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387th out of 2,591 books
—
902 voters
Horns and Wrinkles
How can you tell if a river’s under a spell? River trolls, rock trolls, blue-wing fairies—the usual suspects—the stretch of the Mississippi where Claire lives has rumors of them all, not that she’s ever spotted any. But then Claire’s cousin Duke takes a swim and sprouts a horn—a long, pointy, handsome thing. After that, Claire doesn’t have much choice but to believe that s...more
Hardcover, 368 pages
Published
September 11th 2006
by Houghton Mifflin Books for Children
(first published 2006)
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Those that live on the bank of the Mississippi river have a word for the weird things that happen that there (like being turned to stone, growing a horn, or going missing) - and that's rivery. When something rivery happens, adults gets quiet and children are shuffled out of the room. But when something rivery happens to Duke, Claire's slightly younger cousin, Claire is needed to track him down and try to bring him home.
Of course, this is all complicated by river trolls, rock trolls, a missing tu...more
Of course, this is all complicated by river trolls, rock trolls, a missing tu...more
I had such high hopes for this book: great art, fantastical characters, and a whimsically bizarre plot. (side note: wouldn't "whimsically bizarre" be a great band name?) In fact, I can't quite put my finger on what went wrong; I just found the story boring. I struggled about halfway through before moving on to more interesting material. I suppose the main character just didn't "hook" me; this came across as more of a read-aloud-to-your-kids-at-bedtime story, with little emotional depth or charac...more
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Overall, this book was not the best. I don't think the story was strong and even interesting. The book needed more imagery. What I liked was that this book has a lot of great themes that I think that everyone should really follow.
This book had many themes. I think one message the author was trying to convey was that you should be kind to others and not be a bully. Bad things can happen to you for being a bully. In this book, Duke was always doing selfish things and was bullying people. He was so...more
This book had many themes. I think one message the author was trying to convey was that you should be kind to others and not be a bully. Bad things can happen to you for being a bully. In this book, Duke was always doing selfish things and was bullying people. He was so...more
Jul 11, 2011
Litland.com
rated it
5 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
juvenile, advanced & reluctant readers, boys, girls, families
This is an excellent treatment of modern folklore, which we recommend for ages 10-14 but certainly fascinating for younger advanced readers or older, reluctant readers too. http://www.litland.com/reviews_9-12/h...
It brings forth visions of when those who lived along and worked the lakes and rivers in past centuries spoke of its magical properties, and of forests full of trolls and fairies. Helgerson successfully invokes feelings of nostalgia amongst his readers similar to reading a Mark Twain s...more
It brings forth visions of when those who lived along and worked the lakes and rivers in past centuries spoke of its magical properties, and of forests full of trolls and fairies. Helgerson successfully invokes feelings of nostalgia amongst his readers similar to reading a Mark Twain s...more
Fun fun fun fun fun! I can't say enough how much I loved this children's book.
Lots of things going for this one, first each chapter is only about 3 to 4 pages long, for a child being able to say, I've read 10 chapters today!, is absolutely great. And even if it's technically cheating, that's fine as long as they are excited about it and it leads them to try and do the same for the next book they read.
Second the story is amazingly funny, with river magic, trolls, and fairies all gathered togeth...more
Lots of things going for this one, first each chapter is only about 3 to 4 pages long, for a child being able to say, I've read 10 chapters today!, is absolutely great. And even if it's technically cheating, that's fine as long as they are excited about it and it leads them to try and do the same for the next book they read.
Second the story is amazingly funny, with river magic, trolls, and fairies all gathered togeth...more
My sister Wendy recommended this book to me quite a while ago. I'm so glad I finally got around to reading it! Actually, I listened to it. We took the book on CD with us on a family trip. I really enjoyed the humor in this book and the way it is a uniquely American fantasy story. There are no castles, princesses, dragons, or other classic European fantasy elements. Instead, Helgerson gives us an inventive, "rivery" tale starring common folk and set on the Mississippi River. The fantasy elements...more
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This book was a childrens classic. Overall this was a good book but i didnt enjoy it very much. Its the kind of book that when you get bored you might pick it up and look at it to keep yourself busy. For young kids who cant read at a very advanced level its also pretty good. The author made a fantasy using american elements. It wasnt about castles, knights, princesses, and other stuff that happened in a land far away. This is about kids and trolls along a american river. The author did a great j...more
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Claire knows how to handle bullies, even the ones who are related. So when her mean cousin Duke dangles her off the Wagon Wheel Bridge and threatens to drop her, she still doesn't give him what he wants. What she doesn't know is that the river trolls also know how to handle bullies, and soon Duke is sprouting a pointy horn where his nose used to be. Before long, all kinds of rivery things are happening: Duke's parents, Claire's grandpa, and the deputy sheriff, are all turned to stone; Duke's run...more
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Quirky, orignal and utterly enchanting! I adored the rivery magic, Nettie's wonderful voice and the truly unique premise. Who can resist bullies being turned into rhinoceroses? I listened to this on audio and found myself taking the long way to prolong the pleasure of the book.
