The Kneebone Boy

 

In which we learn about the Hardscrabbles, the disappearance of their mother, 

their mysterious Great-aunt Haddie, the Kneebone Boy (of course),

and why Otto always wears a scarf.  

The Hardscrabbles live in the lazy town of Little Tunks.  They are rejects, oddballs, outcasts.  One day their father suddenly is required to go to a job overseas and has to hastily make plans to house his children while he is away.  After confirming his children can stay with a friend, Angela Winger, the father is off to work and the children are on their way to London to stay with her.  This is when things start to go wrong.  Upon arriving in London the Hardscrabble children discover Angela Winger is nowhere to be found.  With little money, and a desire not to go back to Little Tunks, the children go to the only place they can think of; Great-aunt Haddie's.  Let the mystery begin...

The reader is instantly captured by the tone and mystique of the first page when the narrator introduces him or herself as one of the Hardscrabbles, "I was the one voted to tell you this story... I can't tell you which Hardscrabble I am."  Even though the story is being narrated by an unknown individual, it is represented by an unconventional blend of first, second, and third person points-of-view.  Throughout the book the narrator talks directly to the reader, creating a trusting relationship, and at times the narrator tells the thoughts of each of the three Hardscrabbles.  This brilliant interplay of different points-of-view keeps the reader excited and engaged; and if this weren't enough, there are plenty of mysteries, twists, and turns to keep the reading satiated.

Ellen Potter is a master of her craft.  Through The Kneebone Boy, she show she beautifully constructed characters and plots.  The reader cannot help but feel sympathy for Otto, the oldest Hardscrabble who has not spoken a word since this mother left, reverence for Max, the youngest yet most cleaver, and affinity for Lucia, who is a proud young women with a heart of gold.  Along with with this elegant use of characterization, Ellen Potter keeps the readers at the edge of their seats by her use of intrigue.  It feels as if every chapter is introducing or solving an important piece of the puzzle; just to keep you holding on, waiting for more.

You might be wondering why there is a caption under the picture and why it is written is such strange way.  This and many other mysteries will be answer in the wonderful pages that await you.

Monster Goose

Not the Mother Goose your mother loved, Monster Goose, written by Judy Sierra and illustrated by Jack Davis, is a spooky twist on 25 classic nursery rhymes.  This fractured poetry book captures all the amazing rhymes and patterns in the classic poems, but though the terrifying eyes of Monster Goose.  With imaginative titles such as “Mary had a Vampire Bat”, “Werewolf Bo-Creep”, and “Slithery, Dithery, Dock” this book cannot help but keep the reader entertained and grossed out. 

Reading Monster Goose, I appreciated Judy Sierra keeping the same basic premise of the story while adding in creepy story lines; for example, “Slithery, dithery, dock, the snake slid up the clock” follows the original plot line of “Hickory, Dickory, Dock.”  The Mother Goose nursery rhymes are so widely known, many of the readers of this book will able to recognize the original cadence of the poem.  This will increase the enjoyment for all those that read.  I was disappointed that there was never a direct reference to the original version of the poem; there were a few nursery rhymes that I did not know.  I would have enjoyed looking them up, but without the name of the original poem this is difficult.  Even though Judy Sierra did a wonderful job following the rhythm of the original version of many of the poems, some of the poems were very different; for example, “Young King Cole, was a terrible troll: He washed his feet in a toilet bowl” does not follow the cadence of “Old King Cole.”  This was very off-putting and disappointing.  Whether this is because of an author choice or lack of ability, I believe it was a mistake to include this poem. 

Jack Davis did a wonderful job illustrating Monster Goose.  The illustrations are cartoony, yet represent the scary elements in the writing.  Many of the characters have accentuated features that add hints of humor and terror at the same time.  Each poem is accompanied with an illustration that captures the best parts of the nursery rhyme.  The pictures extend past the drawn border, which give them the illusion of popping out of the page. 

Monster Goose is a great book to introduce the elements of poetry to an older class.  Many of the students will love reading these poems because they are a twist on poems they most likely already know.  This might inspire them to create their own fractured poetry.  Along with poetry this would be a great book to introduce creative writing, especially during Halloween.  Judy Sierra's imagination is contagious.  It is important to note that this book is not for all students.  There is some graphic language, pictures, and subject matter that will not be appropriate for younger students; for example, in “Little Miss Mummy” the mummy is smoking a cigar with a jar full of guts next to her.  This poem may need to be omitted when using this book with children.