The Return of Skeleton Man [Paperback]

Joseph Bruchac (Author), Sally Wern Comport (Illustrator)

Book Description

Age Level: 10 and up | Grade Level: 5 and up

The monster has returned . . .

Molly thought she'd put her traumatic past behind her when she escaped from Skeleton Man last year. She thought her family would finally be able to live happily ever after. She thought wrong.

Skeleton Man is back for revenge—but this time Molly is ready.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 4-8–Molly and her parents are still trying to find a sense of normalcy after the events of Bruchac's heart-pounding Skeleton Man (HarperCollins, 2001). Here, they're off on a vacation to the Mohonk Mountain House in the Hudson Valley. Skeleton Man is presumed dead, but, as the family settles in, Molly starts seeing small signs that perhaps he's still pursuing them. As in the first book, the preteen protagonist tells her story in the first-person present, a device that keeps the narrative moving but is awkward in passages in which she provides extended backstory or attempts to analyze her feelings in real time. The book relies on a sense of menace that's never fully realized. Molly's fears are vague until Skeleton Man makes his appearance three quarters of the way through the book, and then he proves surprisingly easy to defeat. Even so, this engaging and fast-paced sequel to a modern horror classic will be in demand.–Adrienne Furness, Webster Public Library, NY
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Booklist

Even readers unfamiliar with the popular horror story Skeleton Man (2001) will have no problem understanding this sequel. Molly, the contemporary Mohawk protagonist of the earlier book, is haunted by her memories of what happened when the skeleton monster kidnapped her and her parents. Now the teenager is at a huge, fancy lodge in upper New York State, where her father is attending a business conference, and Skeleton Man is after them again, in the dark corridors and along the trails. Molly narrates the story, which blends Mohawk tradition and legend with contemporary details ("Indian telepathy is O.K," but Molly also needs her cell phone and drives a bulldozer) as it follows Molly's struggle to rout the monster yet again. Hazel Rochman
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 10 and up
  
• Paperback: 144 pages
• Publisher: HarperCollins; Reprint edition (July 1, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0060580925
• ISBN-13: 978-0060580926
• Product Dimensions: 7.7 x 5.8 x 0.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,020,765 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #27 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Children's Books > Authors & Illustrators, A-Z > ( B ) > Bruchac, Joseph

More About the Author

Joseph Bruchac is a highly acclaimed Abenaki children's book author, poet, novelist and storyteller, as well as a scholar of Native American culture. Coauthor with Michael Caduto of the bestselling Keepers of the Earth series, Bruchac's poems, articles and stories have appeared in over 500 publications, from Akwesasne Notes and American Poetry Review to National Geographic and Parabola. He has authored more than 50 books for adults and children. For more information about Joseph, please visit his website www.josephbruchac.com.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Fails in Comparison, March 22, 2008

By 

Trent J. Doerges "Fifth Grade Teacher" (Omaha, NE United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Return of Skeleton Man (Hardcover)

Earlier this year, I read Skeleton Man by Joseph Bruchac with one of my lower reading groups and loved it. It was a great mix of Native American myth/culture and mystery. I found that my students loved it as well, so when a fourth grade teacher bought the sequel for me to have, I was excited to read it.

And then I read it.

The Return of Skeleton Man fails in comparison to its first installment. For the first half of the book, Molly basically recounts her story from the first novel telling the reader over and over what they probably already know of the story. I found that her parents, not kidnapped this time by Skeleton Man, did not add to the story in the least.

Finally, when Skeleton Man made his appearance in the last third of the book, it was anticlimactic. The basic running through the woods away form the bad guy hit its peak with a lackluster showdown in the woods.

I do still like the fact that Molly shows a strong female character and role model for children. She uses her brain and faith to overcome obstacles, but this second installment of the series (I am assuming there will be another one, even after the author bashes horror movie series that showcase a mythical and invincible antagonist) falls short of expectations.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars quick read, July 22, 2007

By 

Melissa Sack (georgia) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Return of Skeleton Man (Hardcover)

This is the sequel to Skeleton Man. Molly escaped the skeloton man last year and is trying to get on with he life. While on vacation with her parents the skeleton man returns to try and lure Molly to him again! This she fights back and is able to escape him!

I would recommend this book to people that like mysteries because it is so interesting and it will give you something to think about.

It shows that girls can be strong and solve problems.

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Read Aloud, September 11, 2009

By 

Amanda "rinkragirl" (Idaho) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Return of Skeleton Man (Paperback)

This is a great book to read aloud to your students before Halloween! I read it to my 3rd graders every year...apparently someone loved it so much they stole it from my classroom! I would buy this book again and again!