In 1984 Chris van Allsburg (Jumanji, The Polar Express, The Wreck of the Zephyr, and many more) published a collection of pencil and ink drawings with short captions. The premise of the book was the creator of the drawings, Harris Burdick, left the pictures with a publisher with the promise to return with the companion stories the next day. He never returns. Over the years these drawings have been used by teachers as starting points for creative writing assignments. Now some of the best authors for young adults have put their creative talents to work and created this collection of 14 short stories, with an introduction by Lemony Snicket, inspired by the van Allsburg drawings. Each story has its own "feel" some being sweet, others creepy, others indescribably sad. I encourage you to pick this up and discover the mysteries behind Harris Burdick.
Authors include: Sherman Alexie, Kate DiCamillo, M.T. Anderson, Cory Doctorow, Jules Feiffer, Stephen King, Tabitha King, Lois Lowry, Gregory Maguire, Walter Dean Myers, Linda Sue Park, Lois Sachar, Jon Scieszka, and Chris van Allsburg.
