An inspired collection of short stories by an all-star cast of best-selling storytellers based on the thought-provoking illustrations in Chris Van ...
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Dec 13, 2011
Crowinator
rated it: 
Actual rating: 3.5 stars.
The best stories in this collection have a sense of possibility, of capturing a moment at the beginning or in the middle of a much larger tale, inviting the reader to continue off the page with their own imagination. Those are also the stories that, for me, capture the spirit of the original Harris Burdick book (which I inexplicably found in my house – how did it get there?) -- the endless promise, and the strange and wonderful and dreadful directions in whi More...
The best stories in this collection have a sense of possibility, of capturing a moment at the beginning or in the middle of a much larger tale, inviting the reader to continue off the page with their own imagination. Those are also the stories that, for me, capture the spirit of the original Harris Burdick book (which I inexplicably found in my house – how did it get there?) -- the endless promise, and the strange and wonderful and dreadful directions in whi More...
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Feb 23, 2012
Hilary
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Twenty-five years ago, “The Mysteries of Harris Burdick,” a collection of fourteen intriguing illustrations each accompanied by a title and caption, was published. The premise of that volume was that author/illustrator Harris Burdick wandered into a publisher’s office and showed the publisher the contents of his portfolio. Burdick told a wondrous tale for each picture and left the portfolio with the publisher, promising to return with the manuscripts. But Burdick was never seen again. Suppose
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Feb 07, 2012
Mary
rated it:
More like 3.8 stars...
I'd "read" the original book by Chris van Allsburg years ago, and was really excited to see that some of my favorite authors had written stories to go along with the fabulous illustrations.
Some of the stories were great: Another Place, Another Time by Cory Doctorow about parallel universes; Mr. Linden's Library by Walter Dean Myers about the power of books.
Some were really good - I particularly enjoyed the fantasies: The Harp by Linda Sue Park abo More...
I'd "read" the original book by Chris van Allsburg years ago, and was really excited to see that some of my favorite authors had written stories to go along with the fabulous illustrations.
Some of the stories were great: Another Place, Another Time by Cory Doctorow about parallel universes; Mr. Linden's Library by Walter Dean Myers about the power of books.
Some were really good - I particularly enjoyed the fantasies: The Harp by Linda Sue Park abo More...
Jan 12, 2012
Rebecca
rated it:
Many years ago, Chris Van Allsburg (Polar Express) came out with 'The Mysteries of Harris Burdick,' intriguing drawings with a title and one line purportedly from the (missing) story that accompanied the picture. Over the years, many many teachers and writers have used the book as a springboard for creative writing (as intended), and now fourteen of the top authors in the YA literature pantheon have bent their talents to writing stories to go with each picture.
It's a given that all t More...
It's a given that all t More...
Jan 12, 2012
The Rusty Key
rated it: 
Reviewed by Rusty Key Writer: Jordan B. Nielsen
Recommended for: Children (?) ages 10 and up for independent reading, or 7 and up if being read to (get ready to explain a lot of abstract metaphysical concepts to little Tommy), though I suspect this book will find its largest audience among those old enough to be lured in by the all-star author line up (guilty).
One Word Summary: Disappointing.
It was too good to be true. A collection of children’s short stories More...
Recommended for: Children (?) ages 10 and up for independent reading, or 7 and up if being read to (get ready to explain a lot of abstract metaphysical concepts to little Tommy), though I suspect this book will find its largest audience among those old enough to be lured in by the all-star author line up (guilty).
One Word Summary: Disappointing.
It was too good to be true. A collection of children’s short stories More...
Jan 02, 2012
Jennifer
rated it:
Considering how long I've owned the original Harris Burdick book (since I was a child myself) and how loudly I squealed with glee when I found out that different authors had taken on the task of writing short stories based on the pictures in the original book, it sure took me long enough to read this new offering!
The short stories themselves were hit-or-miss for me, as was to be expected. Authors who I was already familiar with tended to color my view of how much I liked or disliked t More...
