Tuesday, March 3, 2015

The Whispering Skull (Lockwood & Co Book #2) by Jonathan Stroud –ADVISABLE

Stroud, Jonathan The Whispering Skull (Lockwood & Co Book #2) 448 pgs, Disney-Hyperion, 2014. $8.99 Content: Language: G (0 swears); Mature Content: G Violence: PG (Scary Ghost Stuff/Weapons violence)
In the aftermath of dealing with a horrible haunted mansion and barely surviving, the Lockwood and Company Team are hard at work dealing with the normal kind of wayward spirits. In case you didn’t read the first books, in this version of todays world, the spirits of the dead have started coming back to haunt, torment, and even kill people –and since only children, skilled children, can see and hear them –its children who must do all the work of getting rid of them.  A new case at a cemetery leads them to pursue an incredibly evil object. Luckily Lockwood is the brains of their company, George digs into his research, and Lucy, well Lucy can talk to their skull in a jar. (and fight, she’s awesome and our narrator). This high level spirit in a jar turns out to be connected to their case, and Lucy must be brave is she is to face what is to come.
I read the first book in the series and felt it was very trying, so many details about the setting in such an excess, that it was a huge detriment to the book. I am of the opinion, that some things are better left to one’s own imagination –which might make it even scarier –but describing the most minute detail sort of spoils things. But this second book has chilled out in the details department and it was much more fun and interesting to read. Its pretty spooky and grim, good for 5-6th grade and up. Its heavily British, which normally is an irritant to me, but I still enjoyed this read. I think the skull on the cover will give it a ton of reader appeal.
EL, MS – ADVISABLE Reviewer: Stephanie Elementary School Librarian & Author.

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