Wednesday, October 22, 2014

Is Eleanor Real?

Poppy, Alice, and Zach are in that tricky stage in between being a kid and being a teenager. Their favorite thing to do each afternoon is to play with figurines they've created “characters” for, with long elaborate histories. The Queen, a really old doll in Poppy’s mom’s china cabinet, is in charge of all the characters even though she can’t be touched (or Poppy’s mom would kill them). When Zach's father decides he's too old to be playing with toys and gets rid of the precious figurines, Zach is furious. He's so upset that he tells Alice and Poppy he doesn’t want to play with them anymore, and that he's outgrown their games. When Poppy and Alice wake Zach up one night to show him The Queen and tell him how she came to Poppy as a ghost named Eleanor, it's terrifying. Although he's scared, Zach knows he must go on the quest to bury her bones. They sneak out and take the bus to the cemetery to bury the bones of a girl who was never put to rest properly. On their quest they have ups and downs; there are hurdles that they could not imagine, and people who are just as creepy as the ghostly girl haunting their dreams. Will they make it back home by dinnertime? Will they ever find the place to bury Eleanor? Is Poppy telling the truth or has she made up the whole story about the ghost? You will have to read this adventure about growing up to find out how everything turns out! 

After I saw the picture on the cover, I was nervous to read Doll Bones by Holly Black. I have always found certain dolls to be a little creepy and scary. I liked that the characters in the book enjoyed using their imaginations and that they had such a good friendship, even though they were each so unique and different. When Zach's toys got thrown away my heart went out to him, and I kept wishing he would tell his friends why he didn't want to play with them anymore. Throughout the quest I kept wondering what was going to happen next, and if they would make it home safely. I think the characters did some things that are a little dangerous, and I know if I sneaked out in the middle of the night my parents would probably kill me! Still, I think this is a book that a lot of kids can relate to as they struggle between wanting to stay kids and needing to grow up. Because the book has its creepy, spooky moments, I would recommend it to kids in fourth grade and up who like ghost stories.

Has anyone else read Doll Bones? Or have you read another book by Holly Black? We'd love to hear your thoughts.

Happy Reading!
~L

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28 comments:

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    1. Patty- :) I am glad you read and enjoyed this one. ~L

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  2. I have been hearing a lot about this book and hope to get to it one day soon. Thanks for the reminder.

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    1. Rosi- Hope you get to read it soon. Enjoy! :) ~L

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  3. I have been curious about this book, and I am adding it to my kid's wish list. It sounds terrific without being over the top creepy.

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    1. Heidi- It is somewhat creepy- but doesn't cross over the line. :) Love how it focuses on imagination. :) ~L

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  4. Yay :D Awesome review sweetie. <3 I'm glad you liked this book. Been a while since I read it, but I did mostly love it :) it isn't the best middle grade, yet it was still so exciting :D Thank you for sharing. <3

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    1. Carina- Glad you liked it too! It is definitely an exciting book with kids who love to imagine. :) ~L

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  5. That sounds a little scary for a kid's book...but I know I'd have loved it when I was a kid just for that reason! Yay for Holly Black! :)

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    1. Lexa- It is creepy, but not too creepy. I have been scared by some MG books, but the characters in this one had so much imagination that it didn't take me over the edge. :) ~L

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  6. I've been putting off reading this book because I'm not fond of being terrified. And dolls are scarier to me than clowns! But at the same time it sounds great.

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    1. Joanne- I was afraid to read it too because dolls freak me out a little bit. But- it is written in such a way that it is scary, but not too scary. :) ~L

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  7. I haven't heard of this one before, but it sounds really interesting and definitely a little creepy! :)

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  8. Love the creepy cover, and yes Dolls and old portraits with those eyes always freak me out a little..LOL

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    1. Kimba- The cover is creepy! You nailed it- it's the eyes on dolls that freak me out! :) ~L

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  9. I agree, some dolls are just creepy. The kids in this book remind me of the games I used to play. We were always coming up with some wild story. I'm curious as to whether this is a fantasy book or a contemporary, but I guess that's the point. I've read The Iron Trial and the Spiderwick chronicles by Holly Black and I really liked both. :)

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    1. Molly- The games the kids play in the book are awesome. So wonderful to read about kids using their imaginations. The book has many elements of realistic fiction and the fantasy elements are woven in. :) ~L

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  10. Sounds like fun. My daughter isn't as drawn to scary books as I expected her to be when she was younger. Fantasy and mysteries are much bigger with her.

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    1. The Armchair Squid- This is definitely a book for kids who like the scary element. :) How wonderful that your daughter has found some genres that she loves! ~L

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  11. I'm also one of those people who finds dolls creepy as all get out, so I haven' read this one yet. But it does sound like an interesting adventure, so maybe....

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    1. Jocelyn- I would recommend that you listen to this one on audio. It will help take some of the scary edge off of it. :) ~L

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  12. I've seen this book around and it sounds creepy yet interesting. I might give it a go once I've cleared a few more books off my to-read list. (Great cover!)

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    1. Claudine- It is a great read! I hope you enjoy it when you clear some of the books off of your to be read list. :) ~L

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  13. Sounds fun. I'm adding this to my list.

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