The short stories themselves were hit-or-miss for me, as was to be expected. Authors who I was already familiar with tended to color my view of how much I liked or disliked t More...
Dec 22, 2011
Abby
rated it: 
Fourteen short stories by excellent authors to go along with the top-notch illustrations found in The Mysteries of Harris Burdick–whoever came up with this idea (I'll blame Van Allsburg) is a genius, and I mentally shake his hand. The Mysteries of Harris Burdick is such a great book–gasoline on the fire of imagination–that it was entirely a pleasure to read these stories explaining the illustrations and captions. Some of the stories were better than others, and some fit their illustrations/capti
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Nov 22, 2011
Moira
rated it:
OMG, OMG, OMG!!!! I tend to pass on reviewing a lot of children's literature because I don't want to hurt feelings of people who may, if I ever publish another work of fiction, be in a position to review my work. But sometimes I read something that is so great that I have to tell the world.
I have always adored The Mysteries of Harris Burdick by Chris Van Allsburg - a collection of incredible artwork with captions only. They are so inspiring. Now, some brilliant person decided to a More...
I have always adored The Mysteries of Harris Burdick by Chris Van Allsburg - a collection of incredible artwork with captions only. They are so inspiring. Now, some brilliant person decided to a More...
Nov 16, 2011
Leslie
rated it:
Who has not had Chris Van Allsburg’s Mysteries of Harris Burdick used as a writing prompt—besides Sean? N and I were kicking around the idea of checking the book out from the library when I heard The Chronicles of Harris Burdick was coming out. I told Natalya she still should write her own inspired piece, but there was no having The Chronicles in the house without her getting a hold of it. It features some of her favorite authors.
(11 for a while now) Natalya’s response the experience? More...
(11 for a while now) Natalya’s response the experience? More...
Nov 13, 2011
Barbara
rated it:
First of all, I must confess that The Mysteries of Harris Burdick has long been a mainstay in my writing toolkit. For several years, I have used the illustrations and their captions as story-starters for my students at all levels, from middle grades to graduate students. There is something compelling about the captions and the artwork that simply begs writers to tell a story or two. The combination somehow makes writers out of the most reluctant ones.
In this book, something of a tri More...
In this book, something of a tri More...
Jun 30, 2011
Marika
rated it:
Very very rarely, I will swoon over a book. Swoon-worthy books must not just be well-written, they have to be beautifully packed, or have exquisite illustration, mostly, all three. Four stories into The Chronicles of Harris Burdick I was already swooning. Mind you, this is the ARC, too, not the gorgeous hardcover that will be the best holiday gift when it hits shelves.
What strikes me as I read- one story at a time, with space between each to savor- is the inventiveness of the writers. More...
What strikes me as I read- one story at a time, with space between each to savor- is the inventiveness of the writers. More...
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Jan 23, 2012
Megan
rated it:
Twenty five years ago, the Chronicles of Harris Burdick was published, a series of 14 beautifully strange illustrations with an odd title and caption. The premise of the book was that a man named Harris Burdick came into a publishers office telling of stories and drawings he had done. He only brought in one drawing from each story. The publisher was entranced and asked him to come in with the remainder of his materials. The strange thing was that Harris Burdick left that day, never to return. Ch
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Nov 04, 2011
First of all, I love, love, love The Mysteries of Harris Burdick. It's my favorite Chris Van Allsburg book, and I adore the setup of the odd and somewhat creepy pictures with just a hint of the story given by the caption. I've long felt that it would make an amazing book to use as a prompt for creative writing stories, which is exactly what The Chronicles of Harris Burdick is all about. Fourteen well-known authors who write for children all the way up to adults have each contributed a story t
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Dec 09, 2011
Kate
rated it:
One of my favorite children's books of all time is The Mysteries of Harris Burdick by Chris Van Allsburg. I was so excited to find a story by Stephen King based on one of the illustrations in Nightmares and Dreamscapes, so I was 14x excited to find that a whole book of short stories based on the illustrations was coming out!
