Customer Reviews

The Lake That Stole Children: A Fable

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I found myself reading very quickly to get to the outcome, so I intend to re-read this well-written fable to savor its message.

Part fantasy tale, part mystery tale, this short book tells the tale of what can happen when a person is locked into sadness. The fisherman, Cal, is a stern father of two young children, a daughter and son. While the daughter, much like his wife, dutifully listens to him and does not disobey, his son is a bit of a wild child yearning for adventure.

The son gets that and more when he is pulled into the river that ultimately leads into Flat Horn Lake and a magical creature. The son isn't the only child to disappear in this way over the years. Soon the fisherman is forced to confront his own behavior while he attempts to rescue his own son and the other children.

A quick read at 40 pages, this self published book is designed to appeal to "young and adult readers." Though it will clearly work best for the middle school reader as older readers may find the author's heavy use of excessively flowery prose a turn off.

"Soon the boy began to cry. His sobbing was so loud the forest began to heave in sympathy. Berries and nuts dove from bushes, leaves flew from their branches, and the sky drooped against the soaring pines." (Page 9)

The basic point that Mr. Clark is making regarding some parents are too harsh and strict with children in an attempt to protect them from everything comes through clearly to the reader. However, there is alack of nuance to the point which harms the overall message. The fisherman is portrayed as an overly strict father because he is stern while the mother and daughter are portrayed as meek and bordering on being mentally abused. Though the father is raising his voice in dangerous situations trying to protect his son from vanishing into the river it comes across as he somehow is doing something wrong. His wife routinely does nothing when the boy misbehaves and the good daughter is seen as good simply because she does exactly what she is told to do just like the wife. Once the boy goes missing after sneaking out of the house, it is the entire fault of the fisherman and he is blamed by both the daughter and the mother. Love is withheld by the wife at a critical time when it is needed the most by her husband. The overall character image depicted is of a father who somehow didn't care about things until his son vanished, then takes steps to rescue not only the child but his family as well.

The actual tale embedded in "the Lake That Stole Children" is a pretty good one despite the frequently overwrought prose. The magical creature is what seasoned readers would expect and yet fits well into the story while proving both good symbolism and a foil for the fisherman.

With above issues noted, the result is a good read primarily suitable for the middle school crowd that will occasionally appeal to members of a wider audience. While always important with any book, clearly with the way certain issues are depicted in this self published novel, parents and educators that use this book with children should also have discussions about the material with them.

Material provided directly by the author in exchange for objective review.


Kevin R. Tipple (copyright) 2009

A young girl and boy are on their first fishing expedition with their strict father who prizes obedience to his words more than anything else. The father is preparing his rod and reel while his two children prepare their short poles. They stand not far from the edge of a huge rock above a fast flowing stream.

The obedient daughter patiently waits further coaching from her father. Not the son! He anxiously casts before getting his father's final instructions and approval. Off balance, he begins to lose footing from his slippery perch. The fisherman leaps to his feet and grabs the boy by the collar before he falls to be swept away by the stream's swift current.

In The Lake That Stole Children, Angry at his son's disobedience, the fisherman bellows at the boy so loudly that even birds in the forest flee from their tree nests: "See what can happen when you ignore your father!" The daughter and son are told they must continue to practice casting their lures close to shore.

The son resents this boring directive. He wants to cast out into the stream's center so he can catch big fish like his master-fly-fisherman father is doing. Silent and discouraged, both daughter and son continue practicing.

After seeing how discouraged her young son was, later that night when both children are in bed, she tells her husband he is too stern with their son. She feels the boy needs more love than harsh discipline.

The young boy cannot sleep. The night cries of the river are beckoning. He steals away to the fishing rock carrying his father's prized rod, reel, and fishing pail. At the rock, he casts far into the gushing stream's center.

In a flash, something huge tugs hard on his lure. He attempts to wind in his line toward shore but his young body is neither heavy enough nor strong enough. He refuses to let go of the fishing rod fearing his father's rage if he discovers it missing.

Into The Lake That Stole Children splashes the young lad desperately gripping the rod. As he is drawn through the stream and out into a great lake, he sees a brilliant light coming fast at him. He hears the soulful cries of many children deep in the lake.

Who are these children? Where are they? Are they mere ghosts or specters of this terrified boys unbridled imagination? Will the disobedient boy drown? And what will become of the fisherman and his wife?

