The House with a Clock in Its Walls (Lewis Barnavelt)

This is the supernatural, worse-than-a-ghost book that you read in 5th-or-so grade, walk away permanently affected by it, Bellairs has a beautiful style--a youth-oriented creepier Hemmingway that blends with Edward Gorey's atmospheric illustrations. Young Lewis is the perfect child and protagonist for the reader--fat, athletically insignificant and unable to appreciate his own bravery and intelligence. This is set in the 1950's, the so-called "nostalgic era" where things were supposed to be all cheerful, simple, and happy. Sadly for Lewis Barnavelt, he is orphaned before the beginning of the book and sent to his Uncle Jonathan for the first time and his amazing Victorian house. But why is every room in the house filled with clocks when his Uncle seems not to care about time? And why is it, when you put your ear anywhere against a wall in the house...you hear the quiet ticking of a clock?

Completely creepy, this book has drawn reluctant readers into its pages where in at least two cases of my knowledge, they grew up to become fully-emerged and picky fans of good horror and mystery literature. Addictive good fun, and remember...happy endings aren't handed to you on a platter. You have to work for them no matter how much it scares you--and for heaven's sakes, if you want to impress someone by raising the dead, make sure you don't mess with a sorcerer's tomb. I highly recommend it for people learning to read English for the first time for the clean, clear style of language. Aimed for adults but plenty of us adults have our own collection on the shelf.