Dreadful Acts

Novel sequels and series additions will keep young readers riveted. In a starred review of Philip Ardagh's debut title in the Eddie Dickens Trilogy, A House Called Awful End, illus. by David Roberts, PW said, ""Adult fans of Bleak House and Oliver Twist will appreciate Ardagh's clever crafting, and kids who lap up Lemony Snicket's series will take quickly to this tale and clamor for the next."" Well, here's the next: Dreadful Acts. First, 12-year-old Eddie's home erupts in a gas explosion. Then, he meets the Great Zucchini, an escape artist whose coffin is propelled from the back of a passing hearse by the force of the blast.