Eddie: The Lost Youth of Edgar Allan Poe

Gr 4–7—Gustafson imagines Edgar Allan Poe as a young boy living with stepparents after his father deserted his young family and his mother died, and suggests how Edgar may have developed his sense of the macabre and love of mysteries. Young Eddie has a vivid imagination, but even he cannot imagine how he wound up in his neighbor's chicken yard with a prize rooster and Eddie's cat hanging in a pillow case from the weather vane. Eddie has one day to prove his innocence, but McCobber, the imp whom he inherited from his alcoholic father, and the raven who flew in his window and befriended him, are no help at all. His quest for a solution has him chasing monsters and leads him to the theater where he meets the mysterious magician Mephisto, awaking memories of his life with his theatrical parents. Gustafson introduces Poe, his writings, and his early life with an informative introduction and foreword that help frame the narrative. Johnny Heller manages to create a full cast of characters with strong and consistent accents, appropriate voices, and great emotion. Missing from the audio version are the fabulously spooky pen-and-ink drawings that frame the book's text, but music and sound effects add an eerie touch.