Product Description

John Bellairs, the name in Gothic mysteries for middle graders, wrote terrifying tales full of adventure, attitude, and alarm. For years, young readers have crept, crawled, and gone bump in the night with the unlikely heroes of these Gothic novels: Lewis Barnavelt, Johnny Dixon, and Anthony Monday. Now, the ten top-selling titles feature an updated cover look. Loyal fans and enticed newcomers will love the series even more with this haunting new look!

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #728139 in Books
• Published on: 2004-08-03
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 160 pages

From School Library Journal
Grade 4-7-Completed posthumously, this book offers readers another taste of Bellairs's macabre writing. During a party, noted folklorist Dr. Coole shows Professor Childremass, Johnny Dixon, and his friend Fergie a small drum and tells them a strange story about voodoo cults in Haiti and the Caribbean. A few casual taps on the drum set in motion a tale of terror that includes zombies, evil spells, and death threats. Set in the mid-1950s, the horror is subtle, yet detailed enough to appeal to fans of the television show Tales from the Crypt and readers too young for Stephen King. The "gee whiz" tone lends a touch of naivete, and some plot turns are a bit obvious, but readers of Dixon's last escapade, The Secret of the Underground Room (Dial, 1990), will not be disappointed.
Jeanette Larson, Texas State Library, Austin
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist
Gr. 5-7. Flopping and thrashing about on the desk was a weird form, repulsive, slimy, drooling. The sounds it made were horrible, like the bawling of a baby animal in terrible pain. Descriptions in R. L. Stine's horror oeuvre can't match this stuff, which has the added benefit of being part of a story that has a tight plot and characters who actually have some personality. Readers may recognize Johnny Dixon, Fergie Ferguson, Father Higgins, and Professor Childermass from such books as The Secret of the Underground Room (1990). This time the group is battling zombies and exorcizing voodoo demons invoked by vicious Madame Sinestra, who has come to America in search of a drum that has special significance for her evil cult. There's suspense and action aplenty as Johnny, Childermass, and Fergie investigate the weird goings-on, with the spookiness nicely balanced by comedy that comes direct from the pompous but good-hearted professor. This ably devised bit of supernatural fun, completed by Strickland after Bellairs' death, is perfect for the preStephen King set. Stephanie Zvirin

From Kirkus Reviews
Johnny Dixon and curmudgeonly--extra-curmudgeonly in this outing--Professor Childermass battle a voodoo priestess and her grandson for control of a powerful drum, in this, the third posthumous Bellairs adventure seamlessly ``completed'' by Strickland. A small ceremonial drum falls into the possession of Dr. Charles Coote, Childermass's friend. Shortly after hiding it, Coote lands in the hospital, delirious--the work, it turns out, of the fearsome Mama Sinestra, a Priest of the Midnight Blood from the (fictional) Caribbean island of St. Ives. Tracking down Mama Sinestra (who is of French descent, not African) involves the zombie attacks, midnight graveyard visits, ambushes, reversals of fortune, nick-of-time rescues, and weird magic that are Bellairs's staples, as well as the discovery and destruction of a pair of particularly hideous soul-suckers Mama has tucked into people's pillows--``It glistened a sick, wet, silvery-gray color, like the slimy belly of a slug. The head showed no eyes or nose, just a pouchy, drooling mouth...'' Sweet dreams, readers. But all's well that ends well as Mama Sinestra and her cohorts are vanquished, the drum is destroyed (spectacularly), a revolution on St. Ives topples the ruling cult, and Johnny's long-absent father takes military leave to put in an appearance. Formulaic but effective. (Fiction. 10-12) -- Copyright ©1994, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved.

Customer Reviews

Harry Potter -- move over!!
I got interested in John Bellairs books after I read a reader review of a Harry Potter book which talked about these books as even better than HP -- and you know, he was right! These are really well-written books. I've read about 6 Bellairs books with my kids (ages 10 and 11) and this was by far the scariest. This one seemed to have more: more humor, more fright, more heart, as well as the usual excellent character development. (oh yeah, my kids really enjoyed the book too.) The scary scenes are really vivid, but ideal for my boys' age group. They just love this stuff.

One of the scariest Bellairs/Bellairsesque novels ever!
Good grief, this was amazingly, shriekingly good!

Johnny and Professor Childermass take a detour into the darkest side of voodoo, known as voudon. When, at a get-together with one of the professor's friends, Fergie begins playing and singing ("Babaloo") a tiny leather drum, the lights unexpectedly go out.

Soon the friend is ill, raving and finally falling into a coma. A creepy old woman and a mysterious man are lurking nearby. Some of the most affecting scenes is where the professor finds the hideous creature growing in a pillow, and when he battles the horrifying snakelike demon.

But taking the prize is the zombie mentioned in the title. Holy cow.

This is a genuinely scary book-for heaven's sake, don't read it at night.

Interesting little mystery
I'm not quite sure where John Bellairs finished and Brad Strickland started, and that's probably a good thing. All the characters from the other Johnny Dixon mysteries are back: timid Johnny, the outrageous professor, meek Dr. Coote, practical Father Higgins and matter of fact Fergie.

The book begins when Dr. Coote shows his friends a drum that was given to him by a mysterious young man. As usual, the professor scoffs at it, although Dr. Coote is still worried, because of his extensive knowledge of voudon, an evil voodoo cult on a fictional Caribbean island. Fergie then takes the drum and beats it while screaming "babaloo! babaloo!" which sets a chain of terrifying events into action.

Dr. Coote has a nervous breakdown and a horrible old woman stalks Johnny and his family to find the drum, all while the friends scramble to figure out where the drum is and save their own necks in the process. There are some genuinely scary scenes involving a zombie, and later an exorcism.

Bellairs and Strickland have done an excellent job creating the mythology of Baron Samedi and the Priests of the Midnight Blood, the evil voudon cult on a French Caribbean island. It's a bit formulaic, and not absolutely perfect, but a taut, enjoyable mystery/horror book.