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When the evil sorceress Belle Frisson ensnares Rose Rita Pottinger in a magic web in order to steal her life force, Lewis Barnavelt must risk his own life to save his friend.Tags
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Whose bright idea is it to force unwilling kids into a talent show, just to entertain the underclassmen? I’m totally with Lewis and Rose Rita when they express disgust and horror after realising that it is now their turn to participate in their school’s annual talent show - yuck, run away! Luckily, the pair are quick thinkers, and inspired by Uncle Jonathan and Mrs. Zimmerman’s magical talents they decide to try their hand at magic. Stage magic, that is, since they can’t reveal that magic is real to their whole school! Enlisting the help of one of Uncle Jonathan’s acquaintances, the pair visit his museum of magic - an homage to the great stage magicians of the past - to learn about stagecraft and borrow some books from his show more library. In typical fashion, though, Rose Rita picks up a scroll that contains real magic and unleashes a spell that almost gets her sacrificed to bring back an evil sorceress from the past. Exploring ever-fascinating Egyptian magic lore, Strickland crafts a truly terrifying tale that may be the spookiest of the series yet since the stakes are so high. Thankfully, Lewis and co. use their wits, knowledge, and last-minute luck to defeat the sorceress and save Rose Rita - all while making some astute observations about growing up. The story was engaging throughout, and my only criticism is that Strickland could have delved a bit further into the Egyptian lore to really heighten the realism. Can’t wait to read more of Lewis and Rose Rita’s magical adventures! show less
Lewis and Rose Rita visit a museum of magic and accidentally let loose a spector in spider form (because of course they do). It targets Rose Rita and it's up to Lewis and his uncle and their witchy neighbor to figure out how to save her.
Another fun entry in the series, and Charlie loved it, so I call that a chicken dinner.
Another fun entry in the series, and Charlie loved it, so I call that a chicken dinner.
This book is very magical and mysterious. I read this for literacy and I think that Mrs. Raymond should read this again next year.
A drop of blood, a dark and creepy something, the ancient scroll of a mysterious sorceress who met her death one cold hallowe'en night -these are the elements that draw Lewis Barnavelt and Rose Rita Pottinger into their most spine-tingling adventure ever!
Oct 5, 2021Spanish
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Author Information

76+ Works 5,468 Members
Brad Strickland was born in New Hollard, Georgia in 1947. He received a Ph.D. in American literature from the University of Georgia. He has been a Professor of English at Gainesville State College since 1987. His first novel, To Stand Beneath the Sun, was published in 1986. Since then he has written or co-written over 60 novels. His books include show more The Ghost in the Mirror, The Vengeance of the Witch-Finder, The Doom of the Haunted Opera, The Hand of the Necromancer, The Tower at the End of the World, The House Where Nobody Lived, and The Sign of the Sinister Sorcerer. In 2001, he received the Georgia Author of the Year Award in the Children's/Young Adult Division for When Mack Came Back. He has also co-written books in several series including Wishbone, Star Trek, and Are You Afraid of the Dark? (Bowker Author Biography) show less
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Common Knowledge
- Original title
- The Specter from the Magician's Museum
- Original publication date
- 1998-06-01
- People/Characters
- Jonathan Barnavelt; Lewis Barnavelt; Rose Rita Pottinger; Florence Zimmermann
- Dedication
- For Bob and Elaine Lund, whose museum
shows that the secret of magic is people - First words
- Lewis Barnavelt had been frightened before in his life, but this time he was terrified.
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- 180
- Popularity
- 181,309
- Reviews
- 4
- Rating
- (3.62)
- Languages
- English, French, Japanese, Polish
- Media
- Paper, Audiobook, Ebook
- ISBNs
- 13
- ASINs
- 2





























































