The Tower at the End of the World (Action Packs) - Softcover

Strickland, Brad

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0142500771 ISBN 13: 9780142500774

Publisher: Puffin, 2003

Synopsis

After encountering the Ishmael Izard and hearing of his plans to destroy the world, Lewis, his uncle Jonathan, and their friends consider the threat serious and so, despite their own fears, quickly devise a plan to stop his evil plot. Reprint.

About this title

About the Author:

John Anthony Bellairs(19381991) is an award-winning American author, perhaps best known for hisfantasynovelThe Face in the Frost.He is also the author of manygothicmysterynovels for children and young adults, including The House with a Clock in its Walls (which received both the New York Times Outstanding Book of Award and the American Library Association Children's Books of International Interest Award), The Lamp from the Warlocks Tomb (which won the Edgar Allen Poe Award), and The Specter from the Magicians Museum (which won the New York Public Library "Best Books for the Teen Age" Award.

From School Library Journal:

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, Inc.

About this edition

• Publisher: Puffin
• Publication date: 2003
• ISBN 10: 0142500771
• ISBN 13: 9780142500774
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 160
• Illustrator: Schindler S.D.