As a former teacher, I would highly recommend this descriptive short tale especially to educators who are trying to stimulate imaginative writing in their students. Read sentences from the story like, "From the depths of the dark lake, a round beam of light steamed upward, like the warm glow of a fat lantern." Then ask students to write their own simple story or paragraph describing what the light could be. This could provide as much enjoyment as letting the kids take turns, reading their own masterpieces or one another's sentences aloud.

Any reader who likes fables will appreciate this magical story. In my mind, The Lake That Stole Children, is a story for both adults and children. Is it too frightening for kids? I think not. It should not scare kids any more than Pinocchio and his father being swallowed by a great whale.

Review written by Regis Schilken
Author of:
Tears of Deceit

Other fascinating tales:
Battle Scarred
Equal Time Point

The fisherman knows only discipline and strict obedience in raising his two children. Although his son also wants to fish in the river, he is repeatedly denied his heart's desire. Until one night he goes against his father's wishes and faces the river by himself.

The lake claims the son, who joins other children inside a large glass fish. Their common bond is sadness, and the adults on the shore don't want to face their part in the children's disappearances. But the fisherman wants his son back, and he's brave enough to face the glass fish.

Written in fable style, The Lake That Stole Children shows us many facets of our emotions and personalities. In this tale, the father recognizes his own limitations, and makes positive changes as a result of losing his son. And in seeing his father change, the boy grows up learning how to be a better father.

While the author intended this story to be a harrowing thriller for young adults, I didn't feel there was enough action to grab the teen audience. But as a short story for adults, it packed a powerful message. Parents always need to be aware of their kids' emotions before they disappear into their sadness, lost to us forever.

Reviewer: Alice Berger, Bergers Book Reviews

In this fable we meet a fisherman, his wife and two children, a boy and a girl. They live in a small village by the sea. The fisherman is a stern man, wanting complete obedience from his children, priding that above all. He is blinded to the emotional needs of his children.The sister tries very hard to please her father, but the son yearns to taste of life and take chances, something his father forbids.

The village holds a dark mysterious secret that no one talks about, but one that causes deep sorrow in the land. In their mystical lake there is a stealer of the true treasure of life, the children. Now it has taken the fisherman's son away and causes him to come face to face with what love and life are all about as he sets out on a quest to not only free his son from the thrones of the lake, but other children as well. The question is, will he make it in time, or lose his life trying.

Our author wrote quite a tale in this work, one that weaves around the mystic feel that a fable should have. The forest responding to the emotions of the people, the lake brimming with a life force that is mysterious and dangerous, capturing the essence of their hearts as they lose their most precious treasures to it, their children. The characters live in a world of enchantment and the reader is drawn into that world by the words and story of Douglas Clark. The descriptive power of his words in many instances was exceptional.

I enjoyed this read. I liked the way the father came to the realization of what his children truly needed from him as a father, and how the son understood that there indeed were dangers in the world that he was not ready to battle. And a happy ending is always a good thing.

In a small village, a fisherman teaches his children, Tilly and Tyler, how to fish. Tilly is a good little girl and listens to her father's instructions on how to cast a pole. Tyler, on the other hand, wants to be a master fisherman like his father. He doesn't listen to his father's instructions. So, when he gets his fishing line stuck in a tree, his father yells at him.


Not to be discouraged, Tyler waits until late at night when everyone is sleeping to sneak out. He borrows his father's fishing pole and lures and goes to the river. He tries and tries to cast out into the middle of the river, but his lines keep getting stuck on assorted rocks and trees. But, after many failed attempts, he finally achieves his goal. The line is in the center of the river, and now maybe he can catch a big fish! Then suddenly, something tugs on his fishing line, and it is too powerful for Tyler to reel in. It tugs him so hard, it pulls him pole and all into the river. It pulls and drags so deep into the water, he sees a white light.


THE LAKE THAT STOLE CHILDREN tells a very important message to young and adult readers. The fable reads smoothly and the pages turn quickly as the story unfolds. With a unique storyline, and written in a beautiful style, I found enjoyment. I loved it!

This tiny book was a very quick read - less than an hour - but it was reminiscent of fables and stories I remember from my childhood. The story is about a Fisherman who is somewhat harsh with his son and daughter - heavy on the discipline, light on love and emotions.

When the Lake steals the Fisherman's only son, his zeal and determination to rescue, not only his son, but all the children captured by the lake, shines a different light on his character and his heartfelt emotions come shining through.

