The Chronicles of Harris Burdick: Fourteen Amazing Authors Tell the Tales

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The Chronicles of Harris Burdick: Fourteen Amazing Authors Tell the Tales

by Chris Van Allsburg (Illustrator / Contributor), Lois Lowry (Contributor), Kate DiCamillo (Contributor), M.T. Anderson (Contributor), Louis Sachar (Contributor), Stephen King (Contributor), Tabitha King (Contributor), Jon Scieszka (Contributor) , more…

3.84 of 5 stars 3.84 · rating details · 3,110 ratings · 383 reviews

An inspired collection of short stories by an all-star cast of best-selling storytellers based on the thought-provoking illustrations in Chris Van Allsburg’s The Mysteries of Harris Burdick.

For more than twenty-five years, the illustrations in the extraordinary Mysteries of Harris Burdick by Chris Van Allsburg have intrigued and entertained readers of all ages. Thousands o...more

Hardcover, 195 pages

Published October 25th 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Books for Children

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The Chronicles of Harris Burdick by Chris Van Allsburg

Red Dot 2013: Older Readers: LONG LIST

5th out of 45 books — 17 voters

Best Cover Art 2011 (Non-YA)

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Dec 13, 2011 Crowinator rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: childrens-middle-grade, illustrated, 2011-reads, short-stories

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 which each illu...more

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Nov 14, 2012 Sarah T. rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: anthology, short-story, young-adult, fantasy, mystery, art, paranormal

I came across this book while looking for a book club book for the adult literacy program I work for. The reading level and book length are on spot--I think this could be a good choice, although it would probably make a good book for October which has already passed. This book is essentially a companion book to "The Mysteries of Harris Burdick" which is a book with pictures, their titles, and short captions, and the reader is left to imagine the stories that the pictures go with. THIS book gives...more I came across this book while looking for a book club book for the adult literacy program I work for. The reading level and book length are on spot--I think this could be a good choice, although it would probably make a good book for October which has already passed. This book is essentially a companion book to "The Mysteries of Harris Burdick" which is a book with pictures, their titles, and short captions, and the reader is left to imagine the stories that the pictures go with. THIS book gives the readers stories to go with those images, all penned by famous authors; Sherman Alexie, Lois Lowry, and Stephen King to name a few.

The work of Chris Van Allsburg is unmistakable and all the images in this book, pulled from "The Mysteries of Harris Burdick," manage to be both serene and bizarre all at the same time. My favorite images were:

1) The Seven Chairs
2) Another Place, Another Time
3) The House on Maple Street

The accompanying stories to the images are equally bizarre (hence, my thought that the book would make a better October book club selection). My favorite stories were:

1) Just Desert
2) Another Place, Another Time
3) Under the Rug

I already have a fondness for anthologies and expected to like this book. While I did end up liking the book a great deal, I have to say this book really surprised me. Granted, the illustrations are strange and it's probably stupid that I didn't expect the stories to be just as strange or even disturbing, but I really didn't--and they totally were! This book is put in the children's section of my library and I can't help but wonder if kids could really, truly appreciate the nature of stories like this. Probably a dumb thing to think, but my experience with kids is a bit limited, and I was reading this with the adult learners in our program in mind anyway. I actually think this book would provide a much-needed, healthy stretch of the imagination for our book club participants! I will definitely keep this one in mind as a future book club selection.
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Mar 23, 2013 Wendy rated it 3 of 5 stars

I CAN'T WAIT to read this series of stories! I have LOVED the Harris Burdick book for use to spawn creative writing from my elementary students! I am intrigued to read what famous authors had to say! Yippee! It is about time! ;-)

So, in reading all of the different stories from each illustration, I found about 3 that I really liked and the rest were okay. I think that because I have had so many students write so many creative stories to go along with the illustrations, it is hard to top some of t...more

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Mar 12, 2013 Cristina rated it 4 of 5 stars

Ever since I found out about Harris Burdick and his tricky illustrations, I have been talking about it on every occasion that I had. I talked about it casually with my friends, a lunch that transformed itself in a very animated discussion about literature. We all agreed that is a great way to develop your child’s imagination by taking him/her next to you with some hot chocolate and start making a story together based on one of the illustrations. It would be something very different from the norm...more

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Feb 07, 2013 Tyler Jones rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: short-stories, juvenile

Allright! One book and I get to pass judgement on fourteen writers! Here goes:

Linda Sue Park 4.8 stars
Really fantastic. Intricate, interweaving of story lines with a great "hook". Hard to believe a story this nearly perfect was written as an excercise. Amazing.

