The Return of Skeleton Man

This is a great book to read aloud to your students before Halloween! I read it to my 3rd graders every year...apparently someone loved it so much they stole it from my classroom! I would buy this book again and again!

Earlier this year, I read Skeleton Man by Joseph Bruchac with one of my lower reading groups and loved it. It was a great mix of Native American myth/culture and mystery. I found that my students loved it as well, so when a fourth grade teacher bought the sequel for me to have, I was excited to read it.

And then I read it.

The Return of Skeleton Man fails in comparison to its first installment. For the first half of the book, Molly basically recounts her story from the first novel telling the reader over and over what they probably already know of the story. I found that her parents, not kidnapped this time by Skeleton Man, did not add to the story in the least.

Finally, when Skeleton Man made his appearance in the last third of the book, it was anticlimactic. The basic running through the woods away form the bad guy hit its peak with a lackluster showdown in the woods.

I do still like the fact that Molly shows a strong female character and role model for children. She uses her brain and faith to overcome obstacles, but this second installment of the series (I am assuming there will be another one, even after the author bashes horror movie series that showcase a mythical and invincible antagonist) falls short of expectations.

This is the sequel to Skeleton Man. Molly escaped the skeloton man last year and is trying to get on with he life. While on vacation with her parents the skeleton man returns to try and lure Molly to him again! This she fights back and is able to escape him!

I would recommend this book to people that like mysteries because it is so interesting and it will give you something to think about.

It shows that girls can be strong and solve problems.

Book arrrived as stated, in excellent condition and in a timely fashion.