Adele, Milo and Isabella Winterbottom haven’t heard from Uncle Silas in years – unless you count the occasional insult. So curious eyebrows are raised when the cousins receive a mysterious invitation from their disagreeable relative. But Silas is dying, and a dying man with a vast fortune usually wishes to find an heir.
Or so the children believe.
But when they meet dear, old Uncle Silas and his hungry pet crocodile, the trio suspects that he may have a more sinister reason for inviting healthy, young relatives to his secluded island estate – a place where nothing is as it seems ..."
For readers who enjoy the Series of Unfortunate Events books or Roald Dahl’s style, I suspect The Death (and Further Adventures) of Silas Winterbottom: The Body Thief
will become another favorite. Uncle Silas is an evil villain living on a remote island complete with pet crocodiles. In fact the entire Winterbottom family tree is a lesson in Gothic dysfunction - nasty, greedy and downright criminal.It is the well-developed characterizations that makes The Death (and Further Adventures) of Silas Winterbottom: The Body Thief
especially engaging and there are enough quirky side characters to easily plan character traits lessons. As with most mysteries, it is also good for making inferences and predictions. Although the themes are darkly humorous, The Death (and Further Adventures) of Silas Winterbottom: The Body Thief has what it takes to attract both boy and girl readers and send them off to buy the sequel hinted at in the epilogue.-------------------- Resources --------------------
Genre: Mystery
Age: 9-12
Pages: 240
Themes: Friendship, Making Decisions, Family, Suspense, Humor
Thank You to Sourcebooks Jaberwocky for my advanced copy
Publisher: Sourcebooks Jaberwocky
Date: August 2010
ISBN: 978-1402240904
BUY The Death (and Further Adventures) of Silas Winterbottom: The Body Thief HERE
A peek at the dysfunctional Winterbottom family tree here
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