Wednesday, May 30, 2012

THE STONE CHILD by Dan Poblocki

Poblocki, Dan. The Stone Child. Random House Children’s Books, 2010. ISBN-13: 9780375842559. $7.99.

Special Feature: Review by an elementary school student.


The Stone Child is a supernatural horror story. I picked this book out because my friend suggested it to me. She handed me the book and I locked into the thoughts of reading it when I saw the milky white stone child, surrounded by a dark forest, gazing down upon her thick stone book.

The main characters in the book are three young kids, Eddie, Harris, and Maggie. Eddie is very inquisitive and is determined to complete his mission. Harris is the silver-tongued yet warm-hearted character. Maggie is the brainy person who demands education. I relate to Eddie the most because when something strange happens I demand answers just like he does.

The three kids try to unravel the mystery of the author Nathaniel Olmsted’s disappearance. A very important and terrifying event in the story is the discovery of The Woman in Black. I felt pity for these kids because I thought the end was near for them. I have read the book by Susan Hill and the title character spares no one.

I connect to this book because just like Nathaniel I love to study symbology and mythology. My favorite part of this book is the details the author uses to describe the town of Gatesweed where the story takes place, such as, “Out the window, Eddie watched as they passed a crooked iron fence on the left side of the road. Dead vines were wrapped around the rusty spikes, as if the woods were trying to drag the fence down into the dirt”(12).

Throughout this book the feeling is dark. I’ll never forget when Eddie is walking through the town and he sees the big words spray painted on the back of the book store, “THE WOMAN IS WATCHING.” This book does not fail to deliver a thrill to those seeking it.


Reviewed by Malcolm Young, 5th grade

1 comment:

  1. Great review, Malcolm. You made the book come alive to me. Because of your review, I now want to read this book! Keep up your excellent writing!
    An appreciative teacher

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