These are stories that would appeal to a wide range of children and teens, and probably many adults as well, just like the original book. The stories are fille More...
These are stories that would appeal to a wide range of children and teens, and probably many adults as well, just like the original book. The stories are fille More...
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Nov 15, 2011
Kevin
rated it:
I can't wait to get started on this one but I am holding off until I join my students this week for "independent reading"
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Dec 08, 2011
April the Librarian
rated it:
The idea behind this book is that a group of prints were found with no back story, only one drawing per page with a title or caption. In the past many children and adults developed their own story, based on these Chris Van Allsburg drawings.Were they random prints or did they all go to the same story? No one knew. It was up to each readers imagination.
This book picks up from those original prints and asks famous writers to develop an essay to go with each print. While the prints them More...
This book picks up from those original prints and asks famous writers to develop an essay to go with each print. While the prints them More...
Nov 06, 2011
H
rated it:
A weird book, as weird in its way as the original picture book. Every story is well crafted, some are standouts, and none really pander to the children who will be reading them. The short stories are interesting and challenging, and most look for the reader to find meaning between the lines. Most of the tales veer into sci-fi and fantasy, as you'd expect, and many remind me of the stories from the old science fiction magazines I used to read in my early teens that led me into the genre of sci
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Feb 09, 2012
Woodge
rated it:
I think any fan of children's books would be familiar with the works of Chris Van Allsburg. After all, he's written Jumanji, The Garden of Abdul Gasazi, The Polar Express and many others. One of which was a beguiling collection of strange pictures with tantalizing captions called The Mysteries of Harris Burdick. In that book you were left to wonder what the stories were surrounding these unconnected pictures. Now 14 authors are trying their hand at it and the result is this handsome book. I deci
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Nov 22, 2011
Audrey
rated it:
When I taught middle school English, I used Chris Van Allburg's The Mysteries of Harris Burdick as short story prompts in my classroom. Once I stopped teaching, I brought my collection of prints home and now several of them hang in my house (I have "Mr. Linden's Library" in my office/bedroom, and Cami has "Oscar and Alphonse" in her room). When I found out that some of my favorite YA authors were going to be writing short stories to accompany these drawings, I was so excited
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Feb 04, 2012
Jessie
rated it:
When I was a young child, I wrote a letter to the publisher of The Mysteries of Harris Burdick, offering my theories on what might have happened to the author. I was such a cute, precocious little nerd. Now as an adult I can obviously tell who really illustrated that book, but it's still much beloved by me. I was super excited about this collection, but I felt like it was just OK. There weren't a lot of standout stories for me. I found it really interesting how many times sailors and sea voyages
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Jan 11, 2012
Karen
rated it:
Originally published on Books Beside My Bed
The mysterious drawings of Harris Burdick have fascinated me since I first saw them in elementary school. I choose to believe in the tale and love the extended mystery. In this anthology 14 authors take a stab at writing a story based on the pictures and caption. Famous authors, such as Walter Dean Myers, Lois Lowery, and Stephen King make an appearance.
I think my favorite three were The Harp by Linda Sue Park, Missing in More...
Nov 03, 2011
Alisa
rated it:
Van Allsburg's book "The Mysteries of Harris Burdick" is one of those brilliantly amazing books that, once read, haunts the reader for the rest of their lives.
I was thrilled to discover that 14 authors have come together in this new collection to write the stories *behind* each of these haunting mysteries. The stories themselves are a mixed bag, because there are a couple of authors who seemed to write their story without actually looking at the drawing the story was sup More...
I was thrilled to discover that 14 authors have come together in this new collection to write the stories *behind* each of these haunting mysteries. The stories themselves are a mixed bag, because there are a couple of authors who seemed to write their story without actually looking at the drawing the story was sup More...
