Where's There: Our Lady of Lourdes

According to the Question Box moderator, Lourdes water is used to make Sacrosticky and can be used to repair broken statues of saints or rosary beads [Saint Fidgeta and Other Parodies; 40].

BiblioFile: La figura nell'ombra

A few months ago we discussed some of the artwork in the Italian edition of The Letter, the Witch, and the Ring as published by Happy Planet Books. We probably should have highlighted artwork from The Figure in the Shadows prior to Letter seeing how Figure takes place before the events in Letter, the Italian edition of Figure was published first, we discovered that edition’s artwork first...but it just didn’t work out that way. Deal with it. We’ll do it now.

Something Horrific In The States

We could hardly pass this map up this Halloween season.

Very Small Array created a map of the United States showing the thing people in each of the fifty U.S. states think is coming to get them. There's a helluva lot of zombies, a lot of ghosts, stay out of Rhode Island (of course), Daylight Savings Time In Indiana, and a clock in the walls of Michigan.

Nicely done.

Review: The House with a Clock in its Walls

Book review: The House with a Clock in its Walls

Review: Curse "Funny, Dramatic, Adventurous, and Terrifying"

Book review: The Curse of the Blue Figurine

Something about Aboukir Bay

Jonathan casts an illusion spell of being on a warship that Lord Nelson has sent into this bay [The Beast under the Wizard's Bridge; 92].

The Greater Scorns The Lesser

We all tend to talk about why we like book x and we express why we feel character y is the best. But how easy is it for us to drill down and explain why it is we don’t like a certain book or why certain characters or situations rub us the wrong way?

That’s the latest discussion in our forum, posted earlier today by Kwan Hon Luen, who provides some of his less-favored forays:

Review: The Figure in the Shadows

Book review: The Figure in the Shadows

Review: House "A Great Spooky Story"

Book review: The House with a Clock in its Walls

BiblioFile: eReads and Counting Words

Bellairsia gets read by John's American fans, sure, but we've also gotten some attention in France, the Netherlands, Italy, and even South Korea (안녕하세요 환영). Another country is Singapore, where Kwan Hon Luen chimes in with occasional comments and reviews.

Time Capsule: 1951

September, 1951: On a chilly Monday night in late September – sixty years ago this month – 12-year-old Johnny Dixon walked home from his Boy Scout meeting and found his beloved grandmother sitting alone in the dark and wondering if her grandson was home from school early. As any child would be in such a situation, Johnny was thrown for a loop and unprepared for the battalions of sorrows that were to come his way over the next few months.

Interview: Deborah Nourse Lattimore

Deborah Nourse Lattimore has been writing and illustrating books for young readers since 1986, including such titles as Cinderhazel, Zekmet the Stone Carver, and The Dragon’s Robe which was nominated for the Caldecott medal. To date she has almost 40 books published, as well as numerous magazine illustrations and articles, and, to top that, teaches at Otis College of Art and Design in the Marina del Rey area of Los Angeles. Deborah also happens to be an avid John Bellairs fan. We spoke with her about some of her upcoming projects as well as her appreciation for the works of John Bellairs.

Where's There: Hailes Abbey

Emerson Eells reads in J.K. Borkman's private papers that Borkman purchased the Blood of Hailes from a crooked antique dealer near the ruins of this abbey [The Dark Secret of Weatherend; 177-8].

Time Capsule: 2001

September, 2011: Ten years ago this month, fans of Lewis Barnavelt were introduced to Ishmael Izard and S.D. Schindler.

2011 Living History Portrayal Walk

Marshall's Oakridge Cemetery was first used in 1839 and is one of the oldest continuously operated cemeteries in the state. For the eleventh year Oakridge will be home to the "If These Stones Could Talk...", a walking tour where actors and actresses portray significant people from Marshall's past at that person’s grave site. Small groups will be guided by hosts in a predetermined lantern-illuminated pattern through the cemetery and the once-prominent residents will rise up and share their stories.

This year’s event takes place Saturday, October 8 at 7pm come rain or shine. For more information, including associated costs, please contact the Marshall Chamber of Commerce.