Customer Reviews

The Mysteries of Harris Burdick

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I teach English 8 in a middle school setting, and my student writers tend to grumble and struggle with writing longer pieces of fiction. Whenever I display one of the illustrations in this portfolio, my students get out of their seats and rush for the display easel. They ooh and ahh. Then they start thinking and talking about the stories that pop into their heads--all of them different. They get to work with happy faces and elaborate tales with bright-eyed energy. When they are finished, they can't wait to read to the class. All upper grade English teachers should have this book/portfolio in their bag of magic tricks. Me? I'm waiting for the Mysteries of Harris Burdick Part 2.

One of my elementary school teachers introduced me to this book years ago. I think I was only in fifth or sixth grade. Being someone who loves to write, I was captivated immediately by the illustrations and the single sentence from the beginning of the stories that went along with them. I lost track of this book, until last semester when I saw it in my college book store. At the time I didn't have enough cash on hand to buy it, and by the time I went back the book was gone. Sadly for me, I had also forgotten the title and author! Thanks to a friend, I finally found this book again, and I cannot wait to get my own copy to share with my elementary students!

Since I am a huge fan of Chris Van Allsburg's illustrations, I have to admit that I bought The Mysteris of Harris Burdick for myself, under the guise that my kids would benefit, but they really have gotten a lot from this book. My 3 and 6 yr olds pull this book out any time they are too bored, and make up amazing stories for the images inside. My children get enough enjoyment out of it that I also bought a copy for my oldest daughter's kindergarten class, that I volunteer in frequently. My daughter's teacher thought The Mysteries of Harris Burdick may be a bit "disturbing" for some of the kids, but he put it on the shelf anyway, and I have not heard of any complaints from the kids, or parents.

Someone brought this book into my work and I happened to flip through it. I am 18 years old, and I was so excited about this book that I decided to buy it! The pictures are visually captivating, and when you read the mysterious captions it can spark ANYONE'S imagination! I keep going back and looking at the pages and finding other scenarios and ideas forming in my mind. It's a never-ending toy! :)

Mr McCaffery, my 6th grade teacher, gave us creative writing assignments using this book. He copied the pictures, let us chose between four and told us we had to incorporate the sentence given somewhere in the story. I loved that assignment which helped inspire me to find the enjoyment of writing. However I could never remember the title/author of that book. Now, nearly 15 years later, I was extremely excited when I stumbled upon it by accident and without hesitation bought it. For young or old, this book is absolutely amazing and it will stimulate the imagination and storyteller in all of us. It's a must have for those with kids or for those of us who simply need a journey to a world we have forgotten...

This book will get ANYONE writing. Great for kids, but probably better for adults who've forgetten how to use their imaginiations.

This book is one of Chris Van Allsburg's best. His illustrations are thought-provoking as well as skillfully drawn. This book would be a great gift for a child (of any age) who is a reluctant writer. The format of the book is like no other I have seen, including pictures, a title and a caption for stories which have "been lost." It beckons creativity.

I was first introduced to this book in a children's literature class taught by Jack Gantos. I must confess The Mysteries of Harris Burdick has never left me since. Is there a story? Not really. I think this is precisely why The Mysteries of Harris Burdick is able to take such a profound hold of your imagination. Each of the 14 haunting black & white illustrations are accompanied by a caption. Nothing more. We as the readers are left to ponder the meaning of each picture and make up our own stories to go along them. The Mysteries of Harris Burdick is the perfect way to introduce a child to the joys of reading and writing.

Preston McClear, author The Boy Under the Bed

The pictures alone would be enough to start your imagination flowing, but the captions capture you. I've seen this book used in creative writing workshops, children's classrooms, and in homes. Give one to a child you know who loves to make up stories! Or an adult for that matter!

After reading the book I wondered if this Harris Burdick person really existed. Is he fact or fiction? Could he be part of some small town's local legend? A book with an interesting twist. It reminds me of the movie "The Blair Witch Project". People didn't know if it was fact or fiction.

In Chris Van Allsburg's "The Mysteries of Harris Burdick" you have a writer (Burdick) who wants to get his stories published. He shows 14 drawings (each with a title and caption) to a man in the publishing business. Intrigued with what he sees he eagerly awaits the completed stories, only Burdick never comes back.

It's kind of weird especially when you see the type of drawings he left behind, kind of spooky. An interesting correlation to his disappearance. Could one of the drawings have played a part in his disappearance? If so, I'd guess it was the last drawing in the book - The House on Maple Street. Oh well, it's a mystery to me.