ANNOTATION: Twelve-year old David has started to hear voices. Awake one night, haunted by the whispers of his departed mother, he is led into a fairytale world of gruesome monsters and courageous heroes. Terrified David wants nothing more than to return home, but in order to do so, he must face his darkest fears and find The Book of Lost Things.
JUSTIFICATION FOR NOMINATION: The Book of Lost Things is a brilliant, mesmerizing and disturbing masterpiece. Connolley writes with a simple and poetic elegance, raising the bar for fairytales. In the class of the Brothers Grimm and Pan’s Labyrinth, children and adults alike will be spellbound by the craftsmanship of his layered tales and terrified at their contents.
The twelve-year old protagonist is an unlikely hero, a boy who faces hardship and overcomes overwhelming obstacles. This story follows his shift from innocence to disillusionment--the metamorphosis from child to adult. Although his trials are fantasy, they represent deep and realistic themes: betrayal, fear, jealousy, courage, love and forgiveness.
Like many quests and fairytales, this story is filled with allegory and moral questions that teens must be prepared answer as they enter adulthood. They require the reader to question the who they truly are--what they believe about good and evil--and what they would do someone they loved. A pleasure to read and highly recommended.
GENRE: Coming of Age/ALEX Award Winner
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