Foulsham

Gr 6–9—In this sequel to Heap House (Overlook, 2014), the tides of the Heap have turned, and James Henry Hayward, formerly a bath plug, is in possession of Clodius Iremonger, formerly a strange young man, now a half sovereign coin. James Henry does not, at the start, know the significance of the coin he holds, only that he shouldn't lose it. Hunger overtakes him, though, and he sorrowfully spends it on a bun and a pie. Thus, Clod is introduced to life as an object, as he begins to hear the woes of the other coins in the cash drawer. Meanwhile, Lucy Pennant is renewed to her human form in the presence of a bizarre new character called Binadit, a man made of trash who lives in the Heaps. This is the story of Clod and Lucy trying to find their way back to one another, of James Henry Hayward's search for his family, and the revelation of the heartbreaking background of Binadit. Black-and-white illustrations by the author are absolutely unsettling, and are integral to the story. The cliff-hanger ending is even more dramatic than in the first installment. Due to the extremely original, (and yes, very weird) nature of the tale, it's imperative that readers start with the first book to be able to make any sense of this volume.