Death or Ice Cream?

Gr 6 Up—In Larkin Mills, only the children seem to notice that things aren't as they should be. There is a company that erases memories and a house that can only be entered through the chimney (because it's full of water for the sharks), among other strange occurrences. The adults, who don't mind the weirdness, are ridiculous during ordinary interactions as well as tense revelations. For example, at dinner, the fastidious mayor demands her son polish his silverware between bites as she downplays a past murder. Characters, information, and jokes from the 13 short stories build upon one another as the kids' confusion or horror or acceptance grows in response to the bizarre and sometimes downright creepy events. The absurdity of the situations doesn't take away from the book's deeper themes of good versus evil in the world. Some of the existential messages may go over the head of younger readers—Who wouldn't choose ice cream over death?—but the stories are entertaining and accessible. Roald Dahl fans who are aging out of his books and looking for something a little more edgy will be particularly interested in this British import.