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Wednesday, April 10, 2013

The Tell-Tale Start by Gordon McAlpine

The Tell-Tale Start is the first in a new series featuring Edgar and Allan Poe, the great-great-great-great-grandnephews of Edgar Allan Poe.  Written for young readers, the book features twelve-year-old twins whose IQ's are in the genius category, but whose sense of humor remains a bit...well, puerile.

Proud of their relationship to the Edgar Allan Poe, the boys love codes and mysterious messages and are quick to solve problems using E.A. Poe's stories.  Their cat is even named Roderick Usher.

The plot involves a nefarious quantum physicist, messages from beyond, and information which is revealed to the reader through letters, etc., and to which the twins do not have access.  "What the boys don't know is....."

Both boys and girls in the 8-12 age range should enjoy this.  It is a much slighter book than Jim Morgan and the King of Thieves  and can be read in a short time.  

Illustrations by Sam Zuppard.  Minimal, but cute.

An ebook from Net Galley/Penguin Young Readers Group.

Juv.  2013.  print version 224 pages.
ISBN-10: 0670784915




2 comments:

  1. Might serve as an introduction to Poe for children--provide a bit of cultural capital, name recognition.

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  2. Teresa - Yes, and their are references to Shakespeare, Dickinson, and Whitman. It is really a silly little book that should appeal to the younger crowd.

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