Jul 19, 2011
Kim
rated it:
How can you go wrong in giving the 14 pictures from The Mysteries of Harris Burdick to some of today's most wonderful authors who each provide a short story based on that picture? Chris Van Allsburg contributes a story for "Oscar and Alphonse," and the other stories are written by the likes of Lois Lowry, Walter Dean Myers, Louis Sachar, and Kate diCamillo, to name just a few. Each reader will have her favorites... I was partial to Linda Sue Park's take on "The Harp" and St
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Dec 21, 2011
Christiane
rated it:
Fourteen well-known authors each write a story based on one of the drawings from the Chris Van Allsburg book "The Mysteries of Harris Burdick". What a brilliant idea! The pictures in this book are otherworldly and odd, with just an enigmatic title and caption, such as "Mr. Lindon's Library: He had warned her about the book. Now it was too late." The picture shows a young girl sleeping with an open book on the bed sprouting leaves and vines from the pages. The story, by Wa
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May 28, 2011
Reader
rated it:
The Van Allsburg classic The Mysteries of Harris Burdick gets an unexpected new life with this clever short story creation. Fourteen of the best children's authors alive today each tackle one of "Burdick's" illustrations, weaving tales around them. The result is a kind of Twilight Zone collection for kids. Tales that involve everything from vengeful dresses to houses that morph into metal. As with any short story collection some of the tales here are stronger than others (and some
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Nov 13, 2011
Mary Ann
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Do children want their stories all wrapped up, with easy answers? Or do they like stories that ask the reader to think, that leave us feeling a bit off-kilter? I would argue that many children like stories that don't have tidy endings, but that let the reader come up with their own answers. Our students are fascinated by books by Chris Van Allsburg, precisely because he wants his stories to leave mysteries that are unsolved.
Twenty-five years ago, Van Allsburg shared with us The Myste More...
Twenty-five years ago, Van Allsburg shared with us The Myste More...
Dec 06, 2011
Samantha
rated it:
I wish I could say I loved this, but I just can't do it. I started with a story by one of my favorite authors, Jon Scieszka, and was completely bored. So I flipped to another of my favorite authors, Kate DiCamillo. Yawn. I never made it to any of the other equally fantastic authors, because I couldn't focus, couldn't keep my eyes on the boring pages. So sad.
I suppose part of my disappointment stems from the fact that by trying to read these stories, the stories I created in my mind More...
I suppose part of my disappointment stems from the fact that by trying to read these stories, the stories I created in my mind More...
Dec 27, 2011
sarah
rated it:
I just had a heart attack when I realized this existed. Amazing authors writing the stories for my FAVORITE PICTURE BOOK OF ALL TIME??? I NEED THIS IN MY HANDS. NOW.
ETA: The Mysteries of Harris Burdick has haunted me since I was a kid and a lot of these stories really captured the eerie feeling the book has always given me. A couple of misses but some really high high points (M.T. Anderson!) It looks like a lot of reviewers argue that reading the stories takes away from the imag More...
ETA: The Mysteries of Harris Burdick has haunted me since I was a kid and a lot of these stories really captured the eerie feeling the book has always given me. A couple of misses but some really high high points (M.T. Anderson!) It looks like a lot of reviewers argue that reading the stories takes away from the imag More...
Jan 25, 2012
Brett
rated it:
I was thrilled & excited when I heard this book was coming out. I first encountered "The Chronicles of Harris Burdick" as a third-grade student, when my teacher used the book as a journal entry starter to foster creative writing: each day, she chose one of the amazingly intricate drawings with the enigmatic captions, & everyone in the class then had to write a story using it as a starting point. It became one of my favorite grade-school memories. Seeing that some of the best childrens'
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Dec 13, 2011
Christie
rated it:
Some fans waited a long time for this. Each of the fabulous illustrations in the original collection has a story written by some of children's and adult's most beloved authors: from Kate DiCamillo and Lois Lowry to Sherman Alexie and Stephen King. The editors did a fine job matching author to selection (illustration) and - unlike some similar editions - there's nothing uneven in this collection. Each story is prime. My favorites range as the collections do - from a beautiful story (Walter Dea
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