The Bell, the Book, and the Spellbinder Lib/E: (11 Johnny Dixon Series Lib/E)

Hidden away in the local library, a sorcerer's book casts an evil spell in the next novel in the Johnny Dixon Series Johnny Dixon and his best friend Fergie are whiling away a rainy day at the Duston Heights library when Johnny asks a screwy question: What's the last book in the library? After Johnny goes home, Fergie decides to find out. There, under number 999.99, he finds a very peculiar tome, The Book of True Wishes, which is all about Fergie's favorite subject: himself. The book knows Fergie's name, and it promises him everything he ever wanted, which means he is about to forget a very important rule: Be careful what you wish for. When the book puts Fergie under the spell of a mad old wizard, Johnny and his friend Professor Childermass will do whatever it takes to break the book's hold and save their friend.

About the Author :
John Bellairs (1938-1991) was beloved as a master of Gothic young adult novels and fantasies. His series about the adventures of Lewis Barnavelt and his uncle Jonathan, which includes The House with a Clock in Its Walls, is a classic. He also wrote a series of novels featuring the character Johnny Dixon. Among the titles in that series are The Curse of the Blue Figurine; The Mummy, the Will, and the Crypt; and The Spell of the Sorcerer's Skull. His stand-alone novel The Face in the Frost is also regarded as a fantasy classic, and among his earlier works are St. Fidgeta and Other Parodies and The Pedant and the Shuffly. Bellairs was a prolific writer, publishing more than a dozen novels before his untimely death in 1991. Brad Strickland was born in New Holland, GA, in 1947 and has written over seventy-five books in the intervening years. He is also a professor of English at the University of Georgia in Gainsville, about six miles from where he was born. He and his wife Barbara have two grown children, both of whom have artistic careers of their own. Their nest is not empty, however, as they have three cats and two dogs, which is enough to keep them busy.

Review :
Sophisticated notions on the nature of good and evil, nuanced storytelling, and expert world-building. -- "AV Club, praise for the series" Strickland...leads readers on an entertaining frolic. There are enough well-placed frissons to keep readers flipping those pages. -- "Kirkus Reviews, on The Hand of the Necromancer" There's suspense and action aplenty...Perfect for the pre-Stephen King set. -- "Booklist, praise for the series"