Unexpected: Eleven Mysterious Stories [Paperback]

Laura E. Williams (Editor)

Book Description

Age Level: 9 and up | Grade Level: 4 and up

A unique collection of mind-bending tales by such renowned authors as Bruce Coville, Jane Yolen, Margaret Peterson Haddix, and Gail Carson Levine.

An eerie house filled with forgotten treasures . . . A young detective from the future . . . A miniature village that feels like home . . . A mom abducted by trolls . . .
These are just a few of the eleven mysterious encounters conjured up by some of today's most popular and acclaimed authors, including Gail Carson Levine, Graham Salisbury, Margaret Peterson Haddix, Norma Fox Mazer, Jane Yolen, Dian Curtis Regan, Peter Lerangis, and Bruce Coville.
All of them conspire to make you ask: Is this really happening?

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 4-6–This anthology features a range of stories from mysteries and time travel to ghosts and the paranormal. Peter Lerangis's Loser is a funny story about a kid who finds everything he's ever lost. Heidi E. Y. Stemple and Jane Yolen's Max, the Hand, and Me is a traditional, hair-raising mystery. Will Weaver's Marked for Death is a deeply affecting story. While some selections are more artfully crafted than others, each has its own strength, and the collection as a whole is engaging and readable.–Adrienne Furness, Webster Public Library, NY
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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 9 and up
  
• Paperback: 304 pages
• Publisher: Scholastic Paperbacks (November 1, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0439455855
• ISBN-13: 978-0439455855
• Product Dimensions: 7.4 x 5 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,653,898 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Dian Curtis Regan is the author of more than 50 books for young readers.

She is a former "Member of the Year" of the Society of Children's Book Writers and
Illustrators, has been inducted into the Oklahoma Professional Writers' Hall of Fame, and has received a "Distinguished Medal of Service in Children's Literature" from the Oklahoma Center for Poets and Writers. Also, a library in South America has been dedicated to her.

Dian was born in Colorado Springs, graduated from the University of Colorado in Boulder, and taught school in Denver. She is a frequent speaker at writing conferences and schools.

She has lived in Colorado, Texas, Oklahoma, Venezuela, and Kansas.
Websites: www.diancurtisregan.com www.princessnevermore.com www.rockycavekids.com
princessnevermorefansite.com

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Mysterious, surprising, and delightful, December 15, 2005

By 

A Customer (New York, NY) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Unexpected: Eleven Mysterious Stories (Paperback)

"Things are never quite what they seem." Whoever said that must have read UNEXPECTED, 11 stories that are almost guaranteed to surprise --- and delight --- you. Some are mysterious, some are funny, and some are touching. But all will keep you reading until the very last page, when you get an unexpected surprise every time.

One of the stories, "Loser," is about a boy who constantly loses things, all kinds of things --- even a tuba that the school lent him so he could practice (yes, he actually misplaced a tuba!). Now, of course, you'd expect the tale to end with Frederick (that's the boy/loser) not losing things anymore. But what's unexpected is how he breaks his losing habits. As you might guess from the tuba episode, "Loser" is not only highly unusual but also quite funny.

In another story, "The Telltale Croak," an underage boy sneaks his father's car out for a little joyride and accidentally hits the youngest member of a neighbor's family who has wandered out onto the road. In a panic, he buries the body near a hidden pond. The boy is terrified and feels guilty --- so guilty in fact that he keeps hearing the croaks of a bullfrog that was in the pond and witnessed him bury the body. The "croak, croak" sounds to him like "murder, murder" and almost drives him mad. How can he explain to his father about the new dent in the car's fender? How will he tell his sobbing neighbor girlfriend that it was he who is responsible for Marky's strange disappearance? What will he tell his family and the police? Ah, that's the surprise, and we'll never tell....

UNEXPECTED will enthrall you with such strange occurrences as a haunting that started in pioneer days and now affects a modern-day family, and a miniature village where the inhabitants are tiny as well. But be warned: expect the unexpected when you read UNEXPECTED. You won't be disappointed.

--- Reviewed by Robert Oksner