M. T. Anderson 4.7 stars
Very nearly my favourite story of the collection with a great twist ending sure to blow the minds of young readers. A perfect match to the illustration.

Kate DiCamaillo 4.6 stars
She makes cat nip out of most of her p...more

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Jan 20, 2013 Angela rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2013

In 1984, Van Allsburg published The Mysteries of Harris Burdick. The fictional story, told as a personal experience, explains that a publisher friend of Van Allsburg was approached by Harris Burdick, who gave him a collection of drawings and their captions. Burdick said he would return again the next day to see if the man would like to buy the stories to accompany the drawings, but Burdick never returned.

Since then, numerous students and authors have written their own stories around the pictures...more In 1984, Van Allsburg published The Mysteries of Harris Burdick. The fictional story, told as a personal experience, explains that a publisher friend of Van Allsburg was approached by Harris Burdick, who gave him a collection of drawings and their captions. Burdick said he would return again the next day to see if the man would like to buy the stories to accompany the drawings, but Burdick never returned.

Since then, numerous students and authors have written their own stories around the pictures and their captions. This collection is comprised of well-known writers, each one tackling a drawing.

• Tabitha King’s “Archie Smith, Boy Wonder” tells the story of a home-run-hitting child prodigy. While he sleeps, two voiced discuss how he really is a boy wonder.
• Jon Scieszka’s “Under the Rug” tells of a dust bunny swept under the rug that grows into a dust demon, taking Grandma’s cat with it.
• Sherman Alexie’s “A Strange Day in July” tells of two strange twins who enjoy tormenting people. They decide to carry a dress around and make everyone treat it like their sister, but they’re not prepared for the revenge of the dress.
• Gregory Maguire’s “Missing in Venice” tells of a young boy visiting Venice with his stepmother and stepfather (neither of his biological parents are living) to claim his stepmother’s inheritance of jewelry. He steals a ring from a witch, and the stepfather steals it from him. He also takes the inheritance jewelry. The witch uses her powers, as well as the boy’s, to help recover the stolen goods at an interesting price.
• Cory Doctorow’s “Another Place, Another Time” tells of a boy’s attempt to move through time the same way we can move through space—forward, backward, and sideways.
• Jules Feiffer’s “Uninvited Guests” tells of a children’s book author being guided toward his death (a mysterious door in the basement) by characters from his books.
• Lois Lowry’s “The Seven Chairs” tells of a girl who can levitate. She finds seven chairs that also have the levitation ability, and is reunited with one of them as an adult while she visits France.
• Kate DiCamillo’s “The Third-Floor Bedroom” is an homage to “The Yellow Wallpaper.” Told in letters from a sister to her brother serving in WWII, the sister tells how their aunt, her guardian, is keeping her prisoner. The room’s wallpaper is a pattern of birds and vines, and one day, one of the bird escapes.
• M.T. Anderson’s “Just Desert” tells of a boy who discovers that he’s the only real thing that exists. Everything and everyone around him is created by “them” for his benefit.
• Linda Sue Park’ “The Harp” tells of two bickering sisters who are cursed by a magician. The youngest is turned into a frog, and must learn to play the harp well enough to “soothe a savage beast,” among other requirements.
• Walter Dean Myers’s “Mr. Linden’s Library tells of the relationship between two book lovers, one an old black veteran, the other a young white girl. The girl tries to solve the secret to Mr. Linden’s favorite book, one that seems to change each time she opens it.
• Louis Sachar’s “Captain Tory” tells of a town’s resident ghost, and how he changes his routine. He starts off visiting the doughnut shop each morning, then starts to visit the hardware store for kerosene, and ultimately begins courting the owner of the hardware shop, a widow with a son.
• Chris Van Allburg’s “Oscar and Alphonse” tells of two caterpillars who spell out messages. They tell the daughter in a family of mathematical geniuses how to begin solving a problem that has puzzled mathematicians for centuries.
• Stephen King’s “The House on Maple Street” tells of four siblings whose house begins to “grow” into a spaceship. They contrive to trap their evil stepfather inside just before takeoff.

