The Tower at the End of the World (Lewis Barnavelt Series #9)

by Brad Strickland, John Bellairs (Created by), S.D. Schindler (Illustrator)

Overview

When Lewis, his uncle Jonathan, and their friends Rose Rita Pottinger and Mrs. Zimmermann take a trip to a small town near Lake Superior, they expect a pleasant vacation. Instead, they find themselves facing the ghastly Ishmael Izard, son of the fiendish creator of the Doomsday Clock that was once hidden in the walls of Uncle Jonathan's house. Ishmael himself is a cruel and heartless sorcerer, and he is determined to wreak vengeance upon the entire world. Will Lewis and his friends be strong enough to defeat him, or will their fate be decided by their most formidable foe yet?

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781440651021
Publisher:	Penguin Young Readers Group
Publication date:	09/01/2001
Series:	Lewis Barnavelt Series , #9
Sold by:	Penguin Group
Format:	eBook
Pages:	160
File size:	385 KB
Age Range:	8 - 12 Years

About the Author

Brad Strickland has written more than 75 published books including the Lewis Barnavelt and Johnny Dixon mystery series by John Bellairs after Mr. Bellair's death in 1991. He is also a professor of English at the University of North Georgia in Gainesville. He lives in Georgia with his wife, Barbara.

John Bellairs (1938–1991) was an award-winning American author of many gothic mystery novels for children and young adults, including The House with a Clock in Its Walls (which received both the New York Times Outstanding Book of the Year Award and the American Library Association Children's Books of International Interest Award), The Lamp from the Warlock’s Tomb (which won the Edgar Award), and The Specter from the Magician’s Museum, which won the New York Public Library "Best Books for the Teen Age" Award.

S. D. Schindler has illustrated a wide range of picture books, including Hornbooks and Inkwells and Gold Fever, both by Verla Kay; The Unforgettable Season, by Phil Bildner; The Snow Globe Family, by Jane O'Connor; and Louder, Lili, by Gennifer Choldenko. He lives in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

Editorial Reviews

Gr 5-8-This sequel to The House with a Clock in Its Walls (Puffin, 1993) is a thematically rich story pitting good against evil, black magic against white, and life against death. Lewis Barnavelt and his Uncle Jonathan once again encounter danger in the form of an evil wizard. While vacationing near Lake Superior, Lewis begins to see specters summoned by Ishmael Izard. When Uncle Jonathan and their friends Rose Rita and Mrs. Zimmerman discover Izard's sinister plan to destroy the world using a new doomsday clock, the group literally races against time to discover how to destroy it. The search leads the friends to an island that only appears when a magical spell surrounding it is lifted. It is there that the group members must face their nemesis and Lewis must confront his fears. The boy's cautious and pessimistic personality contrasts nicely with Rose Rita's adventurous, outgoing nature, and the humorous banter between Jonathan and Mrs. Zimmerman lends a soft spot to the eeriness of the story. The whereabouts of Izard's clock remains elusive to the group until Lewis discovers that it is the giant sundial on the very island on which they are trapped. This absorbing tale has all the elements of a good mystery: a despicable villain, a dark tower, and a frightening monster. Characters are interesting and appealing individuals, and the chapters are well crafted and descriptive, maintaining a high level of suspense. A wonderful blend of suspense, adventure, ghost story, and friendship that is a sure-to-please page-turner.-Janet Gillen, Great Neck Public Library, NY Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information.

School Library Journal

In comparison to the original, this addition to the series begun with John Bellairs's The House with a Clock in Its Walls (1984) falls short. Strickland seems capable of plotting a rousing world's end full of magic and doom, using many of the same characters. Misplaced is that slight touch of self-deprecation and humor of Bellairs that made Gorey the perfect illustrator. We're still in the 1950s and Lewis and his wizard Uncle Jonathan are off for a vacation with Rose Rita and Mrs. Zimmerman the neighboring witch. Where to go, but to the exact location of a supernatural tower that threatens the entire planet. Once again the wizard and the witch are caught up in their efforts to extricate themselves from danger and it takes the common sense of a boy and his friend to save not only themselves and the adults, but also the whole world. Tension mounts as events and clues unfold. Each step seems placed into a logical framework if you accept the rules at play, but the cast seems wooden, the narrative flat, and ultimately the fear never manages to creep into your bones. For fans of Bellairs hungry for another dose of his spellbinding mystery, this will serve to deaden the thirst, but not quench it. (Fiction. 10-14)

Kirkus Reviews