Librarian revisits favorite series from her childhood
A couple of weeks into our closure, I decided to revisit some books on my shelf here at home, all by author John Bellairs. I loved Bellairs’ books when I was in upper elementary school. And when I say ‘loved,’ I mean as soon as we had library time, I raced over to the shelves where I knew his books were kept, and I went through them until I found one I hadn’t yet read. These books were captivating to me as a child because they were a mix of history, magic and mystery. I loved getting wrapped up in their worlds and characters, and now I wanted to see how they held up over time.
I re-read three books, each featuring one of Bellairs’ main characters: Anthony Monday, Lewis Barnavelt and Johnny Dixon. It’s worth noting that the books take place usually in the 1940s and 1950s, even though they were written decades later, in the 1970s through 1990s, so the books have some elements in them that may be problematic to the present-day reader.
“The Mansion in the Mist” features Anthony Monday. Anthony is a library page whose best friend is the elderly librarian Miss Eells. She and her brother, Emerson, take Anthony on a summer trip to a remote Canadian island. There they discover a magical chest that can transport them to an alternate universe! In this universe are the autarchs, who are searching for the lost Logos cube, which has the power to create and destroy. They want to use it to stabilize their universe and destroy Earth. Anthony and his older pals must find the cube to stop them. This book leans a little more sci-fi than the others, what with alter
nate dimensions and a fantastical cube. Problem areas include gender stereotyping — Emerson is written as smart and determined, whereas his sister, although a librarian, is portrayed as a little dim and not quick to follow Emerson’s ideas.
“The House with a Clock in its Walls” follows Lewis Barnavelt as he has been recently orphaned and moves into his uncle Jonathan’s Victorian mansion, which was previously owned by a wizard named Isaac Izard and his wife, Selenna, a witch. Izard created a Doomsday clock that could end the world and hid it somewhere in the old mansion so that its ticking can be heard throughout. Desperate to show off for a friend, Lewis enacts a magic ceremony that brings Selenna back to life and she begins to build power to bring Izard back. It’s up to Lewis, his uncle, and their elderly witch neighbor Miss Zimmermann to find the clock and stop the Izards from wreaking havoc. Problem areas include: Lewis is sensitive and overweight and is repeatedly called things like “fatty” and is made fun of for being bad at sports. This isn’t to say that teasing doesn’t happen nowadays, but it’s not normalized in juvenile fiction today.
“The Spell of the Sorcerer’s Skull” is the third in the Johnny Dixon series. Johnny’s stories have always been the coziest to
I loved Bellairs’ books when I was in upper elementary school. And when I say ‘loved,’ I mean as soon as we had library time, I raced over to the shelves where I knew his books were kept, and I went through them until I found one I hadn’t yet read. These books were captivating to me as a child because they were a mix of history, magic and mystery.
me and he is probably the most well-balanced character. Johnny’s friend and neighbor, Professor Roderick Childermass, is super cranky but has his quirks, like baking delicious cakes. In this story, the professor takes Johnny on vacation in New England. All is well until they realize that the old clock belonging to the professor’s relative is at their B&B. The clock includes a miniature room, down to the fireplace, chair, person and skull that were in the same room in which the professor’s relative mysteriously died. After a creepy vision in the night, Johnny comes into possession of the miniature skull from the clock. Shortly after returning home, the professor mysteriously disappears and is gone for months. Johnny enlists the help of his priest, Father Higgins, entreating Saint Anthony for help. The Father and Johnny bring along Johnny’s best friend, Fergie, as they embark on another adventure to a remote island off the coast of Maine to put the clues together and find the professor before time runs out.
I enjoyed revisiting all three novels and thinking back about my elementary reading habits, but I still liked Johnny’s book the most. I think his book presented the fewest issues to a modern reader. I wouldn’t write off all of Bellairs’ books, as long as you are aware that they were written — as well as set in — a different time. They could provide a good opportunity to talk about what life was like in different decades — from cultural institutions like soda fountains to ideas about what was appropriate for different genders to how characters lived life without the technology we have today. And if you’re looking for a spooky mystery that includes elements of magic, fantasy and adventure, then these are the books for you.
Ferndale Library cardholders can access digital content by finding the “online resources” tab at ferndalepubliclibrary.org. Or contact your home library and inquire about what digital content is available for download.