Watch Hollow (Watch Hollow, 1) - Hardcover

Funaro, Gregory

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0062643452 ISBN 13: 9780062643452

Publisher: HarperCollins, 2019

Synopsis

New York Times bestselling author Gregory Funaro brings us into a world where magic exists, monsters roam in the shadows, and wooden animals come to life.

Deep within the enchanted woods in the town of Watch Hollow stands the once-grand Blackford House, whose halls hold a magical secret: a giant cuckoo clock that does much more than tell time. But when the clock’s gears cease to turn, an evil presence lurking among the trees begins to come out of the shadows.

When Lucy and Oliver Tinker arrive in Watch Hollow, they have no idea that anything is wrong. A mysterious stranger has made their father an offer that’s too good for him to refuse. All Mr. Tinker needs to do is fix the clock at Blackford House and fistfuls of gold coins are his to keep.

It doesn’t take long, however, for the children to realize that there is more to Blackford House than meets the eye. And before they can entirely understand the strange world they’ve stumbled into, Lucy and Oliver must join forces with a host of magical clock animals to defeat the Garr—a vicious monster that not only wants Blackford House for itself, but also seeks to destroy everything the Tinkers hold dear.

About this title

About the Author:

Gregory Funaro grew up in Cranston, Rhode Island, and wrote his first story, “The Ghost in the Window,” in the fourth grade. He considers this to be his finest work, but unfortunately it has been lost to time. His other more recent works include the New York Times bestselling Alistair Grim’s Odditorium series. Greg lives in North Carolina, where he teaches drama at East Carolina University.

From School Library Journal:

Gr 4–7—Ever since their mother died of cancer two years earlier, the Tinker kids can't seem to catch a break. Lucy, the youngest, is always in trouble, choosing to throw punches rather than roll with them. Her older brother, Oliver, is forced to be the grown-up in the family and deal with the frustrating fluctuations in voice and complexion that come with puberty. To top it all off, the family business, Tinker's Clock Shop, is on the verge of bankruptcy. Nothing seems to go right. So when help comes in the form of Mr. Quigley and his jingling pouch of gold coins, everyone is excited but wary. All the Tinkers have to do to earn their salvation is fix the gigantic cuckoo clock that is the source of power for Blackford House, a once-grand home tucked deep in the mysterious woods of Watch Hollow. But, of course, it isn't as easy as all that. The house and the woods have terrible secrets, and Lucy and Oliver, along with a group of magical, wooden clock animals, must ultimately confront the monster in the woods that seeks to destroy Blackford House and the Tinkers along with it. All the characters are well defined, from Lucy's rebellious nature to Oliver's frustrating struggle with becoming a man both literally and figuratively; all the characters come across as real and three-dimensional. The sense of loss that permeates the family is balanced nicely with the feeling of hope and purpose that comes along with Mr. Quigley's proposal. There is magic, there is good and evil, and there is love all woven into a suspenseful and entertaining mystery. This book will find its way into the hands of tweens who couldn't stop reading Jonathan Auxier's The Night Gardener or the "Grimm" series by Adam Gidwitz. VERDICT A well-crafted story that should be a hit with readers who enjoy a a good scare.—Erik Knapp, Davis Library, Plano, TX

About this edition

• Publisher: HarperCollins
• Publication date: 2019
• ISBN 10: 0062643452
• ISBN 13: 9780062643452
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 256
• Illustrator: Griffin Matthew