The Whistle, the Grave, and the Ghost

August 1, 2003
Gr 5-8-While on a Boy Scout camping trip, Lewis Barnavelt discovers a silver whistle with a strange inscription and a large rock with the words, "Hic Iacet Lamia," Here Lies-. Lewis takes the whistle to his friend Rose Rita and together they translate its inscription, "Whistle and I shall come," and the word "Lamia," vampire witch. Suddenly Lewis discovers that the instrument appears just when he needs it the most, to scare the town bullies. However, the boy no longer feels like himself, and it takes the magic of his uncle, Mrs. Zimmerman, and Father Foley to save Lewis's soul from eternal damnation. Once again, Strickland has produced a book that will keep readers on the edge of their seats. The action is fast paced and the characters are well developed. A riveting addition to the series started by John Bellairs.-Kim Carlson, Monticello High School, IA

Copyright 2003 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

August 1, 2003
Gr. 5-8. Strickland continues John Bellairs' Lewis Barnavelt series with this tenth suspenseful offering. While camping with his Boy Scout troop, 13-year-old Lewis discovers a strange silver whistle at the site of an ancient grave. The whistle summons a lamia--a ghostly female vampire with the body of a huge snake. Before Lewis can act, several disturbing events occur: two bullies are attacked by the vampire and left near death; Uncle Jonathan experiences some disturbingly vivid dreams; and the usually affable Lewis begins to withdraw from friends and family. Assisted by series regulars Mrs. Zimmerman, Rose Rita Pottinger, and parish priest Father Foley, Lewis finally learns what the lamia wants and how to stop "her" from getting it. Lewis is an appealingly imperfect character, overweight and insecure even as he triumphs over otherworldly evil. Strickland excels at heart-in-your-throat suspense that he maintains until the final paragraphs. A stand-alone book as well as a solid addition to the series.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2003, American Library Association.)

January 1, 2004
Lewis finds an old silver whistle beside a mysterious grave in the woods. When he blows into the whistle Lewis unleashes the lamia, a serpentlike creature with a taste for human blood. The series created by John Bellairs continues in familiar eerie fashion, though details about the lamia's appearance and behavior are disappointingly sketchy in this deliberately paced story.

(Copyright 2004 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)