Nine-year-old Walter has no memory of his mother, who died when he was a baby, yet Walter is sure she is speaking to him. The voice of her ghost comes softly to him at first. . .almost like thoughts running through his head. Then, magically, she speaks more clearly, leading him to a sad statue of the Little Match Girl in the park where his picture had been taken when he was a baby. When he finds mysterious items from his infancy left at the foot of the statue, he believes the Match Girl has the magic power to reveal the secret of who he is--and who his mother was. Yet it takes Walter's own powerful imagination and a little help from Juliette, the cat, for Walter to make a most amazing discovery.
"synopsis" may belong to another edition of this title.
Grade 3-6?Walter Kew is a boy who is haunted. He believes his mother's ghost is trying to contact him, but he is also haunted by his own past, or more appropriately, his lack of one. Told by his grandmother that his parents were killed when he was a baby, Walter longs to know more about them. His intense desire seems to bring his mother's presence from "across dark oceans of time." At first he merely senses her voice "like a thought that might have been his own," but soon a mysterious message is found near the statue of the Little Match Girl in Andersen Park. As tokens from Walter's infant past begin to appear, he uncovers a little of the truth about himself. These facts also expose some of the anger and hurt he feels at being abandoned. Concerned about his well being, his two friends Poco and Georgina try to find their own way to the truth, for as Poco says, "You have to have stories about yourself." The theme is gently handled and never overburdens a fast-moving and suspenseful tale. As in the other well-written books in the series, Lisle sustains interest with a mystery but doesn't quite resolve all the questions at the end, leaving it to individual readers to bring their own understandings to the story. The characters are believable middle graders, each with their own idiosyncrasies, and the presence of Juliette, a remarkable Siamese, adds a further touch of magic and mystery.?Barbara Kiefer, Teachers College, Columbia University, New York City
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Gr. 4^-6. The third in Lisle's Investigators of the Unknown series, this story turns its phantasmic focus on Walter, a friend of Poco and Georgina, who begins receiving messages from his dead mother at a statue of the Little Match Girl in the park. Abandoned in a casserole dish on a doorstep when he was an infant, Walter knows little about his background, and this has left him skittish and depressed. "You have to have stories about yourself," Poco sadly diagnoses. The messages are relics from Walter's infancy--his hospital bracelet, a lock of his hair--which he feels are from the beyond. Georgina and Poco, however, investigate the possibility that his mother is the very much alive waitress at the diner near the park. The mystery concludes unsolved, but with a satisfying resolution for Walter. Nourished by the clues to his origin, he gains a sense of peace about his current life. Again Lisle has created a mystery with strong momentum, intrigue, and well-defined, likable characters. This is a page-turner for all the right reasons. Julie Yates Walton
"About this title" may belong to another edition of this title.
Shipping:
FREE
Within U.S.A.
Shipping:
US$ 4.00
Within U.S.A.
Seller: SecondSale, Montgomery, IL, U.S.A.
Condition: Good. Item in good condition. Textbooks may not include supplemental items i.e. CDs, access codes etc. Seller Inventory # 00038892747
Quantity: 1 available
Seller: SecondSale, Montgomery, IL, U.S.A.
Condition: Very Good. Item in very good condition! Textbooks may not include supplemental items i.e. CDs, access codes etc. Seller Inventory # 00075411998
Quantity: 1 available
Seller: Better World Books: West, Reno, NV, U.S.A.
Condition: Good. Used book that is in clean, average condition without any missing pages. Seller Inventory # 38498941-6
Quantity: 1 available
Seller: ZBK Books, Carlstadt, NJ, U.S.A.
Condition: acceptable. Used book - May contain writing, notes, highlighting, bends or folds. Text is readable, book is clean, and pages and cover mostly intact. May show normal wear and tear. Item may be missing CD. May include library marks. Fast Shipping. Seller Inventory # ZWM.658W
Quantity: 1 available
Seller: More Than Words, Waltham, MA, U.S.A.
Condition: Good. . . All orders guaranteed and ship within 24 hours. Your purchase supports More Than Words, a nonprofi t job training program for youth, empowering youth to take charge of their lives by taking charge of a business. Seller Inventory # BOS-V-10b-01088
Quantity: 1 available
Seller: Irish Booksellers, Portland, ME, U.S.A.
Condition: Good. SHIPS FROM USA. Used books have different signs of use and do not include supplemental materials such as CDs, Dvds, Access Codes, charts or any other extra material. All used books might have various degrees of writing, highliting and wear and tear and possibly be an ex-library with the usual stickers and stamps. Dust Jackets are not guaranteed and when still present, they will have various degrees of tear and damage. All images are Stock Photos, not of the actual item. book. Seller Inventory # 19-0380725185-G
Quantity: 1 available
Seller: Wonder Book, Frederick, MD, U.S.A.
Condition: Good. Good condition. A copy that has been read but remains intact. May contain markings such as bookplates, stamps, limited notes and highlighting, or a few light stains. Seller Inventory # V15L-00139
Quantity: 1 available
Seller: Once Upon A Time Books, Siloam Springs, AR, U.S.A.
paperback. Condition: Good. This is a used book in good condition and may show some signs of use or wear . This is a used book in good condition and may show some signs of use or wear . Seller Inventory # mon0000782680
Quantity: 1 available
Seller: ThriftBooks-Atlanta, AUSTELL, GA, U.S.A.
Paperback. Condition: Good. No Jacket. Pages can have notes/highlighting. Spine may show signs of wear. ~ ThriftBooks: Read More, Spend Less 0.2. Seller Inventory # G0380725185I3N00
Quantity: 1 available
Seller: 2Vbooks, Derwood, MD, U.S.A.
Trade paperback. Condition: Very good. Trade paperback (US). Glued binding. 128 p. Investigators of the Unknown, 3. Audience: Children/juvenile. No previous owner's name. Clean, tight pages. cb 46. Seller Inventory # Alibris.0040277
Quantity: 1 available