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3.58 AVERAGE
3.58 AVERAGE
Another great and spooky book recommended to me by my fifth grader. On top of being a little scary, it was very sweet.
Read really young --three middle school friends play with dolls and action figures creating an elaborate fantasy world. Zach's father thinking he is too old to be playing pretend with two girls instead of basketball and video games throws his dolls away. Poppy takes her mother's doll from its glass case and the kids go on an adventure to return the ghost doll to its fine resting place or face dire consequences. ES
My final thoughts:
Via Black 'n Write Reviews
Zach, Poppy, and Alice love adventures. Poppy was a great conjurer of stories, and Zach and Alice enjoyed playing them out in Poppy’s backyard with action figures and re-painted Barbie dolls. But that all changed when Zach came home from school to find his bag full of action figures has disappeared. Altering his entire life, and creating a giant wedge between him and his friends. So after he had refused to play “The Game” several times, Alice approaches Zach on the basketball court with a note. She puts it in his hand and leaves.
The story gets a little wild where the kids run away because of a dream Poppy claims to have had about the Eleanor (the ghost of the girl whose bones and ashes lived in The Queen). An unwarranted death and the kids are expected to undertake a long journey across state lines to give her a proper send-off.
- Krys
Via Black 'n Write Reviews
Zach, Poppy, and Alice love adventures. Poppy was a great conjurer of stories, and Zach and Alice enjoyed playing them out in Poppy’s backyard with action figures and re-painted Barbie dolls. But that all changed when Zach came home from school to find his bag full of action figures has disappeared. Altering his entire life, and creating a giant wedge between him and his friends. So after he had refused to play “The Game” several times, Alice approaches Zach on the basketball court with a note. She puts it in his hand and leaves.
The story gets a little wild where the kids run away because of a dream Poppy claims to have had about the Eleanor (the ghost of the girl whose bones and ashes lived in The Queen). An unwarranted death and the kids are expected to undertake a long journey across state lines to give her a proper send-off.
- Krys
This is a book that you have to look at through a child's eyes. Of course it is written for children and I have to remind myself of that as I read. The story evolved around a trio of children; Poppy, Alice, and Zach who enjoy playing pretend games. However, they are growning up and the game looks like it may need to be abandoned. However, they discover a doll (the Queen) is giving a couple of them nightmares. They go on a quest to figure out the secrets of the doll and why many mysterious things are happening.
The doll/ghost is not quite so scary by adult standards, but by children's standards I imagine it will be more so. The main characters are all likeable and authentic. The story evolves well into an ending that seems to fit the adventure taken upon by the characters.
Recommended only for the children who will enjoy and appreciate it more than I did. Perhaps a game of pretend wouldn't be so bad for this jaded adult.
The doll/ghost is not quite so scary by adult standards, but by children's standards I imagine it will be more so. The main characters are all likeable and authentic. The story evolves well into an ending that seems to fit the adventure taken upon by the characters.
Recommended only for the children who will enjoy and appreciate it more than I did. Perhaps a game of pretend wouldn't be so bad for this jaded adult.
I know you might be wondering why I would be posting this book with a review when it came out almost a year ago (on my birthday I might add), well, the fact is that I have wanted to read if for sometime now and just got the opportunity to do so and I loved it. Just listen to this:
"He felt his gaze going to Poppy's backpack, knowing the Queen was inside and knowing, without knowing how he knew, that her eyes were open. He felt the weight of her stare on his back when he turned away. The hairs on the back of his neck stuck up, tickling his skin and making him shiver."
This book is like an old fashioned camp fire tale, taken down to it's roots and built back up into a wonderful and perfectly creepy novel for tweens and up. This is a tale of three friends, Zach, Poppy, and Alice, who are leaving the simplicity of childhood, moving in to the years where social groups begin to take precedence, where thoughts of love start to bloom, where realistic dreams of the future, and an awareness of life around them begins.
