reader. Writing-wise, this is one of the better ones. Strickland, who completed the book, knows well how to flesh out Bellairs' storyline. The atmosphere is chilling and almost claustrophobic, in that the walls keep closing in on our heroes. The main problem, perhaps, is that there is relatively little humor leavening the story, except for the continuing Watson-Holmes joke between Bertie and Lewis. On the flip side, late in the book is one of the most touching scenes I have ever read in a Bellairs and/or Strickland book, between Lewis and Jonathan.

Characterizations are very nice. Lewis gains a little more self-confidence and loses a little weight; Jonathan is a little less zesty than usual, but he is also absent for large sections of the book. Bertie is a nice sidekick for Lewis, and his means of knowing that there is something wrong despite his blindness is well done. (The best meaning of stiff-upper-lip) The housekeeper and cousin are a little two-dimensional, but then dimension is not needed. Malachiah Pruitt is a wonderfully sinister villain -- great idea, to make one of the Puritan witch-hunters a psychotic wanna-rule-the-world type. (Though his ambitions to rule the world did feel a little tacked on)

For those of you who are not yet ready to read Stephen King, try these John Bellairs books. Spooky, bone-rattling fun.

The best one of the Lewis Barnevelt series
Jonathon and Lewis go off to England to sight see and visit a relative. Lewis gets into a mystery at the big,old, house. ***I have reviewed several other of his books so check them out! ... Read more

Reviews (11)

The Ghost in the Mirror
Mrs.Zimmermann a witch goes on a vacation with Rose Rita Pottinger. Mrs.Zimmermann and Rose Rita discover that instead of going to their vacation spot they travel back to 1928 in Pennslvania Dutch country when it's winter time. When Mrs.Zimmermann and Rose Rita are in Pennslvania Dutch they have different adventures. Mrs.Zimmermann even loses her memories and her magic powers. Without Mrs.Zimmermann's powers how will Rose Rita Pottinger ever be able to get home? I thought this book was very entertaining because it was interesting.

"Ghost" a solid thriller
"Ghost in the Mirror" is one of several books that the late John Bellairs left unfinished at the time of his death. Those books were finished by Brad Strickland, utilizing the author's remaining outlines. It's a solid thriller with a few seams showing, but overall a good read for those not yet ready for Stephen King.

Kindly witch Mrs. Zimmermann has lost her magic, except for a sixth sense and a residual aura of unusable protective magic, and Rose Rita Pottinger has broken her ankle. Her friends Jonathan and Lewis Barnavelt have left the two behind, while on their European vacation. But suddenly Mrs. Zimmermann is called on a mission into the heart of Pennsylvania Dutch country, and Rose Rita comes with her. Naturally, nothing proceeds as expected. Their car is transported back in time and crashes, leaving the two staying with the kindly Weiss family.

But the mystery deepens when the reason for their time travelling is revealed -- the ghost of the witch Hilda Wetherbee tells them that she has transported them back in time to save a good wizard, Grandpa Drexel, who is fated to die on the first of April. But an evil presence disrupts the message from Granny Wetherbee, and Mrs. Zimmermann becomes stricken with partial amnesia Rose Rita becomes increasingly suspicious that a hexer -- an evil witch -- is trying to drive out the Weiss family. But how can a de-magicked witch and a bespelled modern girl hope to stop a hexer -- and a demon?

This is neither the spookiest nor the tightest of Bellairs' fantasy-horror books, and it suffers slightly from an unfortunate cliche (time travel) and a dependence on previous Bellairs books. But it's a solid time-travel/ghost-story, with some hideously chilling scenes and some interesting new characters. There's a bit of a dull section in the middle, but Strickland picks up the pace near the end with some delightfully Bellairsian scenes of horror when Rose Rita inadvertantly conjures up the demon Aziel. And for people looking for a little educational info, there's some enlightening passages about the Pennsylvania Dutch.

Rose Rita is shown without the shadow of Lewis here, and while she is not quite as interesting as the timid ex-altar boy, she's a good heroine who shows a lot of the characteristics of her best friend. Mrs. Zimmermann is given extra dimension as she tries to regain her magical powers and gets stricken with amnesia. We also get to see two dimensions of Hilda Wetherbee -- as the ghost of a crabby old witch, and as a little girl who befriends Rose Rita. Favorites Jonathan and Lewis Barnavelt even show up for a cameo appearance.

