Product Description
The lovable underdog Lewis Barnavelt and his best friend Rose Ritaare at it again—investigating the curious (and possibly supernatural?)goings-on in their town of New Zebedee. They get more than theybargained for when a new family moves into the Hawaii House, one ofthe oddest-looking houses in town, and Lewis and Rose Rita are drawninto a mystery involving forces far beyond the shores of their imagination.Why are there strange drumbeats emanating from the top floor of theHawaii House? And why is Lewis having dreams about Pele, the Hawaiiangoddess of fire?

Incorporating actual Hawaiian legends with a spine-tingling story ofsuspense, this is another great addition to the Bellairs canon. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

An excellent, chilling ghost story thriller
THE HOUSE WHERE NOBODY LIVED by Brad Strickland provides another Lewis Barnavelt mystery featuring a protagonist created by the late John Bellairs. Here Lewis and his best friend Rose Rita probe the secrets of an odd house, where something strange is always happening. An excellent, chilling ghost story thriller evolves which will satisfy middle school readers.

The House Where Nobody Lived
Good escapist fun.It continues to please the Bellairs fans who have grown accustomed to writings from beyond the grave, channelled so sympathetically by Brad Strickland.

Lewis.......... mistreated
I love the character of Lewis and all, but for the most part Johnny is my favorite.And whatever happened to Anthony Monday?I appreciate Strickland's continuing of the characters of Bellairs, but he needs to give the other two guys some book time.I have not read this book, so I cannot comment on it.I'm just trying to say "hey, Brad - Anthony is ready for another book!!!"

thank you for your time. ... Read more

Product Description
John Bellairs, the name in Gothic mysteries for middle graders, wrote terrifying tales full of adventure, attitude, and alarm. For years, young readers have crept, crawled, and gone bump 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 updated cover look. Loyal fans and enticed newcomers will love the series even more with this haunting new look! ... Read more

Customer 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 giveit 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 late1990s by churning out books like THE HAND OF THE NECROMANCER, and THEBELL,THE BOOK,AND THE SPELLBINDER which mimicked Bellair's writing styledown to the letter.In SPECTER, Strickland goes from mimicking the man tobeing the man. He captures the vocabulary and characterizations of LewisBarnavelt and company flawlessly in a terrifying story darker than all ofthe other books combined. Please check out this book. I hope Stricklandcontinues to write. He is hitting his stride now. ... Read more

Product 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

Customer 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 aman wrapped in a overcoat and cob webs on his face. Can Ms. Eells andAnthony 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 forhours! I plan on reading more of his books! ... Read more

Product Description
Lewis's hopes for a peaceful summer vacation are shattered as one accident after another plagues him. Is all his bad luck really just a coincidence? Or does it have something to do with the mysterious hooded figure he keeps seeing? ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

Sign on the Sinister Sorcerer
Very good!Mr. Strickland does a, excelent job continuing the series started by Bellairs. A.A. Riley Author of the Key of Aramath The Key of Aramath

Perfect for both prior readers of Lewis' adventures and newcomers
Lewis Barnavelt returns in another John Bellairs mystery, Sign of the Sinister Sorcerer penned by Brad Strickland. Here Lewis is sick of adventure and ready for a relaxing, magic-free summer vacation. But trouble still follows him and a string of bad luck may be more sinister than imagined in SIGN OF THE SINISTER SORCERER, telling of Lewis's ongoing struggle with black magic's ills. A fine novel of mystery and magic evolves, perfect for both prior readers of Lewis' adventures and newcomers.

Disappointed
First off, I would like to say I have great respect for Brad Strickland, and for his time and effort into keeping alive great literature that is the Bellairs series of children's books.

I've been a Bellairs series fan since grade school, and collect/own all of the John Dixson/Anthony Monday/Lewis Barnavelt books. I was disappointed in Stricklands latest two releases. Both Sign of Sinister Sorcerer and House Where Nobody Lived lacked the excitement found in previous novels by Bellairs/Strickland. Settings for both books were completely contained within the town of New Zebedee. Part of what made Bellairs novels so great were the exciting and exotic places the main characters traveled, and the descriptive creativity/creepiness Bellairs brought to the reader. Mystical islands, un-earthly worlds, other countries, secluded countrysides, strange places unfamiliar to the main characters. These latest two books seem rushed and untrue to the format that make the Bellairs series so great.

I hope the next installment will return closer to Bellairs originals.

entertaining middle school historical thriller
In the mid 1950s in New Zebedec, Michigan young orphan Lewis Barnavelt lives with his Uncle Jonathan, a wizard who can perform illusions.Recently, Lewis has become interested in information pertaining to the magical Rule of Three that his Uncle claims is an obsolete theory, but next door neighbor the powerful witch (and great cook) Mrs. Zimmerman insists some mages believed in threesomes to embellish exponentially the power.

