Synopsis A collection of nine unusual and strange tales. Stories include one about a boy traveling through time in an attempt to change his own future, and a liar forced to deal with the truth when the walls in his house grow ears.
| Details | | Publication Date: | 1996-04-01 |
| Size | | Length: | 134 pages | | Height: | 8.5 in | | Width: | 6.0 in | | Thickness: | 0.5 in | | Weight: | 10.4 oz |
Publisher's Note A collection of eerie and irreverent tales follows the stories of a time-traveling boy who attempts to change his future, a mysterious wooden box that unleashes a gruesome creature, and a liar who is confronted with the truth in a surprising way.
Industry Reviews Gr 6-8 This latest collection of nine tales from the prolific Australian author contains the satisfying blend of humor, drama, and quirkiness that made Unbearable! (1995), Unmentionable! (1993), and Unreal! (1991, all Viking) so appealing. The protagonists are mostly loners, each of whom must discover the resolution to a dilemma sometimes assisted by bizarre twists of fate, other times by the supernatural. In the opening selection, a dying boy's mentally disabled brother manages to grant his final wish to see a snowman, a sight normally impossible in their warm Australian home. In the collection's most risqu? tale, "Pubic Hare," a boy exacts a gentle revenge on his classmates with the help of a dead friend whose ashes give him extraordinary powers of concentration. Other stories range from poignant to wacky, but all are united by the witty, engaging prose style that is Jennings's hallmark. YAs are certain to identify with the characters, whose struggles will strike a chord with anyone feeling alone in the world. Mary Jo Drungil, Niles Public Library District, IL Lopate
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