Some stories are definitely better than others.
• No language or sexual issues
• No violence, but there are some haunting images
• A lot of dead parents in this collection
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Oct 29, 2012 Hyeonjeongshin rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: 1-12

Many people get inspired mystery stories of Harris Burdick by Chris Van Allsburg through his unique features as puzzling illustration and pictures over twenty five years. With his distinct features, stories have stimulated imaginations and curiosities of readers. This book is a collection of short stories of best selling storytellers as fourteen authors describe tales in Chris’s the Mysteries of Harris Burdick. As stories are matched by pictures, these stories evoke readers to create their own s...more

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Jun 19, 2012 Matt rated it 5 of 5 stars

I was originally introduced to this book's predecessor in a young adult literature class in college. I was really enticed by Van Allsburg's ability to created such intricate pictures with a caption begging for more of the story. That was exactly his intention, or I suppose "Harris Burdick's."

When I found this stumbling through B&N I instantly had to purchase it to read what 14 well-known young adult writers interpreted from the illustrations. These generally do not disappoint and do offer so...more

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May 25, 2012 Megan rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: childrens

This is our family's latest "favorite book." It is basically a sequel to "The Mysteries of Harris Burdick." Chris Van Allsburg compiled 14 mysterious and splendid illustrations in the "Mystery" book, each with a title and a tagline. They whet your imagination and beg you to create stories. So much so, that several years after the Mystery book came out, fourteen famous authors worked to create stories behind the artwork, one story per picture. One story per author.

We checked out the Mystery book,...more

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Feb 23, 2012 Hilary rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: short-stories, speculative-fiction, tri-review

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. Supposedly...more 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. Supposedly the publisher decided to publish the drawings sans stories, and the result was a slender volume that has inspired countless creative writing assignments for generations of students across the globe.

Defining the audience for “Mysteries…” was challenging, despite the picture book format. “Chronicles” faces a similar challenge. It will appeal to “Mysteries” fans of all ages, but is clearly not intended for the usual picture book crowd. Fourteen top-notch YA writers penned fresh stories inspired by “Mysteries” illustrations and the clues provided by the titles/captions. Like most short story anthologies, the collection is uneven, but fans of these A-list authors will select this volume in order to read new material by their favorite(s) and may linger to read the rest. The speculative fiction provides a springboard for spirited discussion. The all-star author line up guarantees that nearly every reader will find a story that appeals.
Writers contributing to “Chronicles” include Stephen King, Lois Lowry, Louis Sachar, Linda Sue Park, Walter Dean Myers, Cory Doctorow, M.T. Anderson, Tabitha King, Gregory Macguire, Jon Sciezka, Kate DiCamillo, and Chris Van Allsburg. Those who skip introductions will miss a humorously paranoid tale by Lemony Snicket, which provides newcomers (those unfamiliar with Harris Burdick) with the back-story.
Sciezka’s “Under the Rug,”
“Missing in Venice” is the most faithful to the accompanying illustration.
“Another Place, Another Time,” resonates long after the story is over.
“Mr. Linden’s Library” by Walter Dean Myers

The short stories are memorable and appealing. The illustrations continue to be curiously strange and intriguing.
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Feb 07, 2012 Mary rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: children-s

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 about bickering sisters who...more

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Jan 12, 2012 Rebecca rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: adventure, children, drama, family-story, fantasy, horror, young-adult, science-fiction, romance

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 these authors...more 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 these authors are brilliant. I mean, Louis Sachar? Kate DiCamillo? Lois Lowry? These are A-list authors and Newbery winners. And...well, I liked a lot of the stories, loved a very few, and cordially disliked several, which is pretty much par for the course for most short story collections, I think. And honestly, strange stories aren't my genre--they kind of make me want to scrub my brain afterwards--so I'm probably not the best judge, and all of these stories were really well written, no surprise.

