Rating: 3.5/5 stars
Age group recommendation: 9-12 grade
The Scoop: Set in England during World War II, Daniel escapes from the death of his mother, his irritating step-mother, and the dangers of war through his love of books.
The Story: I loved the way this book began. Connolly's language drew me right into the story. It was also the first print book I picked up after a stint of audio books only. Picking up a book about books was the best way to dive back into printed material!
Traveling through the fantasy world with Daniel was an exciting journey with some familiar (and some unfamiliar) fairy tales. Connolly gives the fairy tales a classic, Grimm-style treatment, with no holds barred on the grotesque and the scary. For this reason, I would recommend this title for high school students (in some cases, only older students).
Educational applications: Because this book is very episodic in structure it would make a great read aloud. It would also make a great example for an exercise for a creative writing class. Students could choose a fairy tale to make his.her own and embellish and twist the story in different ways.
The Book of Lost Things by John Connolly
New York : Atria 2006
Copy from Atlanta Fulton County Library
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