"Zachary was used to stories without happy endings. His dad called where they lived West of Nowhere, Pennsylvania, claiming it bordered Better off Forgotten West Virginia, and Already Forgotten Ohio. When Zach was little, those seemed like magical place names, before he realized they were just sarcasm."
Zach is the main character in this book, and I have to say my only criticism is how well his character is developed in comparison to Alice and Poppy, I would have loved to really get to know them as well as I did Zach. A climatic moment in Zach's life changes the friendship of these three forever. Admission are made, feelings are hurt, adventure abounds. Spurred on by Poppy's talk of being haunted by the ghost of the the china doll, the Queen in their playtime games, the three friends set off on an epic adventure that has me wondering how many tweens will soon be making similar treks on their own. *Tweens, don't try this at home*
""No," Poppy said, her low low voice very fierce. "There's people who do things ad people who never do - who say they will someday, but they just don't . I want to go on a quest. I've always wanted to go on a quest. And now that I have one, I'm not backing down from it. I'm not going home till it's complete.""
This book is so much more than just a ghost story, so much more than the tale of friends on an adventure of a lifetime. This book should be read in every home with tween, young teens in it. There are so many great moment's in this book to share with your children, so many opportunities to discuss life, adventure, and the future. I will admit I can not wait to be able to read this again with my 8 year old when the time comes. Please if you haven't already grab up a copy of this book, let's encourage Ms. Black to write more for this age range. She did it so wonderfully here, I just want more!
"He felt his gaze going to Poppy's backpack, knowing the Queen was inside and knowing, without knowing how he knew, that her eyes were open. He felt the weight of her stare on his back when he turned away. The hairs on the back of his neck stuck up, tickling his skin and making him shiver."
This book is like an old fashioned camp fire tale, taken down to it's roots and built back up into a wonderful and perfectly creepy novel for tweens and up. This is a tale of three friends, Zach, Poppy, and Alice, who are leaving the simplicity of childhood, moving in to the years where social groups begin to take precedence, where thoughts of love start to bloom, where realistic dreams of the future, and an awareness of life around them begins.
"Zachary was used to stories without happy endings. His dad called where they lived West of Nowhere, Pennsylvania, claiming it bordered Better off Forgotten West Virginia, and Already Forgotten Ohio. When Zach was little, those seemed like magical place names, before he realized they were just sarcasm."
Zach is the main character in this book, and I have to say my only criticism is how well his character is developed in comparison to Alice and Poppy, I would have loved to really get to know them as well as I did Zach. A climatic moment in Zach's life changes the friendship of these three forever. Admission are made, feelings are hurt, adventure abounds. Spurred on by Poppy's talk of being haunted by the ghost of the the china doll, the Queen in their playtime games, the three friends set off on an epic adventure that has me wondering how many tweens will soon be making similar treks on their own. *Tweens, don't try this at home*
""No," Poppy said, her low low voice very fierce. "There's people who do things ad people who never do - who say they will someday, but they just don't . I want to go on a quest. I've always wanted to go on a quest. And now that I have one, I'm not backing down from it. I'm not going home till it's complete.""
This book is so much more than just a ghost story, so much more than the tale of friends on an adventure of a lifetime. This book should be read in every home with tween, young teens in it. There are so many great moment's in this book to share with your children, so many opportunities to discuss life, adventure, and the future. I will admit I can not wait to be able to read this again with my 8 year old when the time comes. Please if you haven't already grab up a copy of this book, let's encourage Ms. Black to write more for this age range. She did it so wonderfully here, I just want more!
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Doll Bones is a middle-grade novel about 3 friends, Poppy, Alice, and Zach, who as they approach their teens are starting to grow apart. Their friendship centers around a long-running imaginative play game where they use action figures as characters and act out a story that they tell as they play. An old doll that is kept in a locked cabinet in Poppy's house is the Queen. One day Poppy has a dream, and she decides to unlock the cabinet. The Queen has a job for them.
This was pretty creepy at times, but overall it was a nice well-written story about friendship and growing up.
This was pretty creepy at times, but overall it was a nice well-written story about friendship and growing up.
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes