The Boy of a Thousand Faces [Paperback]

Brian Selznick (Author, Illustrator)

Book Description

Age Level: 8 and up | Grade Level: 2 and up

Because Alonzo King was born on Halloween, he has always loved monsters. But no one would ever guess that he lives in a haunted house with a graveyard out back, communicates with the dead, turns into a six-armed, slime-covered creature, or is a walking encyclopedia on horror films! However, when The Beast arrives, not even Alonzo can track it down. Will he be able to solve the mystery of the creature stalking his town and make his dream of becoming The Boy of a Thousand Faces come true?

01-02 TX Bluebonnet Award Masterlist

01-02 TX Bluebonnet Award Masterlist

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Alonzo King dreams of being known as The Boy of a Thousand Faces after his hero, Lon Chaney, late star of horror films. Alone in his room he transforms his face with makeup and tape, and then takes pictures with a Polaroid. In a town of nonbelievers, Alonzo is an expert on monsters, vampires, and assorted ghouls. One year, as Halloween approaches (as does Alonzo's 10th birthday), rumors of a mysterious beast start circulating, and suddenly Alonzo's grisly expertise is in great demand. But who--or what--is this horrible beast that crushes gladiolas in the night and leaves claw prints on cars? And will Alonzo's wish for fame and understanding from his friends and neighbors ever come true?

Brian Selznick's black-and-white pencil drawings set a spooky stage for this story of intrigue and imagination. Although the plot is convoluted and faintly perplexing, the overall effect is pleasingly sinister. Close-ups of Mr. Blake, Alonzo's seemingly mild-mannered neighbor and cohort in all things macabre, inspire speculation about skeletons he may be harboring in his own closet. Readers will want to run right out and read The Lost City of Atlantis, or rent the old classic versions of Frankenstein, The Phantom of the Opera, and Dracula. Perfect Halloween fare from the illustrator of Andrew Clements's Frindle and Pam Munoz Ryan's Amelia and Eleanor Go for a Ride. (Ages 7 to 11) --Emilie Coulter --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Publishers Weekly

A 10-year-old boy born on Halloween has an imagination on overdrive and an obsessive love of monsters. "Characteristically detailed and moodily lit, Selznick's closely focused drawings approximate the pleasurable melodramas of the scary movies the hero so enjoys," said PW. Ages 8-up.

Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 8 and up
  
• Paperback: 48 pages
• Publisher: HarperCollins (August 21, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0064410803
• ISBN-13: 978-0064410809
• Product Dimensions: 8.8 x 6.7 x 0.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #76,018 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #21 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Children's Books > People & Places > Holidays & Festivals > Halloween
  • #37 in Books > Children's Books > Holidays & Celebrations > Halloween
  • #38 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Children's Books > Obsessions > Monsters

More About the Author

Brian Selznick is the illustrator of "Frindle" by Andrew Clements, "Riding Freedom" and "Amelia and Eleanor Go For A Ride," both by Pam Munoz Ryan; as well as his own book "The Houdini Box," winner of the 1993 Texas Bluebonnet Award. Mr. Selznick lives in Brooklyn, New York.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Turn out the lights and read by ... flashlight!, October 12, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: The Boy of a Thousand Faces (Hardcover)

Brian Selznick has created a perfect Halloween story book for the younger school age set. They will ask to see "Frankenstein", "Dracula", and "The Wolf Man" after reading and seeing the pictures in this little book of "horrors". The beginning was a little fragmented and slow to grow but once the story was moving to the main problem as to who "the beast" was, you really wanted to know more and why. The ending was very cute; maybe too cute for me, but I'm not 10 years old. The telling of this tale will help parents in getting their kids to talk about their fears, their dreams for the future, their secret desires! The boy hero is a real kid with hidden dreams who is able to finally show those dreams to his friends and family!

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Brian Selznick Creates Masterpieces!, October 17, 2007

By 

Lynn Ellingwood "The ESOL Teacher" (Webster, NY United States) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Boy of a Thousand Faces (Paperback)

This is a fun book about the magic movies have over people and their memories. A 10 year old boy is obsessed with having a thousand faces just like Lon Chaney. He watches many films and tries to recall all the faces that Lon Chaney had in different films. No one can really capture in their mind what Lon Chaney really looked like because he preferred to appear in character and the films are what lives on. I am a teacher and I defintely want to read this book and show The Phantom of the Opera to them. It is a great introduction to popular culture, and silent films. Lon Chaney was a very gifted actor and he was a pioneer in movie makeup. It's nice that Brian Selznick, a member of the Selznick family of movie fame, remembers him so fondly. I also remember taking out 8mm movies out of the library and showing them on our Super 8 projector. They were edited versions of The Mummy, Phantom of the Opera, The Wolf Man etc. without sound or music. We loved them, and borrowed them again and again. What memories they have for me.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The boy if a thousand faces, March 13, 2002

By 

marcia fleury (Upstate New York United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Boy of a Thousand Faces (Hardcover)

I thought this was a wonderful book. It had everything a kids book should have, mystery, adventure and best of all it dealt with Halloween, every kids delight, even at 43!