73 pages • 2 hours read
John ConnollyThe Book of Lost Things
Fiction | Novel | Middle Grade | Published in 2006A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more. For select classroom titles, we also provide Teaching Guides with discussion and quiz questions to prompt student engagement.
Introduction
Teacher Introduction
The Book of Lost Things
- Genre: Fiction; young adult dark fantasy
- Originally Published: 2006
- Reading Level/Interest: Grades 9-12
- Structure/Length: 33 chapters; approximately 339 pages; approximately 10 hours, 56 minutes on audio
- Protagonist/Central Conflict: The protagonist, David, is a young boy mourning the loss of his mother. He finds solace in his books, which begin to whisper to him in the silence of the night. Transported into a twisted fairy-tale world filled with dark and grim versions of familiar characters, David embarks on a quest to find a mythical king’s Book of Lost Things, hoping this will allow him to return home. The central conflict revolves around David’s journey through this dangerous world, facing both external monsters and his inner demons.
- Potential Sensitivity Issues: Death of parent; grief and loss; dark, disturbing, and gruesome imagery; violence within a fantasy context; manipulation and betrayal
John Connolly, Author
- Bio: Born in Dublin, Ireland, in 1968; best known for his series of novels starring private detective Charlie Parker; a versatile writer with works spanning genres including crime, fantasy, horror, and science fiction; known for lyrical prose, intricate plots, and the blending of the mundane with the supernatural
- Other Works: Every Dead Thing (1999); The Whisperers (2010); The Wolf in Winter (2014); A Song of Shadows (2015)
- Awards: ALA Alex Award (2009)
