The Beast Under the Wizard's Bridge by John Bellairs & Brad StricklandThe Beast Under the Wizard’s Bridge by John Bellairs & Brad Strickland

The Beast Under the Wizard's Bridge by John Bellairs & Brad StricklandThe Beast Under the Wizard’s Bridge (2000) is the eighth novel in the LEWIS BARNAVELT series for middle graders which was started by John Bellairs in 1973 and finished up by Brad Strickland after Bellairs’ death in 1991. I’m listening, with my daughter, to the excellent audio editions by Recorded Books which are narrated by George Guidall.

Remember that scary car chase scene, I think it was in the first book The House with a Clock in its Walls, where Lewis, Rose Rita, Uncle Jonathan, and Mrs. Zimmerman, were saved when they crossed a bridge that the bad guy couldn’t cross? Well, in this story, the city has decided to destroy that old bridge.

Uncle Jonathan is clearly upset by this news which, in turn, makes Lewis scared (it’s not difficult to scare Lewis). There’s something magical about that bridge, and something very secret, too. Uncle Jonathan and Mrs. Z will not explain things to Lewis and Rose Rita so, of course, they start investigating on their own.

As you’d expect, this leads to all sorts of dangerous situations for the two kids, but both Lewis and Rose Rita exhibit great courage by doing the right things even when they’re afraid. As the mystery gradually unravels, we learn the history of the bridge, meet horrible monsters (including tentacled ones), and learn about comets and H.P. Lovecraft’s mythos.

The Beast Under the Wizard's Bridge by John Bellairs & Brad StricklandThe villains in The Beast Under the Wizard’s Bridge might be the stupidest ones we’ve met yet. They make their evil plans where other people can hear them, sign their real names on the library cards of the books they use for research, and write down all their dirty deeds in a diary. But even with such dumb villains, the story is terrifying and contains some scenes that are quite disturbing.

Lewis has never been self-confident and he is shaken again when he overhears his uncle say something that Lewis misinterprets to mean that Jonathan doesn’t want him living with him anymore. Ever since his parents died, he has never felt completely secure, so this really rattles him. The resolution to this subplot is sweet.

 

Published in 2000. What is it about the old Wilder Creek Bridge that makes Lewis Barnavelt so curious-and so afraid? When Lewis and his best friend Rose Rita Pottinger set out to explore the bridge and the deserted farm nearby, they discover shocking secrets—and a horrifying monster. Even Lewis’s Uncle Jonathan and the magical Mrs. Zimmermann may not be able to vanquish this ferocious creature!

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  • Kat Hooper

    KAT HOOPER, who started this site in June 2007, earned a Ph.D. in neuroscience and psychology at Indiana University (Bloomington) and now teaches and conducts brain research at the University of North Florida. When she reads fiction, she wants to encounter new ideas and lots of imagination. She wants to view the world in a different way. She wants to have her mind blown. She loves beautiful language and has no patience for dull prose, vapid romance, or cheesy dialogue. She prefers complex characterization, intriguing plots, and plenty of action. Favorite authors are Jack Vance, Robin Hobb, Kage Baker, William Gibson, Gene Wolfe, Richard Matheson, and C.S. Lewis.

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