While not the most outstanding of Bellairs' books, this is a good, spooky read, especially for fans of Rose Rita and Mrs. Zimmermann. Not to be missed.

Scary Book
I recommend this book to anyone who is 12 years old and older. This book is a story of friendship and bravery. One of the brave things that Rose Rita did was when she started reading a spell book that would let out a monster, but she couldn't stop reading the book. For example, she was thinking, "What was it? A smart person could get out of the trap-if he took every step backwards! That was it! But what did that mean?" She was brave because she wouldn't let the monster out. One of the things that Grampa Drexel showed was his friendship. For example, when Rose Rita asked Grampa Drexel this "Can I ask you a big, big favor? Will you help Mrs. Zimmerman get her magic back?" This was a sign of friendship because he helped get her magic back. This book should be recommended to anyone who likes mysteries and fantasy.

The Ghost in the mirror
John Bellairs's THE GHOST IN THE MIRROR was not a very good book. I thought the book was dull and slow moving. I also thought it was unrealistic.
It was about a girl named Rose Rita, who was very excited when her parents ler her go on a two week summer vacation with her friend Mrs. Zimmermann (who was a witch). She was expecting a dangerous trip, but she doesn't expect that when they come out of a highway tunnel they end up in the snowbound winter of 1828. they end up in the Pennsylvania dutch country. Mrs. Zimermann took them back there so she coul regain her magical powers from her first teacher she learned them from.
To tell the truth I thought there was no point to this book. Ot wasn't really even about ghosts or ghosts in the mirror. It was about a witch and her friend. So thats why I didn't like the book THE GHOST IN THE MIRROR.

it like totally rocks
it was so cool. it had suspense,action,mystery,drama,and caring . uit was so cool. ... Read more

Book Description

John Bellairs, the name in Gothic mysteries for middle graders, wrote terrifying tales fullof adventure, attitude, and alarm. For years, young readers have crept, crawled, and gonebump in the night with the unlikely heroes of these Gothic novels: Lewis Barnavelt,Johnny Dixon, and Anthony Monday. Now, the ten top-selling titles feature an updatedcover look. Loyal fans and enticed newcomers will love the series even more with thishaunting new look! ... Read more

Reviews (16)

Great book full of magic and mysteries.
When first I started reading this book I thought it was kind of sad how everybody made fun of Lewis. I thought how could somebody be so rude. It got interesting however how Lewis was so sensitive yet he could stand so strong. I thought when I read that the person who was writing "Veno" was the man who once owned the amulet. Later I realized that it was not him because he would have gone after the amulet rather than write "Vino" . Over all I thought that this was a great book that would pull you into the text and make you feel like you were part of the story. A clever mix of horror, humor, magic, and mystery by John Bellairs. I would recommend this story to all kids.

One of the best Horror books ever
I read this book in the 70s or early 80s. I was so frightened by it that I stored it under my sister's bed at night just to keep it out of my room and away from me. It scared me that much - It's very vivid. To this day, the smell of wet ashes reminds me of the book. I mean this all in the best way, of course. I was, perhaps, a little unprepared for the depth of spookiness found in this book, but now I realize that while it frightened the living daylights out of me, it also thrilled me. I credit this book and MacBeth (also read when far too young and impressionable) for my love of "unseen" psychological horror fiction today. Definitely talk with your child after they read this, though. You don't want them spooking at every imagined figure in the shadows.

Good fun
Lewis Barnavelt (introduced in THE HOUSE WITH A CLOCK IN ITS WALLS) is having problems. He's picked on by bullies and he's afraid his best friend, Rose Rita, doesn't respect him because he's not rough-and-tough. When he finds his great-grandfather's lucky coin, he starts wearing it, hoping it will bring him luck...only to discover that it's actually a powerful talisman and a sinister hooded figure is watching over him.

This isn't quite up to the level that HOUSE was, but it's still a grand entertainment. We feel Lewis' pain and rage at being a target and at his inability to intervene when Rose Rita is attacked by bullies. Lewis' love/hate relationship with the talisman can also been seen as a symbol of drug addiction.

