Thursday, January 5, 2012

The Mostly True Story of Jack by Kelly Barnhill - OPTIONAL


Barnhill, Kelly The Mostly True Story of Jack, 323 pgs. Little, Brown and Company, 2011. $16.99. Language- G (0 swears); Sexual Content-G; Violence-PG. Nobody notices Jack at home in San Francisco, but when his parents send him to Hazelwood, Iowa  to spend the summer with his eccentric Aunt and Uncle, everyone seems to take notice; Jack makes friends for the first time in his life with local kids Wendy, Frankie, and Anders. The town bully, Clayton, beats him up, which is better than not being noticed, and Clayton’s father, Mr. Avery, who is the most powerful man in Hazelwood seems to be plotting against Jack, he may even want him dead.  Upon Jack’s arrival in Hazelwood, his Uncle Clive gives him a book to read, the history of Hazelwood, which tells some pretty strange stories that at first Jack thinks are fairy tales, but when he discovers that children in Hazelwood mysteriously disappear and the adults seem to forget about them, he realizes that the book may hold the key to unlocking the mystery. I found this story to be a very original and also complicated fantasy. Aficionados of the genre may feel otherwise, but the plot was just really confusing. Fans of Harry Potter, CS Lewis, and Lemony Snicket may enjoy this tale. EL, MS - OPTIONAL. Anna Schneider MS Library Media Specialist

No comments: