As they travel by bus and boat (with a fateful stop at the public library), the ghost seems to take charge of their journey-and the distinctions between fantasy and reality, between play and obligation, begin to dissolve.Veteran Black packs both heft and depth into a deceptively simple (and convincingly uncanny) narrative. Poppy begs him to join her and Alice on one last adventure: a road trip to bring peace to the ghost possessing her antique porcelain doll. But now they are 12, and their interests are changing along with their bodies when Zach’s father trashes his action figures and commands him to “grow up,” Zach abruptly quits the game. The lifelong friendship of Zach, Poppy and Alice revolves around their joint creation, an epic role-playing saga of pirates and perils, queens and quests. Mythopoeic Fantasy Award in Children’s Literature, 2014Ģ014 Locus Award nomination, 2014 Goodreads Choice nomination in Children’s Literatureĭoll Bones was nominated for the following state awards:Ģ015 Magnolia Award (children’s choice award for the state of Mississippi)Ģ015 Blue Hen Book Award (children’s choice award sponsored by the Delaware Library System)Ģ014-2015 Sunshine State Young Readers Award (Florida)Ģ015 Dorothy Canfield Fisher Children’s Book Award (Vermont).A middle-grade fantasy dons the cloak of a creepy ghost tale to deliver bittersweet meditations on the nature of friendship, the price of growing up and the power of storytelling. Is the doll just a doll or something more sinister? And if there really is a ghost, will it let them go now that it has them in its clutches? Awards:

But nothing goes according to plan, and as their adventure turns into an epic journey, creepy things begin to happen. Zach and Alice and Poppy set off on one last adventure to lay the Queen’s ghost to rest. Their friendship might be over, until Poppy declares she’s been having dreams about the Queen-and the ghost of a girl who will not rest until the bone-china doll is buried in her empty grave. Zach’s father pushes him to give up make-believe, and Zach quits the game. Ruling over all is the Great Queen, a bone-china doll cursing those who displease her.īut they are in middle school now.

And for almost as long, they’ve been playing one continuous, ever-changing game of pirates and thieves, mermaids and warriors. Zach, Poppy, and Alice have been friends forever. A People Magazine “Best New Kids Book.” Six starred reviews! A NYPL “100 Titles for Reading and Sharing.” A 2013 Goodreads Choice award nominee. A Publishers Weekly Best Children’s Book. A Booklist Editor’s Choice Books for Youth.

Discover the Newbery Honor winner Doll Bones, from Holly Black, the cocreator of the Spiderwick Chronicles.

Doll bones by holly black