Synopsis
A chilling tale of the supernatural from Carnegie Medal-winner Theresa Breslin.
Janis Flint-Ferguson - KLIATT
Deep within a Scottish cemetery lies evil, and as engineers work to relocate the river that runs nearby, the evil is set free. Solomon has found a refuge in the cemetery from the schoolmaster who terrorizes any student who struggles, as Solomon does with his dyslexia. He overhears the engineer and a local professor who has been sent to make sure the historic burying ground does not contain any contagious diseases. But he also overhears something else—the whispers of evil. In the cemetery plot line, Solomon tries to make sense of what is happening. But the story is also about Solomon's dyslexia, the problems it causes him, the torment in school, and the support of a new teacher, Ms. Talmur. Solomon struggles to read and copes through memorization and by copying his friend Peter's work. He lives with his father, a man who drinks more than works but who is a great storyteller. Solomon loves his father; he covers for him when he binges, but is angered by him when the grocery money is spent on alcohol. As Solomon seeks to understand himself and his own dyslexia, he comes to better understand his father and his father's disabilities. The early chapters, as the evil is awakened in the graveyard, are haunting and suspenseful, but the real story is about Solomon's awakening. KLIATT Codes: J—Recommended for junior high school students. 2004, Egmont Books, dist. by Trafalgar Square, 169p., Ages 12 to 15.