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Elliot Stone and the Mystery of the Alien Mom
When Elliot Stone, a nine-year-old boy, overhears a grown-up telephone conversation, he takes the information out of context and lets his young imagination run away with him. During his encounter with several minor disasters, Elliot displays maturity, bravery and intelligence while maintaining the innocence and sweetness of a little boy. Parents and children alike will enjoy the suspense and comedy that take Elliot and his friends on this unforgettable mission.
128 pages, Paperback
First published November 3, 2004
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January 5, 2008
This children's novel follows the adventures of Elliot Stone, a nine-year old boy who overhears an adult telephone conversation, takes it out of context, and lets his imagination run wild. The tale is complemented by illustrations from the pen of Deborah Cuneo, which work to enhance the narrative. The book even includes a reading quiz for kids, though the questions are a bit trivial.
The premise of the novel is slightly fantastical--that three children, even nine year olds, would be so quickly willing to believe that Elliot's Mom is turning into an alien requires some suspension of disbelief. But our narrator Elliot is a believable and likeable character, and readers will soon be immersed in his world. Although the novel, being written in Elliot's voice, has simple sentence structure, it is not "dumbed-down." Elliot has a good vocabulary and incorporates occasional "big words" naturally into his narrative.
Adult readers will be trying to solve a mystery quite different from that of the narrator: we will want to know the real story behind the "clues" Elliot misinterprets. And although most adults will be able to guess easily what is "happening" to Elliot's Mom, they will still be curious to figure out how everything fits into that scenario, particularly the green goop and the tentacled, blinking creature. Adults will enjoy viewing events from Elliot's perspective while still being able to laugh at his childlike observations. Children will be able to relate to his everyday concerns and will be entertained by his wilder dealings.
There are few minor problems that could have been fixed by an editor: missing quotation marks, accidental line breaks in the middle of paragraphs, and a one-time inconsistency in narration (i.e. the first person narrator somehow manages to narrate a scene from which he is absent, as though he were a third person omniscient narrator). But on the whole, Elliot Stone is well written. It is a fun romp for child and parent alike, with a tightly knitted, fast-paced plotline.
The story doesn't really have much of a moral, other than "don't jump to conclusions" (and even that seems fun in the novel). Our hero gets away with sneaking a girl into his house without punishment, and he really doesn't endure much of a consequence from turning in a science project late. But it is in part the obviously didactic and often overbearing manner of many modern children's stories that make them so much less enjoyable than the stories of my childhood, so I would rather have read a fun tale like this than a moralistic one. The tales of my youth did communicate morals, but they did so in such a subtle way that I often could not have told you what those morals were. Those stories were meant to capture the child's imagination, not simply tell him what to think, and Elliot Stone has the same good intentions.
I had forgotten how much fun children's literature can be--how great kids' books can make you want to sneak a peek at a novel under your desk during class. Elliot Stone made me look forward to a future day when I will be reading more such books with my daughter.
The premise of the novel is slightly fantastical--that three children, even nine year olds, would be so quickly willing to believe that Elliot's Mom is turning into an alien requires some suspension of disbelief. But our narrator Elliot is a believable and likeable character, and readers will soon be immersed in his world. Although the novel, being written in Elliot's voice, has simple sentence structure, it is not "dumbed-down." Elliot has a good vocabulary and incorporates occasional "big words" naturally into his narrative.
Adult readers will be trying to solve a mystery quite different from that of the narrator: we will want to know the real story behind the "clues" Elliot misinterprets. And although most adults will be able to guess easily what is "happening" to Elliot's Mom, they will still be curious to figure out how everything fits into that scenario, particularly the green goop and the tentacled, blinking creature. Adults will enjoy viewing events from Elliot's perspective while still being able to laugh at his childlike observations. Children will be able to relate to his everyday concerns and will be entertained by his wilder dealings.
There are few minor problems that could have been fixed by an editor: missing quotation marks, accidental line breaks in the middle of paragraphs, and a one-time inconsistency in narration (i.e. the first person narrator somehow manages to narrate a scene from which he is absent, as though he were a third person omniscient narrator). But on the whole, Elliot Stone is well written. It is a fun romp for child and parent alike, with a tightly knitted, fast-paced plotline.
The story doesn't really have much of a moral, other than "don't jump to conclusions" (and even that seems fun in the novel). Our hero gets away with sneaking a girl into his house without punishment, and he really doesn't endure much of a consequence from turning in a science project late. But it is in part the obviously didactic and often overbearing manner of many modern children's stories that make them so much less enjoyable than the stories of my childhood, so I would rather have read a fun tale like this than a moralistic one. The tales of my youth did communicate morals, but they did so in such a subtle way that I often could not have told you what those morals were. Those stories were meant to capture the child's imagination, not simply tell him what to think, and Elliot Stone has the same good intentions.
I had forgotten how much fun children's literature can be--how great kids' books can make you want to sneak a peek at a novel under your desk during class. Elliot Stone made me look forward to a future day when I will be reading more such books with my daughter.
Displaying 1 of 1 review