Specter from the Magician's Museum ANNOTATION
When the evil sorceress Belle Frisson ensnares Rose Rita Pottinger in a magic web in order to steal her life force, Lewis Barnavelt must risk his own life to save his friend.
FROM THE PUBLISHER
John Bellairs, the name in Gothic mysteries for middle graders, wrote terrifying tales fullof adventure, attitude, and alarm. For years, young readers have crept, crawled, and gone bump in the night with the unlikely heroes of these Gothic novels: Lewis Barnavelt, Johnny Dixon, and Anthony Monday. Now, the ten top-selling titles feature an updated cover look. Loyal fans and enticed newcomers will love the series even more with this haunting new look!
Author Biography: John Bellairs died in 1991, leaving a rich legacy of critically acclaimed, best-selling Gothic novels.
FROM THE CRITICS
Children's Literature
The author has been completing books started by the late John Bellairs, using the characters he developed in his middle school horror novels. This story involves Lewis Barnavelt and a young girl named Rose Rita. The two are school friends and try to put a magic act together. In preparation, they visit The National Museum of Magic. Rose Rita picks up an old scroll and comes away with a paper cut. Her drop of blood turns into a spider and the adventure is off and running. Their school performance doesn't go well but spiders, graveyard frights and the fight to save Rose Rita from a terrible fate will keep you turning the pages in anticipation. Rose Rita disappears into the tomb of Belle Frisson and the reader finally understands what Belle's plan is for the future. Lewis acts very bravely to save Rose Rita's life. A scary tale indeed. Fans of Harry Potter stories will enjoy this tale. 1998, Puffin Books, $5.99. Ages 8 to 13. Reviewer:Barbara Youngblood
VOYA - Janet Mura
Spiders and magic-how spooky can you get, especially when a few of Edward Gorey's illustrations are added into the mix? Here, readers again meet some of their favorite characters from John Bellairs's series: Lewis and Rose Rita, who are best friends, and Uncle Jonathan and Mrs. Zimmermann. Lewis and Rose Rita have to be in a school talent show, and both feel very untalented. They decide to do a magic act together, and Uncle Jonathan sends them to the National Museum of Magic to learn a few simple magic tricks. Soon, sinister things begin to happen...a drop of blood and some dust become a crawly something, and an aged scroll and a mysterious sorceress who died early are involved. After the visit to the museum, Rose Rita begins to act strangely and Lewis is worried. The talent show is a disaster, for every trick has a part that goes very wrong and Lewis and Rose Rita are booed from the stage. Rose Rita has an especially hard time with others laughing at her, and because of her anger she is drawn even more deeply into the web of sorcery. To save Rose Rita from doom and death Lewis, Uncle Jonathan, and Mrs. Zimmermann must work together to fight the dead sorceress. Most young students will greatly enjoy this creepy plot, for there is just enough fright, adventure, and spooky things. Strickland continues John Bellairs's series with great imagination. These books are very popular with our sixth, seventh, and eighth graders, who are waiting (impatiently) for us to catalog this one so they can enjoy being scared. VOYA Codes: 5Q 4P M J (Hard to imagine it being better written, Broad general YA appeal, Middle School-defined as grades 6 to 8 and Junior High-defined as grades 7 to 9).
School Library Journal
Gr 5-8-In this continuation of the saga, Strickland effectively follows John Bellairs's style of writing and preserves, and even improves upon, the deceased author's well-rounded and dynamic characters. Every year the students going into junior high put on a talent show for the grade school, and Lewis and Rose Rita decide on a magic act. While they are researching some tricks in a local magician's museum, Rose Rita cuts her finger on an enchanted scroll, and so begin their wild and terrifying adventures.. The plot is fast paced and the story line is captivating. Rose Rita and Lewis are growing up and are dealing with more than evil and the supernatural, and readers will relate to the feelings and pressures with which they must cope. Fans of the previous books will enjoy following these charismatic characters.-Krista Grosick, Cuyahoga County Public Library, OH
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