While watching his friends play baseball, Lewis is distracted by newcomer Hal Everit when his best friend Rose Rita Pottinger warns him to watch out; a foul ball hits him in the face.Just before it struck him, Lewis noticed a hooded robed individual watching him.Although he suffers two black eyes, overall Lewis is okay.A few days later, Jonathan gives him his allowance of five silver dollars, but on his way to the movies with Rose Rita and joined at the theater by Hal, he realizes he lost his money due to a hole in his pocket.The next morning, he smells Mrs. Zimmerman cooking breakfast so he runs down the steps, but trips and injures his leg.Lewis thinks a powerful wizard is trying to harm him; as he believes he suffered an attack based on the Rule of Three.Jonathan thinks otherwise and besides the trio of assaults already occurred; but he soon revises his opinion based on a message in a mirror; he believes he and his nephew are under magical siege and he thinks he knows who the culprit is.

This is an entertaining middle school historical thriller with some fantasy and suspense elements enhancing the tale.Young readers will enjoy Lewis' summer vacation as he begins to believe THE SIGN OF THE SINISTER SORCERER has him under siege.

Harriet Klausner
... Read more

Product Description
The Face in the Frost is a fantasy classic, defying categorization with its richly imaginative story of two separate kingdoms of wizards, stymied by a power that is beyond their control.A tall, skinny misfit of a wizard named Prospero lives in the Southern Kingdom—a patchwork of feuding duchies and small manors, all loosely loyal to one figurehead king.Both he and an improbable adventurer named Roger Bacon look in mirrors to see different times and places, which greatly affects their personalities and m ... Read more

Customer Reviews (32)

Wonderfully unique
Prospero, an eccentric wizard living in the Southern Kingdom, has begun to experience something new to him, fear. Nightmares visit him, unearthly shadows dance upon his walls, and dreadful apparitions accost him. When his friend, Roger Bacon, returns from England with shocking news about an eldritch book, he realizes that someone is gaining great power, and that someone wants Prospero dead. And so, Prospero and Roger set off on a quest to unravel the mystery and stop someone who may now be the most powerful wizard in the world.

This book contains one of the most wonderfully unique stories I have every read! It is gothic horror, but one where the protagonist is a wizard. Unlike the wizards presented in many stories however, Prospero often finds that his powers do not help him, and that he must confront the horrors or flee from them, the same as any other man. Through it all, the story portrays a gentle humor that makes it such wonderful reading.

I really enjoyed the black-and-white illustrations provided by Marilyn Fitschen (though this may be only in certain editions), their stark nature adds greatly to this suspense-filled story. I highly recommend this story to any fan of fantasy literature, or player of D&D!

Just excellent
This is the perfect book for bright, sophisticated kids (and adults who love fantasy). John Bellairs uses creativity and a superior vocabulary to create a story that is by turns hilarious and terrifying. As a child this book taught me words like "alembics" and "escutcheon," made me laugh, and forced me to sleep with the lights on. John Bellairs knows that the most terrifying things are often as simple as a dark sellar or a misty evening. This book is a spinechilling delight.

Wizardry the way it should be
When a book draws you in and keeps your attention in such a way that you stop seeing words on paper and start seeing images in your mind playing out like a movie, then you know that it is a wonderful and engrossing tale. This book is like that and in a sense about that as well.

Bellairs weaves a tale that keeps your attention rooted to the spot. This book never gets old and I have read it multiple times. Each time is as entertaining as the last.

This is a classic that should be graced with a place of honor on your bookshelf. Grab a copy when you can as it is becoming increasingly rare. You will not be disappointed.

Enchanting, frightening, unique fantasy
"The Face In The Frost" is a richly imaginative tale of two wizards, Prospero (not the one you're thinking of) and Roger Bacon, who must overcome a third wizard, the evil Melichus before he destroys them, and a lot of other folks as well.

Even if you think you've heard this story before, you've never come across a variation like this one.The closest analogue that I can come up with is "Howl's Moving Castle" for its eccentricity, but `Face' outdoes `Howl' is this respect as well as in its fear quotient.The scary scenes approach M.R. James in intensity, and they are always preceded by migraine-like aura.Prospero senses that something is slightly off about the inn where he is staying.He is still trying to figure out what is bothering him at four in the morning:

"Strange thoughts began to come to him now:locked boxes and empty rooms.Four dials and a black hole.Four cards and a blank.And a dead sound on the stroke of four.Why did that mirror bother him?

"Quietly, Prospero got dressed, took his staff from the corner, and opened the door of his room.The hall was dark and silent...He lit [a candle] and tiptoed down the stairs to the place where the mirror hung.Prospero stared and felt a chill pass through his body.The mirror showed nothing--not his face, not his candles, not the wall behind him.All he saw was a black glassy surface."

