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Cuckoo Sister |
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| Author: |
Vivien Alcock |
 Book Review
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| Format: |
Paperback |
| ISBN: |
0395816513 |
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| Availability: |
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From Publishers Weekly
Alcock's novels are admired here and in her native England for inventive plotting and crackling dialogue that individualize her unusual characters. Katie Seton, 11, tells the story of upheaval in her affluent home after the arrival of Rosie Martin, a tough 13-year-old from a London slum. Rosie is unaware of what's in the note she has been sent to deliver to the Setons by her mother Louise, and is as angry and disbelieving as Katie. Louise confesses she had stolen the Setons' baby Emma, Katie's sister, long given up for dead. While Mr. Seton tries to determine the truth, Rosie/Emma and Katie regard each other as enemies. The stranger with her lurid clothes and Cockney accent is not the sister Katie had always dreamed of. Rosie wants to get back to her free-and-easy neighborhood, friends and mother. She refuses to... |
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Haunting of Cassie Palmer |
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| Author: |
Vivien Alcock |
Book Review
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| Format: |
Paperback |
| ISBN: |
039581653X |
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| Availability: |
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Book Description
Thirteen-year-old Cassie Palmer, the seventh child of a seventh child, has inherited the gift of second sight. Unsure whether or not she even believes in ghosts, Cassie heads to the cemetery to test her ability to communicate with the Other World. She starts with the departed spirit of a harmless child: CHARLOTTE EMMA ELIZABETH WEBB, BORN 1840 DIED 1847. But when a mysterious man appears, Cassie finds a new companion. Is he a gravedigger? A bum? Or did Cassie's inexperience cause her to bring back Charlotte's frightening neighbor: DEVERILL 1720 - 1762?
Card catalog description
Thirteen-year-old Cassie, the seventh child of a seventh child, begins to exhibit the gift of second sight which enables her to communicate with the Other World.
See all... |
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Monster Garden |
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| Author: |
Vivien Alcock |
Book Review
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| Format: |
Paperback |
| ISBN: |
0618003371 |
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From Publishers Weekly
Alcock ( The Mysterious Mr. Ross ) has written a surefire hit in this charmingly weird variation of the "secret pet" theme. Frankie Stein's father is a geneticist at a mysterious and heavily guarded lab; her peers torment her about her name and suggest that her father is creating world-threatening monsters in his lab. When her brother David steals some goop from their father's lab, Frankie cajoles him into giving some to her. The goop is hit by lightning and this turn of events creates a living creaturea mutable, jelly-like substance that endearingly creates too many fingers for its hands and has webbed feet. Frankie stops being afraid of him when she realizes how loving and gentle his nature is, and she decides to keep him in her garden. But soon Frankie must decide to let him find his own safe place or turn him... |
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Cuckoo Sister |
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| Author: |
Vivien Alcock |
Book Review
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| Format: |
Hardcover |
| ISBN: |
0613047869 |
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| Availability: |
Usually ships within 3-5 weeks. We cannot guarantee availability of special order titles because publishers may run out of stock. We will notify you in 3-4 weeks if we are unable to get this title for you. |
From Publishers Weekly
Alcock's novels are admired here and in her native England for inventive plotting and crackling dialogue that individualize her unusual characters. Katie Seton, 11, tells the story of upheaval in her affluent home after the arrival of Rosie Martin, a tough 13-year-old from a London slum. Rosie is unaware of what's in the note she has been sent to deliver to the Setons by her mother Louise, and is as angry and disbelieving as Katie. Louise confesses she had stolen the Setons' baby Emma, Katie's sister, long given up for dead. While Mr. Seton tries to determine the truth, Rosie/Emma and Katie regard each other as enemies. The stranger with her lurid clothes and Cockney accent is not the sister Katie had always dreamed of. Rosie wants to get back to her free-and-easy neighborhood, friends and mother. She refuses to... |
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Trial of Anna Cotman |
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| Author: |
Vivien Alcock |
Book Review
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| Format: |
Paperback |
| ISBN: |
0395816491 |
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| Availability: |
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From Publishers Weekly
In this suspenseful novel, a game becomes a frightening contest when a new member joins the secret Society of Masks. Ages 10-14. Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc.
--This text refers to the
Paperback
edition.
Review
Publishers Weekly : Whether read as a parable of the rise of fascism or merely as a fast-paced suspense story, this novel will leave readers with a great deal to think about. Memorable characters, crisp writing and a chilling plot combine to produce a true page-turner.
