The Chronicles of Harris Burdick

(Paperback)

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Description

This inspired collection of short stories is based on the original illustrations of Chris Van Allsburg in his much-loved picture book The Mysteries of Harris Burdick, and features many remarkable best-selling authors from the worlds of both adult and children's literature- Stephen King, Lemony Snicket, Sherman Alexie, M.T. Anderson, Kate DiCamillo, Cory Doctorow, Jules Feiffer, Tabitha King, Lois Lowry, Gregory Maguire, Walter Dean Myers, Linda Sue Park, Louis Sachar, Jon Scieszka and Chris Van Allsburg himself.

Reviews

"Fourteen curious, teasing, sometimes humorous and sometimes dark stories . . . create an extraordinary whole that offers new interpretations of the pictures while still leaving room to wonder." -- Julia Eccleshare * Guardian *
"A beautifully produced, compelling book." -- NIcolette Jones * Sunday Times, Book of the Week *
"Each contribution has its own telltale flavor of menace, leaving readers to discover their favourites...In life, it seems, as in this beguiling book, no one ever really gets the last word." * New York Times (Editor's Choice) *
"Fascinating" -- Daniel Hahn * Independent on Sunday, Best Books of the Year *
"Van Allsburgs haunting and evocative monochrome illustrations provide starting points for the appropriately eerie, often macbre narratives." * Irish Times *
"Simply breath taking . . . a collection that does justice to the seductive power of the illustrations themselves" * Books for Keeps (Book of the Week) *
"A true celebration of story telling. At times humourous, occasionally spine-tingling and often unpredictable, this book is a gift for anyone who loves a good story." * The Bookseller *
"Unpredictable, imaginative and thought-provoking, this is a diverse and suitably mysterious collection" * Booktrust *
"Eerie and wonderful. Strange and unpredictable." * School Library Journal *
"Engaging with strokes of brilliance." * Kirkus *
"Funny, sinister, and touching...This collection promises to inspire many more children to revisit Van Allsburg's striking scenes." * Booklist *
"Strange...odd...fantastic. There's not a bad story in the bunch." * Horn Book *

Author Bio

Chris is the winner of three Caldecott Medals, for The Garden of Abdul Gasazi, Jumanji and The Polar Express, and was the recipient of the Boston Globe Horn Book Award for The Garden of Abdul Gasazi. Additionally, he received the Boston Globe Honor for The Polar Express as well as The Mysteries of Harris Burdick. Chris has also been awarded the Regina Medal for lifetime achievement in children's literature.
He lives in Providence, Rhode Island and lectures at the Rhode Island School of Design. He is a sculptor and artist.