By far my favorite was Louis Sachar's gently charming ghost story, which just leaves you with a warm glow. I also liked Linda Sue Park's harp story, which thankfully picked up that the picture for that story held not really strangeness, but longing for the idyllic, faintly mysterious world it showed. Lois Lowry's 7th chair one I enjoyed because I've always liked the picture of the nun flying demurely in the chair, and the story worked. Jon Scieszka's under the rug story was definitely creepy, but well played--great last line. I also enjoyed the Venice one (Gregory Maguire)--nice to see mean people get what's coming to them. Stephen King's launching house story worked really well--lots of moral ambiguity and creativity, and just a touch of horror (and I hate horror). Van Allsburg's caterpillar one was fun. I didn't care for Sherman Alexie’s story of two nasty children, or Jules Feiffer’s door in the cellar story. But anyway, a collection worth checking out, for sure, especially if you loved the orignal drawings (which are included).(less)

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Jan 12, 2012 The Rusty Key rated it 2 of 5 stars

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 by fourteen of the most celebrated k...more

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Jan 02, 2012 Jennifer rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012

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 the story (...more

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Dec 22, 2011 Abby rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: childrens-illustrated, my-recommendations

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...more

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Nov 22, 2011 Moira rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: kid-lit

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 ask authors to...more

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Nov 16, 2011 Leslie rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: juvenile, natalyas-shelf, chapter-book-8-11, most-all-ages-really, short-story-anthology, a-boy-s-shelf

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? She handed...more 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? She handed the book over with a modest list of her favorites. The story by Sherman Alexie was number one, and I believe Stephen King’s was a good second (and I agree). She liked most of them, but there were a few that she couldn’t get into. After reading The Chronicles, I could see why those few failed to interest her, or were too confusing. Needless to say, I was just happy she honed in on two new-to-her authors who such phenomenal writers.

It is a successful anthology that can host such credible diversity, and The Chronicles of Harris Burdick is one such collection. There is the “mysterious, funny, creepy, [and] poignant.” There are the sports themed, the fantastical, the science fictional, the psychological, and the classically flavored morals & tales. There are some for the Readerly, but most all are for every reader. I liked the stories that could be read on multiple levels, but not necessarily more than the ones that drew me in rather singularly and had me scrambling for the ending. DiCamillo’s channeled Kate Chopin for me, and Lowry had me thinking about Madeleine L’Engle’s Walking on Water, the magic in childhood and a person’s potential. Everyone should find three or four stories to savor, if not more. All should honor The Chronicles of Harris Burdick’s placement of Stephen King’s story as the closer—for that lingering satisfaction in a book well-made.

It was interesting to see what the author’s took from the Illustration and how they used the caption in the story. Some were more literal with the elements, like Tabitha King’s contribution, but why the bat and no mention of the yo-yo? Another uses the image a bit more abstractly, like with Cory Doctorow’s. Many begin in one place and you can’t help but wonder how the Illustration comes in; I had to exercise a great deal of patience with Gregory Maguire’s piece. Others create the kind of suspense the Illustrations do, implications lingering, like Alexie’s, MT Anderson’s, and Allsburg’s.

I admit to being worried that The Chronicles of Harris Burdick would ruin The Mysteries of Harris Burdick for me. But it didn’t. I enjoyed some of the approaches, the imaginative takes on the Illustrations and captions. A few Illustrations seem impossible, but the story was good. The Chronicles of Harris Burdick is fun and intriguing in a new way. If anything, may this compendium present a new kind of challenge, to perhaps out-imagine and out-write some of these amazing writers collected here.

L @ omphaloskepsis
http://contemplatrix.wordpress.com/20...
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Nov 13, 2011 Barbara rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: ncbla

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 tribute to the...more

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Jun 30, 2011 Marika rated it 5 of 5 stars

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. Van Allsbu...more

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Jan 23, 2012 Megan rated it 5 of 5 stars

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...more

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Nov 04, 2011 Erin added it

Shelves: ya-noir, ya-recommended, programming-possibilities

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 to g...more

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May 11, 2012 Miss Pippi the Librarian rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: adolescent-audio-adventures, juvenile-fiction

For more than twenty-five years, readers have been puzzling over the illustrations by this enigmatic artist. Thousands of children have been inspired to weave their own stories to go with his intriguingly titled pictures. And now, some of our most imaginative storytellers attempt to solve the perplexing mysteries of Harris Burdick.

