The Boy of a Thousand Faces

Brian Selznick's black-and-white pencil drawings set a spooky stage for this story of intrigue and imagination. Although the plot is convoluted and faintly perplexing, the overall effect is pleasingly sinister. Close-ups of Mr. Blake, Alonzo's seemingly mild-mannered neighbor and cohort in all things macabre, inspire speculation about skeletons he may be harboring in his own closet. Readers will want to run right out and read The Lost City of Atlantis, or rent the old classic versions of Frankenstein, The Phantom of the Opera, and Dracula. Perfect Halloween fare from the illustrator of Andrew Clements's Frindle and Pam Munoz Ryan's Amelia and Eleanor Go for a Ride. (Ages 7 to 11) --Emilie Coulter