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This was a strange story revolving around a folklore of magic and magical creatures surrounding the Mississippi River. Makes me want to search my American folklore books to see if the author based it on real folk beliefs or if he made the whole thing up. Entertaining.
I picked up this book having never heard of it. I couldn't pass up the title, and the adorable picture on the front. It really does capture the essence of the book. A little dark, a little humorous.
I though just about everything was well done. The characterization was awesome, a great MG voice through the whole thing. Just the right amount of humor and in just the right spots. The whole story world is nothing like anything I've read before. A magic river in an everyday American town, complete wi...more
I though just about everything was well done. The characterization was awesome, a great MG voice through the whole thing. Just the right amount of humor and in just the right spots. The whole story world is nothing like anything I've read before. A magic river in an everyday American town, complete wi...more
I am currently reading Horns and Wrinkles. This book is interesting so far it's about a girl named Claire and her cousin Duke. Duke is kind of a bully so one day he hangs Claire over the bridge over the Mississippi river. Then these bully come along and drop Duke over the bridge. supprisingly he starts to grow an nose like a rinoseres and things start to happen. The first thing that starts to happen is Dukes mom, dad, and the head police, and his grandpa are all turned to stone. That night while...more
Loved this sweet story!! It's just fun the whole way through. I really enjoyed all of the characters and the shenanigans. Hergerson did a great job building the action and in my imagination some of the situations Claire and her "friends" get into are a hoot. I really connected with the characters (we all have someone in our lives like Grandpa B and we've all known someone like Duke-whether we wanted to or not).
The story won't necessarily surprise you since you have a pretty good idea of who's go...more
The story won't necessarily surprise you since you have a pretty good idea of who's go...more
I picked this up on a whim the last time I was at the used bookstore and am really glad that I did. I usually have at least heard of a book or author when I buy a book, but not in this case. Set in a small Minnesota town, the story is kind of about a girl trying to help her bully cousin, who falls on the wrong side of river magic, but many of the chapters have the feel of little stories of their own. It's not quite as subdivided as The Graveyard Book, but it has a bit of the same feel of wonder...more
This was a cute story but not one that I really got into.
I was kind of surprised about the end between Cousins Duke and Claire.
I do like the way the anything magical was described as something "rivery", and I did like the magical aspect of the book and how everything worked out for the best at the end, though not quite the way I expected.
It was supposed to a funny book....and maybe I just didn't get the humor. I didn't find it that funny really, though it wasn't a bad book. It was geared towa...more
I was kind of surprised about the end between Cousins Duke and Claire.
I do like the way the anything magical was described as something "rivery", and I did like the magical aspect of the book and how everything worked out for the best at the end, though not quite the way I expected.
It was supposed to a funny book....and maybe I just didn't get the humor. I didn't find it that funny really, though it wasn't a bad book. It was geared towa...more
What a completely muddled piece of mish-mash. Although there were some original ideas here, the plot was too complicated (just not well thought out or presented) to follow for my 8 year old daughter, to whom I was reading out loud (trust me she's listened to the entire His Dark Materials trilogy read aloud and can follow complex story lines just fine). The writing was lacking, and the major attraction point of this book really is the illustration on the front. There is SO much great children's l...more
I was really hopeful about this book bvecasue I love the genre, and this started off very well, but the story stalled in the middle (for me) and never really got restarted again (though it definitely got better, and I was not in danger at any time of not finishing it). I would not recommend it to any kid other than a die hard of the genre. THere is a good anti-bullying message in here, and the theme of how hard it is to break that pattern of behavior, or for bullies to see themselves as they tru...more
I would like to say, first, that the illustrator for this work is brilliant. The cover art is, of course, what caught me on this selection. The drawings are soft and complex with a whimsical quality about them. I so loved the look.
Joseph did such a good job for this book. The voice was so engaging and fun. I do admit, at moments the "rules" of the land you were in got a bit complex, but not too twisted.
The characters were honest and fun and the fairy tale elements were dead on. I, for one, wou...more
Joseph did such a good job for this book. The voice was so engaging and fun. I do admit, at moments the "rules" of the land you were in got a bit complex, but not too twisted.
The characters were honest and fun and the fairy tale elements were dead on. I, for one, wou...more
Sep 26, 2008
Jill
rated it
3 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
I can't recommend this book
Recommended to Jill by:
I saw it on Amazon.com. It has a cute cover.
I'm giving this book one star for the beginning, one for Claire, the only character I cared about, and one for not being predictable.
