At first, Johnny Dixon doesn't believe Professor Childermass's story about Evaristus Sloane, the insane inventor of a fiendish, baseball-pitching r...
read full description
reviews
Aug 27, 2011
Anna
rated it: 
Gothic horror for children. Bellairs was one of my favorite authors when I was a kid, but this is my first time reading this particular book.
The problem with reading Bellairs as an adult is that it seems unbelievable when the characters don't seem to learn anything from book to book - Johnny gets a bad feeling about something and they all brush it off every time, and yet every time this happens, something terrible follows. No lessons are learned.
But this was one of the things th More...
The problem with reading Bellairs as an adult is that it seems unbelievable when the characters don't seem to learn anything from book to book - Johnny gets a bad feeling about something and they all brush it off every time, and yet every time this happens, something terrible follows. No lessons are learned.
But this was one of the things th More...
Aug 07, 2009
Justin
rated it: 
Bellairs at his finest. Iconic imagery of the baseball-playing robot with stolen human eyes. The creeping danger Johnny faces. I love how Bellairs gives the villains a lurid goal - to steal Johnny's eyes - and couples that with a gradual invasion of his life, successively removing the blanket of comfort and safety he thought he had.
The climax is particularly gratifying. Unlike some of Bellairs' books, where the conflict resolves in a passive way (or an off-stage way) this feature More...
The climax is particularly gratifying. Unlike some of Bellairs' books, where the conflict resolves in a passive way (or an off-stage way) this feature More...
Aug 10, 2011
Lia
rated it:
I love Bellairs' scary mysteries. I loved them as a child, too. They were just scary enough so I would make a running leap for the bed in the darkened room, but not scary enough to keep me awake. I also feel like he takes his young characters seriously. That even when the young mind is passionately irrational, it is still real.
I read the copy with Edward Gorey's perfect illustrations. Really, he's the perfect choice.
I read the copy with Edward Gorey's perfect illustrations. Really, he's the perfect choice.
Jun 24, 2009
Rey
rated it: 
The creepy baseball-playing killer robot with human eyes scared me senseless as a kid. The dark Edward Gorey illustrations capture the mood perfectly. But like most John Bellairs stories (which were written mainly for kids), it was such a quick and fun read, that I wish there was more of it.
Apr 10, 2009
Catherine
rated it:
Grades 4+ Johnny Dixon is kidnapped by an evil scientist who has invented a horrifying robot that requires human eyes.
Jun 02, 2011
Derek
rated it:
The entire book has a sort of retro feel, as though it inhabits the same sort of historical cul-de-sac as the Peanuts comics and Ray Bradbury stories. I had to explain to my son certain technologies that have since become obsolete, and at three months old he is not expected to know them.
The premise is interestingly off-kilter. The bad guys build a killer robot in order to win a baseball contest.
The premise is interestingly off-kilter. The bad guys build a killer robot in order to win a baseball contest.
Jun 14, 2008
Meril
rated it:
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers.
To view it, click here
Jan 16, 2008
Tanvir
rated it:
This book rocks. This book scared me so much I was hiding in my bedsheets. This book is the typical Dr. Frankenstien book. i would love to review this book. LOL. I am. Oh well, read this book. I triple doggy, dare ya!
Nov 27, 2007
Marjanne
rated it:
The fifth book in the Johnny Dixion series. Don't let the cover deceive you, there is a more interesting story in this book than it would lead you to believe. I was pleasantly surprised.
Apr 18, 2009
John
rated it:
I read this book when I was about 10, It freaked me out! I always loved that about John Bellairs' books. (not all of them did this, but the writing always sucked me in)
Oct 03, 2009
Rob
rated it: 
Slower paced and less scary than some of his other ones, like The Curse of the Blue Figurine.
Jan 13, 2012
Jan 10, 2012
Jan 07, 2012