Enter The Chronicles of Harris Burdick to hear this incredible collection of stories: magical, humerous, creepy, poignant, inscrutable, these are tales you will not fo...more

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Aug 31, 2012 Tori Emery rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: novels

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Jun 06, 2012 Amanda rated it 4 of 5 stars

As a kid I LOVED 'The Mysteries of Harris Burdick'. I was first introduced to it in elementary school by a teacher who had us pick a picture and write our own tale for the picture we chose. I wrote so many stories for these pictures, and even made my own book with new pictures and one-liners. So when I stumbled across this book on Amazon a few weeks ago, I was THRILLED to have the opportunity to read other peoples' stories, and to see how their versions stacked up against my own.

For the most par...more

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Dec 09, 2011 Kate rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2011, age-ya, age-middlegrade

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 filled with magic a...more

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Nov 15, 2011 Kevin Hodgson rated it 4 of 5 stars

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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Aug 29, 2012 Danielle Harriger rated it 4 of 5 stars

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Dec 02, 2011 April the Librarian rated it 3 of 5 stars

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 themselves are...more

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Nov 06, 2011 H rated it 4 of 5 stars

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 scienc...more

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Jan 12, 2013 Rebecca rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: art, young-adult, fantasy, children

A creative exercise with expert writers producing a wonderful collection of short stories. A few were lackluster or slightly contrived, but many were profound and touching.

Some notes:

Another Place, Another Time, by Cory Doctorow, is thought-provoking and tender (and made me eager to research dimension and Time-Space Continuum theory).
The Seven Chairs, Lois Lowry, is a simplistic yet fantastical tale that left me asking more questions than it answered.
Just Desert, M.T. Anderson, is an wonderful a...more

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About Chris Van Allsburg

Chris was born in Grand Rapids, Michigan on June 18, 1949, the second child of Doris Christiansen Van Allsburg and Richard Van Allsburg. His sister Karen was born in 1947.

Chris’s paternal grandfather, Peter, owned and operated a creamery, a place where milk was turned into butter, cream, cottage cheese, and ice cream. It was named East End Creamery and after they bottled the milk (and made the ot...more Chris was born in Grand Rapids, Michigan on June 18, 1949, the second child of Doris Christiansen Van Allsburg and Richard Van Allsburg. His sister Karen was born in 1947.

Chris’s paternal grandfather, Peter, owned and operated a creamery, a place where milk was turned into butter, cream, cottage cheese, and ice cream. It was named East End Creamery and after they bottled the milk (and made the other products) they delivered it to homes all around Grand Rapids in yellow and blue trucks.

When Chris was born, his family lived in an old farm house next door to the large brick creamery building. It was a very old house that, like the little house in Virginia Lee Burton’s story, had once looked over farmland. But by 1949, the house was surrounded by buildings and other houses. Chris’s father ran the dairy with Chris’s three uncles after his grandfather Peter retired.

When Chris was three years old, his family moved to a new house at the edge of Grand Rapids that was part of a development; a kind of planned neighborhood, that was still being built.

There remained many open fields and streams and ponds where a boy could catch minnows and frogs, or see a firefly at night. It was about a mile and a half to Breton Downs School, which Chris walked to every day and attended until 6th grade, when the Van Allsburg family moved again.

The next house they lived in was an old brick Tudor Style house in East Grand Rapids. It was a street that looked like the street on the cover of The Polar Express. The houses were all set back the same distance from the street. Between the street and the sidewalk grew enormous Elm trees whose branches reached up and touched the branches of the trees on the other side of the street. Chris moved to this street with his mom, dad, sister, and two Siamese cats. One named Fafner and the other name Eloise.

Chris went to junior and senior high school in East Grand Rapids. He didn’t take art classes during this time. His interests and talents seemed to be more in the area of math and science.

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