The Boy of a Thousand Faces

because Alonzo King Was Born On Halloween, He Has Always Loved Monsters. But No One Would Ever Guess That He Lives In A Haunted House With A Graveyard Out Back, Communicates With The Dead, Turns Into A Six-armed, Slime-covered Creature, Or Is A Walking Encyclopedia On Horror Films! However, When The Beast Arrives, Not Even Alonzo Can Track It Down. Will He Be Able To Solve The Mystery Of The Creature Stalking His Town And Make His Dream Of Becoming The Boy Of A Thousand Faces Come True?

01-02 Tx Bluebonnet Award Masterlist

01-02 Tx Bluebonnet Award Masterlist

publishers Weekly

selznick's (the Houdini Box) Offbeat Tale Introduces Alonzo King, A Boy Who Has A Halloween Birthday, An Imagination On Overdrive And An Obsessive Love Of Monsters. The 10-year-old's Heroes Are Mr. Shadows, The Host Of A Late-night Tv Show That Airs Classic Horror Movies, And Lon Chaney, An Incredible Actor... Who Was Called `the Man Of A Thousand Faces.' Alonzo's Goal Is To Be The Boy Of A Thousand Faces And To That End He Spends A Good Deal Of Time Transforming His Face With Paint, Makeup And Tape So As To Mimic Some Of The Spooky Countenances He Has Viewed In Frightening Flicks. As Halloween Approaches, Stories Circulate About The Beast, An Elusive Monster That Is Allegedly Stalking The Town, And Alonzo Becomes A Self-described Expert On The Creature. Given The Dramatic Buildup Concerning The Beast, Kids Are Likely To Be Disappointed With The Story's Anticlimactic Resolution. Interspersed With Several Photos And Film Stills, Selznick's Closely Focused, Black-and-white Illustrations Are More Impressive Than His Narrative. Characteristically Detailed And Moodily Lit, At Their Best They Approximate The Pleasurable Melodramas Of The Scary Movies Alonzo So Enjoys. Ages 10-up. (sept.) Copyright 2000 Cahners Business Information.|