Prospero explores further and finds his landlady standing fully-clothed in her room, with a butcher knife in her hand."In her slowly rising head were two black holes.Prospero saw in his mind a doll that had terrified him when he was a child.The eyes had rattled in the china skull.Now the woman's voice, mechanical and heavy:"Why don't you sleep?Go to sleep."Her mouth opened wide, impossibly wide, and then the whole face stretched and writhed and yawned in the faint light."

Prospero manages to escape the inn and town that was nothing more than an elaborate trap set up by Melichus to destroy him.He is reunited with his friend, Roger Bacon and they continue on their quest to find and destroy Melichus's evil magic.

There are delightfully eccentric set-pieces in `Face:' a king who builds elaborate clock-works of the universe; a monk who collects strange plants; a talking mirror that divulges scores from a 1943 Cubs-Giants baseball game.I suspect the author wove his fantasy out of migraines, nightmares, and a love of mechanical oddities and spells that turn tomatoes into squishy red carriages.Prospero himself has a "cherrywood beadstead with a bassoon carved into one of the fat headposts, so that it could be played as you lay in bed and meditated...On a shelf over the experiment table was the inevitable skull, which the wizard put there to remind him of death, though it usually reminded him that he needed to go to the dentist."

I'd better put an end to this review before I quote the whole book.It's so good, it draws me in every time I open it---Enchanting, in the original sense of the word, and frightening, too.

The Face in the Frost
Interesting story! It doesn't fit other Bellairs books but it was intriguing to read and to see how Bellairs began his writing. ... Read more

Product Description
The evil magician Snodrog ensnares his victims with his inescapable logic and transforms them into Flimsies (stained handkerchiefs)...until the kindly sorcerer, Sir Bertram Crabtree-Gore (Esq.) enlists the help of a magical Shuffly (Latin name: Scuffulans Hirsutus)...and Snodrog meets his match! ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

'Have you ever thought that you might not exist?'
The most satisfying edition (of only two!!) is the hardbound from 1968, which has wider pages & lets you have more of a feeling of holding it in your hands.

'One light was burning in the great central tower of the hall, and out of the half-opened casement roaring organ music trickled.Sir Bertram immediately recognized the piece as Buxtehude's Festival Fanfare for organ, tympani, and tuned bass cannon.'

Sir Bertram Crabtree-Gore, a wandering sorcerer, wanders into the Flapping Forest (as it was known) and encounters the perils therein (namely a nasty sorcerer who attacks everyone he meets with sophistry & proves they don't exist, thus turning them into stained linen napkins).Apparently wearing a Hawaiian shirt, he must brave gothic mansions and mad organists to find a Shuffly to combat the monstrous horde of napkins.

If you like Avram Davidson, you'll probably like John Bellairs.He's just as erudite and funny, even if his later children's books are more dilute.They both like referring to the classics.Bellairs makes fun of the cliches of fantasy even more than in The Face in the Frost (which, when it isn't hilarious, is scary and wondersome - this book has just got the hilarious part).It's not just some mild, watery parody though, it's a really fun story.The author especially likes poking fun at stylistic cliches here.Later on he likes small, precise, somewhat anachronistic details to add absurdity and colour, but he used them here first.

'The spectral shape grew, and it soon presented (to the trained eye) the outline of a 1912 Haynes-Atkinson Structureless Inflatable Biplane.'

It's short, it's very funny, and you want to read it.

Now this is just weird
Who knew John Bellairs had a sense of humor? All right, his humor shines through in his many quirky spinechillers, but I had no idea he had written something like this.

"The Pedant and the Shuffly" is a cool enough title on its own, but it frames a very unusual and witty short fantasy. The premise is simple: Snodrog (don't laugh) an evil magician, uses cold logic to entrap and transform his victims into Flimsies (don't laugh).But soon, Wodehousian-named Sir Bertram Crabtree-Gore, a good magician, teams up with a Shuffly (don't laugh), and Snodrog soon has a worthy opponent(s)...

Bellairs' starkly descriptive prose is as good in this book as it is in his famed chillers and "Face in the Frost." Though this book is unusually short (about half the regular for his books) and relatively simple in plot, it is laced with witty satire in logic and Latin.

Kids will enjoy the cute plot. Adults will enjoy the witty undertones. Both will enjoy "Pedant and the Shuffly"! ... Read more

Product 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

Customer 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 vividand interesting, they include an crumbling church, a cemetery, and the inn,where Masterman, the evil knight, uses a spell which knocks the Professerunconscious.This is a very involved mystery with a few ups and downs. ... Read more

Product 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

Customer 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 Barneveltand 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

Product Description
Includes "The Curse of the Blue Figurine", "The Mummy, The Will, and The Crypt" and "the Spell of the Sorcerer's Skull" ... Read more

Product Description
Anthony Monday and Miss Eells recover a magic lamp that was stolen from a warlock's tomb and is spreading evil to further the wicked ends of the thief. ... Read more