What do you think?
Rate this book
Spotlight Club Mysteries
Mystery of the Lonely Lantern
After seeing a mysterious stranger in an abandoned house on Halloween, the members of the Spotlight Club try to learn his identity.
128 pages, Library Binding
First published November 1, 1976
About the author
Florence Parry Heide
124 books39 followers"What do I like about writing for children? Everything," says Florence Parry Heide, the award-winning author of more than sixty children’s books, including the classic THE SHRINKING OF TREEHORN, illustrated by Edward Gorey. "I like the connection with children," the author says. "I like the connection with all kinds of book people. And I like the connection with my childhood self, which is the most of me. It is the most welcome and familiar of worlds. There miracles abound--indeed it is magical that something I might think of can be put into words, stories, ideas, and that those words end up in the heads of readers I will never meet."
Florence Parry Heide wrote SOME THINGS ARE SCARY, a humorous look at childhood bugaboos, more than thirty years ago. "I had finished another book and was in the mood to write something else," she says. "I decided to get some kindling from the garage, reached into the kindling box and--good grief!--grabbed something soft and mushy. I fled back to the house, scared to death." A brave return visit to the kindling box revealed the object of terror to be nothing more than a discarded wet sponge, but the thought remained: some things are scary. As she recalls, "What scared me as a child was that I’d never learn how to be a real grownup--and the fact is, I never did find out how it goes."
One thing Florence Parry Heide does have a good handle on is the concept of friendship, in all its humorous manifestations. THAT’S WHAT FRIENDS ARE FOR, a tongue-in-cheek tale cowritten with Sylvia Van Clief in 1967, pokes at the tendency of well-meaning friends to offer advice instead of help, and presents a valuable lesson about what true friendship means. "One of my many (true) sayings is ‘A new friend is around the corner of every single day,’ " the author declares. "Also true: Friendships last. And last."
Born and raised in Pennsylvania, Florence Parry Heide worked in advertising and public relations in New York City before returning to Pittsburgh during World War II. After the war, she and her husband moved to Wisconsin, where they raised five children, two of whom have cowritten critically acclaimed books with their mother. Florence Parry Heide now lives in Wisconsin.
Florence Parry Heide wrote SOME THINGS ARE SCARY, a humorous look at childhood bugaboos, more than thirty years ago. "I had finished another book and was in the mood to write something else," she says. "I decided to get some kindling from the garage, reached into the kindling box and--good grief!--grabbed something soft and mushy. I fled back to the house, scared to death." A brave return visit to the kindling box revealed the object of terror to be nothing more than a discarded wet sponge, but the thought remained: some things are scary. As she recalls, "What scared me as a child was that I’d never learn how to be a real grownup--and the fact is, I never did find out how it goes."
One thing Florence Parry Heide does have a good handle on is the concept of friendship, in all its humorous manifestations. THAT’S WHAT FRIENDS ARE FOR, a tongue-in-cheek tale cowritten with Sylvia Van Clief in 1967, pokes at the tendency of well-meaning friends to offer advice instead of help, and presents a valuable lesson about what true friendship means. "One of my many (true) sayings is ‘A new friend is around the corner of every single day,’ " the author declares. "Also true: Friendships last. And last."
Born and raised in Pennsylvania, Florence Parry Heide worked in advertising and public relations in New York City before returning to Pittsburgh during World War II. After the war, she and her husband moved to Wisconsin, where they raised five children, two of whom have cowritten critically acclaimed books with their mother. Florence Parry Heide now lives in Wisconsin.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 of 1 review
August 11, 2013
“Mystery of the Lonely Lantern” is a Spotlight Club Mystery featuring Cindy and Jay Temple and their friend Dexter Tate, who often work together as junior detectives to solve the mysteries that they encounter. This time the mystery is in their own town of Kenoska, Illinois. On Halloween night, Cindy notices someone wearing a black mask in an abandoned house that is for sale, and later when she has a run-in with the masked figure, she and her brother and Dexter decide to find out what secrets the house may hold.
With mild danger and excitement, this mystery series is suitable for young readers aged 8 and up, and black-and-white illustrations enhance the reading experience. Most of the action is very benign, and even the villains are generally harmless. The mystery itself is solved partly through detective skills and partly through coincidence and luck, but readers who enjoy stories with a slightly mysterious plotline that involves friendship and politeness will find their wishes fulfilled with this series.
With mild danger and excitement, this mystery series is suitable for young readers aged 8 and up, and black-and-white illustrations enhance the reading experience. Most of the action is very benign, and even the villains are generally harmless. The mystery itself is solved partly through detective skills and partly through coincidence and luck, but readers who enjoy stories with a slightly mysterious plotline that involves friendship and politeness will find their wishes fulfilled with this series.
Displaying 1 of 1 review