The Screaming Statue (Curiosity House Series #2)

by Lauren Oliver, H. C. Chester

Overview

In this second book in the New York Times bestselling Curiosity House series by exceptional author Lauren Oliver and shadowy recluse H. C. Chester, four extraordinary children must avenge their friend’s death, try to save their home, and unravel the secrets of their past . . . before their past unravels them.

Pippa, Sam, Thomas, and Max are happy to be out of harm’s way now that the notorious villain Nicholas Rattigan is halfway across the country in Chicago. But unfortunately their home, Dumfreys’s Dime Museum of Freaks, Oddities, and Wonders, is in danger of closing its doors forever.

But their troubles only get worse. The four friends are shocked when their beloved friend, famous sculptor Siegfried Eckleberger, is murdered. As they investigate, they find clues that his death may be tied to the murder of a rich and powerful New York heiress, as well as to their own pasts.

This is the second book in the series and so boasts many wondrous and mysterious things inside, such as:

• Howie, the “Human Owl,” whose head turns just about all the way around
• A mean but important house cat
• Some perfectly ghastly wax sculptures
• A very thin boy named Chubby
• An awful mechanical leg

It continues not to have:

• A cautionary tale about running with scissors
• A list of time-consuming chores
• Nutritious and decidedly not delicious vegetables
• A perfectly sweet bedtime story about a wayward bunny
• Two wet kisses on the cheek from your aunt Mildred

Learn more about the series online at www.thecuriosityhouse.com.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780062270856
Publisher:	HarperCollins
Publication date:	03/14/2017
Series:	Curiosity House Series , #2
Edition description:	Reprint
Pages:	384
Sales rank:	469,290
Product dimensions:	5.10(w) x 7.60(h) x 0.90(d)
Lexile:	790L (what's this?)
Age Range:	8 - 12 Years

About the Author

Lauren Oliver is the cofounder of media and content development company Glasstown Entertainment, where she serves as the President of Production.

She is also the New York Times bestselling author of the YA novels Replica, Vanishing Girls, Panic, and the Delirium trilogy: Delirium, Pandemonium, and Requiem, which have been translated into more than thirty languages. The film rights to both Replica and Lauren's bestselling first novel, Before I Fall, were acquired by Awesomeness Films. Before I Fall was adapted into a major motion picture starring Zoey Deutch. It debuted at the Sundance Film Festival in 2017, garnering a wide release from Open Road Films that year.

Oliver is a 2012 E. B. White Read-Aloud Award nominee for her middle-grade novel Liesl & Po, as well as author of the middle-grade fantasy novel The Spindlers and The Curiosity House series, co-written with H.C. Chester. She has written one novel for adults, Rooms.

Oliver co-founded Glasstown Entertainment with poet and author Lexa Hillyer. Since 2010, the company has developed and sold more than fifty-five novels for adults, young adults, and middle-grade readers. Some of its recent titles include the New York Times bestseller Everless, by Sara Holland; the critically acclaimed Bonfire, authored by the actress Krysten Ritter; and The Hunger by Alma Katsu, which received multiple starred reviews and was praised by Stephen King as “disturbing, hard to put down” and “not recommended…after dark.”

Oliver is a narrative consultant for Illumination Entertainment and is writing features and TV shows for a number of production companies and studios.

Oliver received an academic scholarship to the University of Chicago, where she was elected Phi Beta Kappa. She received a Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing from New York University.

www.laurenoliverbooks.com.

H. C. Chester is a collector of unusual relics who came into possession of the artifacts of the museum’s estate and discovered the story of the four children.

Editorial Reviews

Oliver and Chester have created another quirky middle-grade mystery that will have no trouble drawing a crowd.” — Booklist

PRAISE FOR CURIOISTY HOUSE: THE SHRUNKEN HEAD: “The continuous action, compelling mystery, and dark, brooding illustrations make this book impossible to put down. Perfect for kids who feel they’re different or those simply after a freakishly good time.” — Booklist (starred review)

“Stupendous and stupefying! A riddle wrapped in a mystery inside a shrunken head. If you aren’t curious about Curiosity House, somebody must have pickled your brain and put it in a jar. Read this book immediately.” — Pseudonymous Bosch, New York Times bestselling author of the Secret Series and Bad Magic

“Step right up! Step right up! Mystery, murder, curses, and sideshow freaks! Or are they superheroes? There’s only one way to find out... Read Curiosity House! You’ll be glad you did!” — Adam Gidwitz, New York Times bestselling author of A Tale Dark and Grimm series

PRAISE FOR LIESL & PO: “A wonderfully imaginative, startlingly moving and at times wickedly funny fantasy. With nods to Dahl, Dickens, the Grimms and even Burnett, the author has made something truly original. Acedera’s frequent black-and-white illustrations are a perfect complement. An irresistible read: This book sings.” — Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

PRAISE FOR LIESL & PO: “Classic fairy tale elements weave throughout this spirited, old-fashioned adventure. Invigorating and hopeful, this novel testifies to the power of friendship and generosity to conquer greed and depression.” — Publishers Weekly (starred review)

PRAISE FOR THE SPINDLERS: “Richly detailed, at times poetic, ultimately moving; a book to be puzzled over, enjoyed and, ideally, read aloud.” — Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

PRAISE FOR THE SPINDLERS: “This imaginative fantasy emphasizes individual initiative and the power of hope and friendship. With strong, self-reliant female characters and well-defined action, this is a strong addition to fantasy collections.” — School Library Journal (starred review)

From the Publisher

Step right up! Step right up! Mystery, murder, curses, and sideshow freaks! Or are they superheroes? There’s only one way to find out... Read Curiosity House! You’ll be glad you did!

Adam Gidwitz

Stupendous and stupefying! A riddle wrapped in a mystery inside a shrunken head. If you aren’t curious about Curiosity House, somebody must have pickled your brain and put it in a jar. Read this book immediately.

Pseudonymous Bosch

PRAISE FOR CURIOISTY HOUSE: THE SHRUNKEN HEAD: “The continuous action, compelling mystery, and dark, brooding illustrations make this book impossible to put down. Perfect for kids who feel they’re different or those simply after a freakishly good time.

Booklist (starred review)

Oliver and Chester have created another quirky middle-grade mystery that will have no troubledrawing a crowd.

Booklist

Oliver and Chester have created another quirky middle-grade mystery that will have no trouble drawing a crowd.

Booklist

2016-03-02
Sam, Thomas, Max, and Pippa are in danger of losing the only home they've ever known, in Depression-era New York City. Their strange, unusual skills are valued at Dumfrey's Dime Museum of Freaks, Oddities, and Wonders, but the museum is struggling to survive. Several displays have been destroyed, and there is dissention that leads many of the inhabitants to jump ship amid mysterious accidents. When a beloved friend and supporter is murdered, the children are determined to find answers. They employed their skills in series opener The Shrunken Head (2015), but the stakes are even higher now. There are more murders, museum mayhem, skulduggery, kidnappings, and danger at every turn. All the while the four young heroes are concerned that their evil archenemy, Rattigan, is behind it all. A large cast of mostly one-dimensional, mostly white characters moves in and out of the tale, providing clues and hints as well as many red herrings in what turns out to be a distracting subplot. Oliver and Chester keep a somewhat tighter rein this time, allowing some insight into the children's emotions and growing pains and providing one new character, newsboy Chubby, with a bit of substance. When all seems to be resolved, a very unlikely twist allows for yet another series entry. Strained and derivative, without sufficient depth to compensate. (Historical fiction. 9-12)

Kirkus Reviews