The Book of Lost Things by John Connolly - ESSENTIAL

Connolly, John The Book of Lost Things, 480 pgs. Washington Square Press, 2007. $15.00.

Language: G; Mature Content: PG-13 Violence: PG

David is confused and angry at the world. His mother has died and he finds himself living in a creepy manor house with his father, his father’s new wife, and their darling baby. David’s life becomes even more upsetting when the books in his room begin to whisper and he catches glimpse of a creature sneaking around the back garden. As fantasy and reality start to merge David suddenly finds himself in a fairytale land where the characters of his books have become real. Now it’s up to David to decide if he is ready to become a hero or give into his grief and leave his family forever.

This book is fantastically written and does a wonderful job of illustrating the loss of innocence as a boy becomes a man and understands some hard truths in the process. Even though the story is dark, the humor is sharp and will cause the reader to laugh out loud. Powerful, haunting, and wonderful is the best way to describe this book.

 MS, HS—ESSENTIAL. AEB Social Studies Teacher