It all ends well, with a good message about loyalty and a caution against using outside props (talismans or drugs). Next in the series: THE LETTER, THE WITCH AND THE RING.

enthralling, but with an inconsistency
... there is one plot inconsistency: Lewis receives the mysterious Latin message from the evil figure *before* he has read the incantation to invoke him!

spooky fun!
This is one of those books that stays with you for the rest of your life. It is sheer spooky fun. What sets it apart from the rest are the vivid images painted by Bellairs's words, from characters' appearences to atmospheric settings. I still study cloud formations! ... Read more

Book Description

John Bellairs, the name in Gothic mysteries for middle graders, wrote terrifying tales fullof adventure, attitude, and alarm. For years, young readers have crept, crawled, and gonebump in the night with the unlikely heroes of these Gothic novels: Lewis Barnavelt,Johnny Dixon, and Anthony Monday. Now, the ten top-selling titles feature an updatedcover look. Loyal fans and enticed newcomers will love the series even more with thishaunting new look! ... Read more

Reviews (10)

Cool Review
This book talks about a young girl named Rose Rita. She is 16yrs old and she likes this boy named Lewis,but Lewis went on a boy scout camp. She was very disappoited about this,and Mrs.Zimmermann asked Rose Rita to come along with her to Oley's Farm. But Rose Rita told Mrs.zimmermann that she needed to ask her parents for permission.She was very excited that she was going on a trip with Mrs.Zimmermann. On the way to Oley's farm they run out of gas,and they have to walk a few miles to the Gas Station.Throught out this story Rose Rita meets new people and she rescues Mrs.Zimmermann from Mrs.Bigger.

I encourage other people to read this book, because it's a great book and it had a lot of good things in it and that they could learn a little about this Author. What I learned from this author is that many of the events in John Bellairs books are from things that happened or that he wished would happen.

Very good descriptive words, one of the best in the series!*
I've read a bunch of John Bellairs books and this is difinitly one of the best in the series. Rose Rita is my favorite charater of all Jhon Bellair's books.I can't wait to see what else Jhon Bellairs will write in the future! My favorite part is when Ms. Zimmerman finds out the terrible pain was really a piese of paper. I love the evilness lurking in every page of his novels. I hope that every book he writes in the future will be as good as this one! Kara Brooks* Age 1

Rose Rita takes center stage
Rose Rita Pottinger, introduced in THE FIGURE IN THE SHADOWS, takes center stage with the elderly witch Mrs. Zimmermann in this book.

Mrs. Zimmermann, who lost her powers in the last book, takes Rose Rita with her on vacation after Rose Rita's best friend Lewis goes off to Boy Scout camp. They start off visiting a farm that Mrs. Z has inherited, but find that a ring that her cousin had believed to be magic is missing. Mrs. Z dismisses it but Rose Rita isn't so sure. As they continue on their trip, they find themselves stalked by supernatural events, and it comes to a head when they return to the old farm and confront their enemy, a person with a bitter grudge who will go to any length to get revenge.

This book deals with the problems of growing up; Rose Rita isn't sure she wants to grow up, and as a tomboy is afraid of the whole dresses-and-dating thing, something a lot of girls deal with. The writing is full of evocative passages describing the small towns they go through on their vacation, reminding me of many of my own childhood vacations. The villain is evil, to be sure, but also fairly tragic when we get a flash that they're a victim of longtime domestic violence.

This is good fun, moving at a leisurely pace at times, but also with genuinely chilling moments. The central message is to be at peace with who you are, and to make the best of yourself, rather than wanting to be something you're not.

For a long time, this was the last in the Barnavelt series, until THE GHOST IN THE MIRROR was published after Bellairs' death, with additional material by Brad Strickland.

Rosa Rita,Mrs Zimmerman, and the MAGIC RING.
Rosa Rita had nothing to do this summer, because her best friend Lewis is going to a camp. But her friend Mrs. zimmermman had a letter from her cousin, that he was dead, and the farm he had it has passed to her. And he had also found a magic ring. Mrs. Zimmermman invited Rosa Rita to try and find out more about the MAGIC RING.
I did like the book, because I did'nt have anything better to do in class.

