The Haunting of Falcon House - by Eugene Yelchin (Paperback)

About the Book

When twelve-year-old Prince Lev Lvov goes to live with his aunt at Falcon House, he takes his rightful place as heir to the Lvov family estate. Prince Lev dreams of becoming a hero of Russia like his great ancestors. But he'll discover that dark secrets haunt this house. Prince Lev is the only one who can set them free. Will he be the hero his family needs?

Book Synopsis

A long undisturbed bedroom. A startling likeness. A mysterious friend.

When twelve-year-old Prince Lev Lvov goes to live with his aunt at Falcon House, he takes his rightful place as heir to the Lvov family estate. Prince Lev dreams of becoming a hero of Russia like his great ancestors. But he'll discover that dark secrets haunt this house. Prince Lev is the only one who can set them free--will he be the hero his family needs?

From Eugene Yelchin, the author and illustrator of Arcady's Goal and the Newbery Award-winning Breaking Stalin's Nose, comes The Haunting of Falcon House, an illustrated middle grade story that'll both haunt readers and leave them knowing a little bit more about Russian history.

This title has Common Core connections.

Review Quotes

"The story is both simple--a ghost story--and as complex as the country it rises from, offering glimpses of Russia's unique and brutal history . . . and its exploration of the role of art as a vehicle for liberation. . . . Eerie and effective." --Kirkus Reviews, starred review, on The Haunting of Falcon House

"The novel's 56 mini-chapters are interspersed with beguiling ink sketches of everything from star-soaked skies and stark graves to pitchforks and dozing kittens. The narrative itself . . . is by turns wide-eyed, inquisitive, and earnest. This is a haunting at its very best." --Booklist, starred review, on The Haunting of Falcon House

"Yelchin (Arcady's Goal) sets his imaginative, layered mystery--prefaced by a tongue-in-cheek opening note on the story's purported origins--in late-19th-century Saint Petersburg. . . . Offbeat, smudged sketches play a peculiar yet effective counterpoint to the evocative language, and helpful historical notes are included." -Publishers Weekly, on The Haunting of Falcon House

"Readers will enjoy the budding friendship, and the ghost story/mystery is compelling. . . . A unique historical mystery from a celebrated children's writer and illustrator; a great option for classroom discussion and a jumping-off point for further exploration of Russian history." --School Library Journal, on The Haunting of Falcon House

"Two survivors of Stalinist oppression attempt to form a family in this companion to the 2012 Newbery Honor-winning Breaking Stalin's Nose . . . An uplifting, believable ending makes this companion lighter - but no less affecting - than its laurelled predecessor." --Kirkus Reviews on Arcady's Goal

"Mr. Yelchin has compressed into two days of events an entire epoch, giving young readers a glimpse of the precariousness of life in a capricious yet ever-watchful totalitarian state." --The Wall Street Journal on Breaking Stalin's Nose

"A miracle of brevity, this affecting novel zeroes in on two days and one boy to personalize Stalin's killing machine of the '30s. . . . Black-and-white drawings march across the pages to juxtapose hope and fear, truth and tyranny, small moments and historical forces, innocence and evil. This Newbery Honor book offers timeless lessons about dictatorship, disillusionment and personal choice." --San Francisco Chronicle on Breaking Stalin's Nose

"This brief novel gets at the heart of a society that asks its citizens, even its children, to report on relatives and friends. Appropriately menacing illustrations by first-time novelist Yelchin add a sinister tone." --The Horn Book, starred review, on Breaking Stalin's Nose

About the Author

Eugene Yelchin is the author and illustrator of Arcady's Goal and the Newbery Honor book Breaking Stalin's Nose. Born and educated in Russia, he left the former Soviet Union when he was twenty-seven years old. Mr. Yelchin has also illustrated several books for children, including Crybaby, Who Ate All the Cookie Dough? and Won Ton. He lives in California with his wife and children.