Doll Bones facts for kids
Dust jacket of the hard-cover edition showing the Newbery Medallion.
|
|
| Author | Holly Black |
|---|---|
| Illustrator | Eliza Wheeler |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Genre | Young Adult Fiction, Fantasy, Gothic Fiction |
| Publisher | McElderry Books, Scholastic Corporation |
|
Publication date
|
2014 |
| Media type | |
| Pages | 244 pp |
| ISBN | 9781416963981 |
Doll Bones is an exciting fantasy novel written by Holly Black and illustrated by Eliza Wheeler. It came out in 2014. This book was recognized as a Newbery Medal Honor Book in 2014. It also won the Mythopoeic Fantasy Award for Children's Literature.
Contents
The Story of Doll Bones
Doll Bones tells the adventure of three friends: Zachary "Zach" Barlow, Alice Magnaye, and Poppy Bell. They go on a special quest. Their goal is to return a haunted doll to its rightful grave in another town.
The Game Ends
Zach, Alice, and Poppy love playing a role-playing game. They use action figures and metal cut-outs. Poppy is usually the game master. Zach's character is "William the Blade." Alice plays "Lady Jaye." They go on quests for the "Great Queen" on William's ship.
One day, Zach's dad throws away his action figures. This includes William, which ends the game. Zach is upset and embarrassed. He doesn't tell Alice and Poppy the truth. Instead, he says he just doesn't want to play anymore.
A Midnight Quest Begins
Later that night, Alice and Poppy wake Zach up. Poppy had a dream about the "Great Queen." This is an old doll her mom keeps locked away. The kids use it in their game. Poppy believes the doll is made from the bones of a dead girl named Eleanor Kerchner. Eleanor is now a ghost. She wants to be returned to her grave.
Zach doesn't believe them at first. But they show him some strange things. He then decides to go along. The three friends leave notes for their parents. They take a night bus to East Liverpool, Ohio. They hope to be back the next evening. This way, their parents won't find out.
Unexpected Stops and Challenges
On the bus, they meet a strange man named Tinshoe Jones. He seems to think the doll is a real person. He warns them about the bus driver. The bus stops in East Rochester, PA. The children get scared. They think the bus driver and station worker want to catch them. So, they quickly leave the bus.
They spend the night in a small park. It is near the Ohio River. During the night, their few supplies get strangely torn apart. They find a donut shop. It has donuts with unusual flavors. The shopkeeper offers the doll a special donut. The kids argue about their quest. They still hope to catch a bus home. They decide to walk to East Liverpool.
A Difficult Journey
Their quest seems to stop when they reach a river. This river flows into the Ohio River. Alice wants to go home. But Poppy knows Alice and Zach have secrets. Poppy convinces them to keep going. They take a small sailboat named "Pearl." They clumsily sail to East Liverpool.
They are angry, wet, and tired. They are also late for their bus home. The three friends argue again. Poppy then reveals something about Alice and Zach. This makes things awkward.
Discoveries in East Liverpool
Now feeling awkward, they enter town. They find a diner. The worker there also seems to see the doll as a person. This makes Poppy believe even more that the doll is haunted. They find a map of the town. They break into the closed library. They research the cemetery. They accidentally fall asleep and spend the night there.
A young librarian named Miss Katherine wakes them up. She has pink hair. She locks them in a break room. She makes them call their parents. But the doll is missing! They decide to break free. They must find the doll and finish their quest. Zach finds the doll in a ladies' restroom. It is near a display of Lukas Kerchner's pottery. He learns about Eleanor's father. He also learns about her mysterious disappearance.
The Final Burial
The children leave the librarian. They take two bikes. They ride to the cemetery. They look for a willow tree that should mark the grave. They search for a long time. Zach gets frustrated. He tells the girls the truth about his action figures. He runs off into the cemetery. He lies down and cries.
The girls find him. He is sitting by the Kerchner family stone. It has a willow tree carved into it. They bury the doll there. Then, they walk to meet their guardians at the cemetery gate. They promise each other to keep their story alive.
Characters in Doll Bones
- Zachary "Zach" Barlow--He is 12 years old. Zach is a good basketball player. In the game, his character is a pirate called "William the Blade."
- Alice Magnaye--Her exact age is not given. Alice lives with her grandmother. Her character in the game is a brave thief called "Lady Jaye."
- Poppy Bell--Her exact age is not given. Poppy is the main leader of "The Game." She often plays the bad guys, like the Great Queen.
- Eleanor Kerchner--A young girl who passed away. Her father, Lukas, used her bones to make a special doll. This doll is also known as the "Great Queen." Eleanor's ashes are inside the doll.
- The Bells--Poppy's parents are not in the story much. They seem to let their children be very independent.
- The Barlows--Zach's father recently moved back home. He is trying to be a good dad to Zach. Zach's mother tries to help them get along.
- The Magnayes--Alice's grandmother is her guardian. She is very protective of Alice. She often argues with Alice's aunt Linda about how Alice should be raised.
- Bus Driver--His reasons are not clear. He ignores the strange man on the bus. He also seems to try and stop the children at the bus station.
- Tinshoe Jones--A strange man the children meet on the bus. He seems to believe the doll is real. He warns the children about the bus driver.
- Donut Shop Attendant--The man who runs the donut shop. He also seems to think the doll is a real person. He offers her a special donut.
- Coffee Shop Attendant and Waitress--The older coffee shop worker also seems to see the doll as a person. The young waitress does not.
- Miss Katherine--A young librarian in East Liverpool, Ohio. She has pink hair. She tries to help the children get home safely. She does not help them with their quest.
Awards for Doll Bones
- Newbery Medal Honor Book in 2014.
- Winner of the Mythopoeic Fantasy Award for Children's Literature in 2014.