I recomended the book if you don't have anythig better to do, but if you have opportunity to play soccer, or any of your favorite sports don't read it.

Cool Beans Dude
Fun book, great for a younger audience looking for something different. ... Read more

Book Description

Lewis Barnavelt is back! And this time, our lovable underdog/hero has stumbled upon something more powerful than even his overactive imagination can dream up. A camping trip with his Scout troop leads Lewis straight to an old grave and a mysterious, magical whistle. When Lewis discovers that this whistle has the power to stop the boys who insist upon bullying him, he is left with a tough decision.Does he continue to use the whistle, which he suspects might not be fully benign? Is Lewis strong enough to face the potent spirit that he is unknowingly summoning?

Brad Strickland continues to attract readers to the best-selling series begun by the late John Bellairs. Fans of the series will delight in the familiar cast of Lewis, his uncle Jonathan, and best friend Rose Rita Pottinger. Those new to the books will be lured in by the masterfully written supernatural elements and hair-raising situations. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Exceptional chiller
After the death of kid-horror author John Bellairs, fan/author Brad Strickland took over the duty of finishing his manuscripts -- and then writing new novels based on the older books. Though his first few books were wobbly, "The Whistle, the Grave, and the Ghost" shows that Strickland has settled solidly into Bellairs' niche.

Lewis Barnavelt, on a camping trip with his Scout troop, wanders away from the campfire. He soon finds a dirty silver whistle, and a strange grave with the inscription "Hic Iacet Lamia" (Here Lies Lamia). That night, something rips a hole in his tent. Uneasy about the whistle and grave, Lewis investigates further, and discovers that a lamia is an ancient female vampire. Rose Rita dismisses the idea, but Lewis is dubious -- especially when he has dreams about an eyeless creature sniffing him out.

Mrs. Zimmerman and Uncle Jonathan investigate the woods, and don't find anything odd. But when Lewis is cornered by a couple of bullies, he finds the whistle in his pocket, and blows it. A snakelike creature appears and attacks the boys, who are hospitalized with a strange blood problem. And Lewis learns that there was something in that grave that wants not just his blood -- but his life. His friends seek out the help of the only person who can stop the lamia...

It's getting harder and harder to tell the difference between vintage Bellairs and the newer stuff by Strickland. Strickland has gained the knack for creepy dreams, horrific monsters with visceral shocks, and bits of old myth and legend. He's also incorporated the Roman Catholic elements that Bellairs did, in the priest Father Foley, who plays a key part.

The pacing and descriptions are spot-on, and the creepy visions and gradual buildup of tension are well-done. Lewis's subtle changes as the lamia starts to take him over are especially well-done. The primary flaw is that the climactic battle is rather fragmented (it just isn't fair to end a chapter like Chapter Thirteen was).

Lewis is well-written here, the bullied underdog with the occasional dark impulse; Rose Rita is the matter-of-fact counterpart whose duty it is to work out what is going wrong in her friend. Mrs. Zimmerman and Jonathan Barnavelt are their old lovable selves.

With "The Whistle, the Grave and the Ghost," Strickland's steady footing on the Bellairs series is reestablished. Creepy, icky, and tightly written, this is among his best.

Brad, you¿ve raised it to a whole new level!
I'm a huge fan of the Bellairs/Strickland books. The Whistle, the Grave and the Ghost has everything all of the best Bellairs books have. It also has more. Much more. In this book we dig deeper into almost every character. We learn more and more things about them. Lewis Barnavelt, for example, is just as he's always been; shy, a bit chubby, thoughtful and persistent. But, in The Whistle, the Grave and the Ghost, he's a few years older, and with those years comes just a little bit more wisdom. It's wonderful to read about how he deals with his trials through slightly, very slightly, more mature eyes. Jonathan Barnavelt is, as always, caring and jolly. We get a broader sense of his magical abilities, and for how much he truly cares for his nephew. Rose Rita Pottinger has also grown. It's a young woman (with that same heart and spirit of steel) that helps save the day. Mrs. Zimmermann, Jonathan's neighbor and bona fide good witch is, perhaps, the character that changes least. And that's as it should be. She was already just about perfect. The most profound difference, and welcomed improvement, between The Whistle, the Grave and the Ghost and most, if not all, of the previous Bellairs and Strickland books, is the antagonist. There's no campy explanation of world conquest a la Scooby Doo in this book: "Well, since you're going to die anyway, why not tell you my brilliant plan! Ha! Ha! Haaaa!" This villain doesn't care for such things. There's no husband/wife or master/servant team of adversaries. This villain is alone. There's no bumbling magician trying to conjure an enormous and lethal spell he can barely control. This villain is very capably deadly. This villain is pure evil. Plain and simple. This is the most primordially terrifying villain of all the Bellairs and Strickland books. We get inside this villain's head, too. We learn not only what she does, but why she wants to do it. In the end, there are no loose ends. Every loop has closure. Everything works and makes sense. Finally, this book, in all the right moments, is very funny. My compliments, again, to you, Brad Strickland, for bringing us the rare gift of a fabulous story. Not just that. A well-written fabulous story. Please keep it up. To the reader, the Bellairs/Strickland veteran and beginner alike, pick up this book ... Read more