Full of descriptive and delightful prose, this fable begs to be read aloud. Although marketed to young adults, children of all ages will enjoy will enjoy hearing this story and will marvel at the important lesson the Fisherman learns.

The Lake that Stole Children is a short book aimed at pre-teens. It is a fairy tale-type story where magical forces teach the characters a lesson, but where everyone lives happily ever after. The main characters are a father and son. The father wants to keep the boy safe; the boy craves adventure and wants more freedom. His father sees discipline as love; the boy does not. Disobeying his father, he ends up trapped, along with other local children who have tried to escape their parent's care. His father ends up rescuing not only him, but all the other children too, and learning a lesson in the process. Unfortunately, I don't think the son did. In other words, while the father learns that discipline must be tempered; the son doesn't learn that discipline is love.

Like most books I've recevied via Bostick, this one is self-published. After reading some of them, it is obvious they were not written by professional writers. That is not the case here. Clark is a professional writer and it shows. His use of language is almost poetic.

After finishing this little book (it is a very quick read, only about 40 pages), I found myself feeling somewhat dissatisfied. The book tells the story of a family; a fisherman, his wife, and their two small children, a boy and a girl. The children of the fisherman love to watch their father fish, and the little boy especially longs to catch the beautiful fish that his father seems to capture with ease. The father sternly reproves his son for trying to cast in his line by himself, an action which almost causes the son to fall into the swift current of the river. The father's stern words and gruff nature cause problems between himself and his son, and eventually lead the boy to answer the call of the lake and find himself a prisoner of a great glass fish.

There were several passages of downright beautiful writing in this book. I loved how the author described the boys eyes as, "full of leaping fish and rainbows." In some ways, I do appreciate the message that the author was trying to get across, that we must allow our children to experience things and we can't shelter them from life because we are afraid for them. However, in this case, I felt that this fable was fundamentally flawed. I am currently in the process of raising a toddler. While I do try to let my child have many varied experiences, and to maintain my patience, there are times when I do raise my voice and sternly discipline her for her own safety. I was troubled that the fisherman was portrayed as somehow an unkind parent because he was angry at his son for not taking the dangers of the river seriously. I found myself agreeing with the fisherman when he told his wife that, "discipline is love." I was also bothered that the fisherman's wife seemed to blame him entirely for everything that had happened, and that she was untroubled about the disobedience of her son.

In conclusion, I do feel that this author has some talent, and I would be interested to read what he writes in the future. I cannot however recommend this book as I don't agree with the moral of the story.

What a delightful fable for children, young adults and adults! The Lake That Stole Children by Douglas Glenn Clark is beautifully written with a literary flair that hearkens back to our memories of treasured nursery rhymes. In many ways, it reminded me of Hansel and Gretel who leaves home and encounters . . .The Witch!

Only in this tale, it is the father that learns the most!

You see, Cal was a fisherman who, though he loved his children very much, had grown stern and demanding of total obedience. So, when he took his two children, Tilly and Tyler, fishing, it was a time to learn, rather than to also enjoy the experience and fun they were having. So neither Tilly nor Tyler would catch any fish; however, one night Tyler decided that he knew how to use his father's big fishing pole and he left home to go fishing all by himself.

After many failed attempts, Tyler was finally able to have the fishing line go way out into the lake. Soon, there was a tug on his line! But the pull was so strong that Tyler was pulled right into the lake!

Morgan, Cal's wife, was so miserable and she blamed Cal for what happened, knowing that he was too stern with his children. Cal tried to get help from the neighbors; however, there had been other children who had disappeared and they thought that Tyler, too, had drowned. But one couple knew differently. They had been out near the lake looking for their lost child and they had heard children crying!

Cal and Walter went out onto the lake, trying to find their children. Cal wondered why they couldn't hear the children crying and Walter said he had only heard them when he was crying himself. Cal felt so badly that he, too, cried and when he heard the children, he just knew he could hear Tyler above all the rest.

He had no choice--he set out to find his son one night!

Clark's heartwarming story is perfect for parents to read to their children. Reading stories such as The Lake That Stole Children by Douglas Glenn Clark allows parents an opportunity to sit and talk with children about dangers that they may face in life. The story may be used to share caution within a guided discussion. There is sufficient mystery and adventure that will delight the young; there is much to be learned by parents as well! What more could be gained from a wonderful fable! This book would make a beautiful birthday or holiday gift! Highly recommended!


G. A. Bixler