The Steps Up The Chimney [Mass Market Paperback]

William Corlett (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 1, 2000 | Series: Magician's House Quartet (Book 1)

The Magician's House Quartet

Thirteen-year-old William Constant and his two younger sisters, Mary and Alice, have come to ancient, mysterious Golden House in Wales for the holidays. Their lives will never be the same once they enter the Magician's House -- and discover their destiny.

What evil lurks in Golden House?
The children know...

William knew something was wrong from the moment they arrived at the railroad station on the border of Wales. First came the stranger who said his name was Steven. "Remember me," he said. Then he vanished. By the time they reached Golden House, even Mary and Alice felt something odd. Who -- or what -- are the strange animals...a fox, a dog, an owl...that seem to be able to read their minds? Why is it that sometimes the children even see out of the eyes of the animals and hear with their ears? And what is that prickling sensation pulling them toward the secret steps up the chimney? Nothing can stop them as they are drawn deep into the old house, into the realm of the Magician.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Gr 5-8-With their doctor parents in Ethiopia, William Constant and his younger sisters must spend winter holidays with their Uncle Jack and his girlfriend in a remote mansion in Wales. The children adore their Uncle Jack, but are suspicious of pregnant Phoebe, a vegetarian. With nothing to do and the prospect of a meatless Christmas dinner staring them in the face, the youngsters are miserable. Then, as Uncle Jack begins to discover the strange history of his newly purchased house and Phoebe and the animals of the countryside begin acting strangely, the siblings notice a window at the top of the chimney. Quick figuring leads them to the conclusion that there is a secret room, and thanks to a trick of the light, William discovers the steps in the chimney that lead them to a magician. Stephen Tyler, magician and visitor from the past, says they will be tested, and they are. When the house becomes snowbound and Phoebe goes into labor, it's up to the children and their animal companions to save the day (and the baby). This first book in a quartet (already finished in its native Britain) might be paced a bit slowly for some American readers, but the writing is excellent, the mood appropriate and sustained, and the characters nicely rounded. A must for all paperback fantasy collections.-Timothy Capehart, Leominster Public Library, MA

Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

Review

Good Housekeeping One of the best written and most exciting series of novels for young readers. -- Review

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 12 and up
  
• Mass Market Paperback: 288 pages
• Publisher: Simon Pulse (August 1, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0743410017
• ISBN-13: 978-0743410014
• Product Dimensions: 6.8 x 4.2 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.9 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,063,582 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Steps Up The Chimney, October 19, 2000

A Kid's Review

This review is from: The Steps Up The Chimney (Mass Market Paperback)

The steps up the chimney is a great book and no book about magic even comes close, that includes Harry Potter. The book is very gripping and the Alice/Pheobe storyline is a great way to show the tension in the household. Little Alice is pushed asside as no one believes her story of spot. From there on in the story begins to unravel and the majician sufaces.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This Book ROCKS!!!!, February 9, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: The Steps Up The Chimney (Mass Market Paperback)

This book is better than any other book ive read including Harry Potter, I stayed up past my bedtime reading it and the second i finished this one i started to read the second book in the series(The Door in the Tree).These books beckon you and persuade you to keep on reading till the end (unfortunatelyonly two books in the quartet are finished so far). It is not true(duh!) but it is more exciting than any book in the world.

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars A flawed entry, February 3, 2001

By 

E. A Solinas "ea_solinas" (MD USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Steps Up The Chimney (Mass Market Paperback)

This book is something of a mixed bag, combining good suspense with uneven pacing and description. There were also a few threads that were, honestly, not necessary in this book.

Three kids, in the manner of Alan Garner's books, are sent to their uncle's peculiar mansion, an old house with strange animals creeping nearby and a series of steps going up the chimney. Tension is rampant in the house, as Uncle Jack and his live-in, vegetarian girlfriend Phoebe are having a baby and are not married. At the same time, a mysterious, magical man named Steven Tyler is lurking near the house with designs on the people inside...

Though the suspense in this book is pretty good, it often slams to a halt rather than building to a climax. The descriptive language when talking about nature and the outdoors is wonderful, but unfortunately we never get clear pictures of the characters or the inside of Golden House.

I found that the whole subplot with Phoebe and Jack to be rather unnecessary, and an item that some parents may not want their kids to read about, as both characters believe that there's nothing unusual about cohabitation and single motherhood. It's a mature matter that somehow was jarring in with the innocent "children on holiday encounter magic" plotline. I also found it distracting that the girls spend so much time suspecting that Phoebe is a witch, then simply drop the matter when she has the child.

The magician unfortunately lacks the majesty of such wizards as Gandalf, Merlin, Albus Dumbledore... he simply appears, talks, then vanishes again. The ending is uneven, as we have one climax, and immediately switch to another.

This book appeared to need some editing, but is overall an interesting story.