Skeleton Man

Author: Joseph Bruchac
Publisher: Harper Collins
Copyright Date: 2001
Number of Pages: 114
Reading Level: Ages 9-12






Summary: In this book a native american child named Molly experiences a great adventure. As she was growing up her parents always told her to trust her dreams and her thoughts. One day both of her parents go missing and she is brought to live with a supposed uncle whom she had never met before. She is suspicious from the very beginning. At night the man locks her in her bedroom and she has bars on her window. She goes to her teacher for guidance but she just takes Molly to a counselor and the counselor determines that the child has a chemical imbalance of some sort. Discouraged, but not without hope, Molly decides to trust her dreams. One day she escapes from her room and enters her supposed uncle's study. In his study she discovers a picture of her mother tied up in what looks like a tool shed. So Molly distracts her uncle and then goes to the tool shed. There she discovers a trap door, under which her parents are found. Suddenly her supposed uncle appears and she runs away and tries to escape. In the end Molly gets away and her parents are freed.

Personal Response: This book was very entertaining. It kept me guessing. I was actually surprised by the ending because it turned out that she hadn't just made up the story after all. This book was very well written and entertaining.

Potential Problems: In this story Molly is locked in her room every night and there is a lot of implied evil in this book. It may be too dark for some children.

Recommended to: I would recommend this book to a child that enjoys mystery books.