I was really hooked in, with this book, at first. Claire's cousin, Duke is hanging her over the side of a bridge, by her ankles, and then he drops her. Instead of getting hurt, or making a big splash, she gently floats down. Claire lands in the rowboat of a kind, old lady. Duke is dropped over the side of the bridge by two, bigger bullies. When he is fished out of...more
I was really hooked in, with this book, at first. Claire's cousin, Duke is hanging her over the side of a bridge, by her ankles, and then he drops her. Instead of getting hurt, or making a big splash, she gently floats down. Claire lands in the rowboat of a kind, old lady. Duke is dropped over the side of the bridge by two, bigger bullies. When he is fished out of...more
This fun, witty and well-written fantasy tells of Claire, who lives near a magical stretch of the Mississippi River between Minnesota and Wisconsin and of the adventure, or should I say trouble, she gets into because of her bully of a cousin, Duke.
The book opens with Duke hanging her by the ankles off a bridge over the Mississippi: "The river I was hanging over was the Mississippi, which was flooding, all muddy and solid-looking as a freight train, about twenty feet below my ponytail. It was ear...more
The book opens with Duke hanging her by the ankles off a bridge over the Mississippi: "The river I was hanging over was the Mississippi, which was flooding, all muddy and solid-looking as a freight train, about twenty feet below my ponytail. It was ear...more
Claire’s cousin Duke is a bully. He’s nasty and mean, and he’s never happier than when he’s bullying. Until one day, Duke bullies Claire near the river, and falls in—and when he comes out again, he’s grown a horn where his nose used to be.
There is no question that something rivery is going on. And when Duke’s parents get turned to stone, Claire is pretty sure that river trolls are involved. But she doesn’t have to guess anymore after Duke, horn and all, shows up outside her window and tells her...more
There is no question that something rivery is going on. And when Duke’s parents get turned to stone, Claire is pretty sure that river trolls are involved. But she doesn’t have to guess anymore after Duke, horn and all, shows up outside her window and tells her...more
Nov 30, 2008
Bee
added it
It gets a little confusing, but the author put a lot of effort into it. It's about a bully who is cursed by a Water Troll Spell and grows a horn, a full rhino horn. He will keep turing into a rhino until he does and act of goodness. His cousin sets out to help him and meets some Rock Trolls who can help her and her cousin. There is a mystery floating around that one of the Rock Troll's brother was turned human. Could Duke, the boy who is turning into a rhino, be that brother?
A pleasant fantasy story about life along the magical shores of the Mississippi river. River trolls, rock trolls, shooting stars, missing fathers, and turtles, oh my. The story is a little slow to get going, but genuinely engaging once it's underway.
(view spoiler)
(view spoiler)
"Once dressed in their catcher's outfits, the trolls pulled on their oven mitts and went into a crouch. From somewhere in the distance came a faint buzz that matched the louder one inside the fishbowl.
"Twelve o'clock!" Stump cried, pointing directly above them.
A swarm of stars came slamming out of the sky faster than hummingbirds, brighter than mirrors at noon, louder than a hive of sprayed bees.
Duke covered his head."
"Twelve o'clock!" Stump cried, pointing directly above them.
A swarm of stars came slamming out of the sky faster than hummingbirds, brighter than mirrors at noon, louder than a hive of sprayed bees.
Duke covered his head."
This is a delightful tale of a young girl and her cousin Duke. They live on the Mississippi River between Minnesota and Wisconsin. When Duke is placed under a spell by a fairy and sprouts a horn, Claire must rescue him from the river trolls who want to sell him to a fierce rock troll. Readers of all ages will enjoy this story of courage, friendship, and family. It is fast paced and funny.
I tried to read this to my 7 yr old daughter but after I started getting confused, I knew for sure that she was. This story was weird with a capital weird. Lots of things badly explained, if ever and I never really got a sense of who the characters were. The whole plot of it was rather thrown at you in a few brief and unhelpful paragraphs that created more questions than did answer. I did enjoy The Great Rock Troll though. She was illuminated well. On the whole a clean book for kids, if not a tr...more
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We listened to this in the car on audio. I told my husband I think it's like a 10-year-old boy vomited out whatever thoughts were in his mind. It's pretty much a chronological journey tale, but there seems to be very little linkage between the episodes and basically NO overall symbolic meaning or anything to give the story even the slightest depth. Even the attempts at humor fall flat.
Normally I enjoy books like this that are clean young reads and I love to discuss them with my nieces and nephews, but I had a hard time getting into this one. The little girl is a cute character but Duke is too obnoxious for me. The Old Lady could have been a great character, but I didn't feel like she got al the way there. Anyway I wont recommend it to even my nieces and nephews.
Probably geared toward upper elementary readers - this book was fun because it's set in the real world in the present time, but magical creatures play a huge part in the story. And it works so well - it feels like these creatures really might exist. I thought the story slowed down just a bit toward the end, but I think I would have just loved it in elementary school/junior high.
This book is about a boy named Duke who is a bully to his cousin Claire . One day Duke was hanging claire over a bridge by her feet when he slipped and they both fell in when they got out of the river Duke had a horn where his nose should be.This is a spell of the river trolls that haunt the bridges in his town of little rock and this is whee claire and Dukes journey begins.
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