Chris Mould

(review of an uncorrected proof) I've seen reviews likening this to the Lemony Snickett books. I don't agree. I find those books to be unrelentingly dark and dismal. This story is much lighter, happier, and a lot more fun - at least to me. And, the illustrations are wonderful. The story is suspenseful without being too scary. It looks like there are going to be at least 6 books in this series. Highly recommended for young readers.

first off, the scary looking figure on the cover is the hero of the story; the artistic style of the illustrator makes everyone look sinister. inside, the story about the founding of the baker street irregulars was fair but ignores the fact that, in the canon, they were formed without watson's knowledge, quite probably before he even knew holmes. my main issue with the story is that the telling of it was uneven, verging on erratic. the first half went smoothly enough but elements were just show more thrown in in the second half willy-nilly. for example, the titular tattoo is barely mentioned in the first part and only seen on one person; later it is mentioned that the guy was a member of the dragon clan (gang would've been a better word choice, among many options) and that must be why he has the tattoo. there was no mystery involved in the tattoo itself, uncovering the meaning of it, or how it ties into the current crime. i know this is a chapter book but the mystery could've been better executed. in fact, the main story isn't a mystery at all but an adventure: the kids who become the first irregulars trying to rescue a kidnapped friend but, since they see her being stashed in a warehouse, it's only a question of how. the secondary storyline, which could be considered a mystery, sees no investigation, is only given occasional lip service, and resolves itself in a twist anyone over the age of twelve could see several chapters prior. i'm not sure i recommend this book even for the target age group. show less

When I first came across a banner for The Icy Hand by Chris Mould, I thought it would be an incredibly fun book. With a werewolf, a headless ghost, angry pirates back from the dead and a talking fish, how could it possibly go wrong?

*sigh* Let me tell you how…

Within the first 30 pages, this book was off to a bad start. Part of its problems are poor transitioning. There are times when it goes from one event to another, hours later, without any break. The pacing and tempo is either all over show more the place or completely M. I. A. from this book. My thoughts on this issue were that, given it’s listed for ages 9-12, maybe it’s a style that works for the younger, less patient audiences?

So I grabbed my 9-12 year old (Maggie, age 10), and read her the books description. Like me, she thought werewolves, headless ghosts and pirates sounded promising. However, after only a few pages, she brought the book back to me saying, “It’s not my thing. I like stories with main characters in them.”

Which brings us to another problem with this book. The characters are poorly developed and rather two-dimensional. It is possible that they were developed in book one, which I have not read, but I’m disinclined to believe that. Again, with the characters, this book is all over the place. They do this then that… sometimes seemingly without purpose.

There is a bright spot with this book. The illustrations are fantastic. They’re dark and creepy, but still maintain a safeness that keeps them from being terrifying to small children. In some ways, the illustrations remind me of the Lemony Snicket series (though I don’t know exactly why), but they are uniquely Mould’s creations.

While The Icy Hand by Chris Mould has a few problems, it’s not entirely unlikeable or readable. I’d be willing to bet, though, this is one of those books that would make a much better movie. I definitely think it’d be a really cool movie, but it’d probably be better to make one of the whole series instead of just one book.

Click for full review: http://thekoolaidmom.wordpress.com/2009/03/31/the-icy-hand-by-chris-mould/ show less

Eleven-year-old Stanley Buggles just received a mysterious package. Inside was a large, old key and a letter from the Mayoress of Crampton Rock. It seems that Stanley had a long lost great-uncle who just died and left him a house. Now Stanley is off to visit Candlestick Hall for the summer under the watchful eye of Mrs. Carelli, the housekeeper of Candlestick Hall.

As he arrives on Crampton Rock, Stanley realizes right away that he’s in a strange place. For one thing you can’t even set show more foot on the harbor without showing proof he belongs there. For another the whole town shuts down at dusk and no one ventures outside after dark.

As Stanley continues his daily adventures he inadvertently gets caught up with a trio of pirates who are up to no good. Now they have Stanley convinced that there is a real live werewolf loose on Crampton Rock and Stanley is the only one who can save the village from the beast.

The Wooden Mile is a great children’s book. It has all the elements of a story unique enough to hold a child’s interest in reading and have them eager to learn what Stanley is up to next. I really enjoyed this read and I know it will appeal to children who are the recommended reading age of 9-12 and their parents will approve. I can’t wait to read Something Wickedly Weird, vol. 2: The Icy Hand. show less