Book Description

Anthony Monday couldn't see why Miss Eells was so excited about a curious-looking oil lamp with pictures painted on the base. Little did the two of them know that the lamp they bought was stolen from the underground tomb of Willis Nightwood--a dabbler in the occult and black arts. When Anthony lights the lamp, monstrous forces are unleashed. Can Anthony and Miss Eells stop this satanic power before it destroys the world?

"Engrossing." --School Library Journal ... Read more

Reviews (3)

It was exciting!
This book was realistic and fun and kept the kids attention as well as my own. A good, fun scare and interesting story with surprises.

Scary, but an okay ending.
Anthony Monday, a high schooler, and his friend, Ms. Eells, find a lamp with wierd pictures at the bottom. When Ms. Eells lights the lamp, mysetrious things begin to happen. A high school Janitor is murdered by a man wrapped in a overcoat and cob webs on his face. Can Ms. Eells and Anthony find out and stop this force before it destroys everyone?

Wonderful! ! ! ! ! ! ! !
I have been reading this book in my spare time, which I don't have alot of, and I really injoyed reading it. You know alot of the time I will get bored reading one book for awhile and put it away but this one I couldn't. I would stay up at night and take my penfalshlight turn it on and read for hours! I plan on reading more of his books! ... Read more

Reviews (6)

Wonderful and imaginative
I read this and several other books by John Bellairs as a child and for some reason was thinking of them tonight. I was so excited to look here and see how many others there are that I didn't know about! Great reading and I can't wait to order the rest! This one is so good, as is the mummy, the will, and the crypt, the house with a clock in its walls, and the first one I read, the treasure of alpheas winterbourne

More than just a book for young readers
When I was in 7th grade, I read every John Bellairs book that the library had. His modern gothic tales of dark suspense were unlike any other stories to be found, and they captivated me entirely with their mystical charm. Some 14 or 15 years later, the memory of his stories remained so strong in my mind that I recently sought out and read "The Dark Secret of Weatherend" once again. And once again, I was taken under the spell of Bellairs' literary magic, enjoying it as much as I had so long ago.

Every one of his books is excellent. The writing, the intrigue, the dark mood he creates for the reader, are crafted with mastery. They are ideally suited for reading to children, especially since the hero is always a young boy or girl, and are entirely unique in the realm of children's literature. It is that very quality that makes them just as enjoyable for the mature reader. At such a low price, I highly reccommend anyone who enjoys reading to check them out. "Dark Secret" is a perfect place to start.

The only similar comparisons I can make to the stories of Bellairs are the poems and illustrations of Edward Gorey, the films of Tim Burton, and the music of Danny Elfman. If you like one, you'll probably like them all.

If you like Harry Potter....
then you'll LOVE books by John Bellairs! This man invented mysteries for young readers. Try it, and you won't be able to put it down. The characters are easily to identify with as they seem like ordinary kids, yet they have extraordinary adventures! Bellairs is funny, intelligent and entertaining in his writing. Read it to your kids as a bedtime story, and YOU'LL keep reading it to yourself long after they've nodded off.

Chills once again
It's a nice one that gives you that creeping feeling, and is interesting. Its thrilling ending is synomous with John Bel