School Library Journal : Alcock, who delights in introducing the unusual into the ordinary lives of her characters, can be relied on to create a story that is both exciting and thoughtful. Building up atmosphere through action rather than description,... |
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The Kingfisher Book of Scary Stories |
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| Author: |
Chris Powling (Compiler) |
Book Review
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| Format: |
Paperback |
| ISBN: |
0753453894 |
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Book Description
Here are ghouls, goblins, and ghosts galore! With its chilling mix of contemporary stories and retellings of old favorites, this anthology is illustrated with haunting detail and offers a satisfying, spooky read. The tales from top-notch writers make this an ideal read-aloud for Halloween, and a must-have gift book for all young fright fans. Among the scary stories included are: Widdershins by Ann Turnbull A Face in the Dark by Ruskin Bond The Bravest Man in the World retold by Robert Hull Tsipporah by Adle Geras An Oddment by Chris Powling Bush Medicine by Faustin Charles Mine by Anthony Masters A Loathly Lady by Susan Price The Ghost on Saturday Night by Sid Fleischman Siren Song by Vivien Alcock
About the Author
Chris Powling is the author of many books for children... |
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The Red-Eared Ghosts |
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| Author: |
Vivien Alcock |
Book Review
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| Format: |
Hardcover |
| ISBN: |
0613070852 |
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| Availability: |
Usually ships within 3-5 weeks. We cannot guarantee availability of special order titles because publishers may run out of stock. We will notify you in 3-4 weeks if we are unable to get this title for you. |
From Publishers Weekly
Alcock's (Singer to the Sea God) flight of fancy about a preadolescent with "special" vision has plenty of memorable moments?beginning with Mary Frewin's shocking proclamation that, since her days in a pram, she has been visited by red-eared ghosts: "Some of 'em look like they've worn away in patches, just leaving bits of 'em floating in space." Through a circuitous (and highly entertaining) chain of events involving an antique book, a misplaced wig, a rakish art teacher and a gang of ruffians, Mary learns she has inherited her supernatural powers from her great-great-grandmother Mary Crumb, who mysteriously disappeared over a century ago. Retracing her ancestor's steps through London, Mary falls through a time warp and lands in a parallel universe where she finally learns the identities of her ghosts. At this... |
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Stonewalkers |
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| Author: |
Vivien Alcock |
Book Review
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| Format: |
Hardcover |
| ISBN: |
0613071093 |
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| Availability: |
Usually ships within 3-5 weeks. We cannot guarantee availability of special order titles because publishers may run out of stock. We will notify you in 3-4 weeks if we are unable to get this title for you. |
Review
"The author's ability to build a suspenseful plot will undoubtedly keep all readers engrossed until the novel's end."
--This text refers to the
Paperback
edition.
Book Description
Everyone is so tired of Poppy Brown's stories that Poppy has begun talking to garden statues. When her favorite statue, Belladonna, is struck by lightning and comes to life, Poppy must find a human who will listen! Poppy's classmate Emma is skeptical, but curious enough to help Poppy investigate the living statues, which are disappearing from gardens all over town and assembling somewhere on the moors. What seemed fascinating at first soon becomes terrifying as the two girls are captured by the creatures they had observed - creatures who are at once beautiful, spiteful, and as unfeeling as the... |
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Mystery Stories |
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| Author: |
Helen Cresswell |
Book Review
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| Format: |
Paperback |
| ISBN: |
0753456400 |
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From School Library Journal
Grade 8 Up. Cresswell has compiled 19 mystery stories from a variety of well-known and critically acclaimed authors. For those who enjoy traditional detective stories, there is Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's "The Adventure of the Sussex Vampire." Classic mystery buffs will appreciate Agatha Christie's "The Adventures of Johnnie Waverly." Those interested in a blend of realism and fantasy will enjoy the selections by Ray Bradbury and Dino Buzzati, and an excerpt from Emily Bronte's Wuthering Heights will appeal to fans of gothic romance. All of the plots are compelling and should spark the interest of reluctant readers. This is a haunting anthology with an interesting blend of genres; however, many of these stories do appear in other collections such as Diana Wynne Jones's Hidden Turnings (Greenwillow, 1990),... |
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Stranger at the Window |
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| Author: |
Vivien Alcock |
Book Review
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| Format: |
Hardcover |
| ISBN: |
0613224523 |
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| Availability: |
Usually ships within 3-5 weeks. We cannot guarantee availability of special order titles because publishers may run out of stock. We will notify you in 3-4 weeks if we are unable to get this title for you. |
From Publishers Weekly
While recuperating at her aunt's London house, an 11-year-old girl uncovers a mystery. "Wry humor and a contemporary theme make this slightly implausible tale compelling," said PW. Ages 10-14. (Oct.) Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.
--This text refers to the
Paperback
edition.
From School Library Journal
Grade 5-8AA story set in contemporary London. Eleven-year-old Lesley, recovering from an illness, is sent to live with her Aunt Amy while her mother takes a job in Cairo. Soon she meets the family next doorAbusy Mrs. Harwood, tirelessly raising money for charity, and her three unfriendly teenagers, Christopher, Robert, and Victoria. Shy Lesley pursues their friendship in order to unravel the mystery of a strange face she keeps seeing at their... |
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