The House with a Clock in its Walls
John Bellairs
© 1973 John Bellairs
Puffin Books/Richard Curtis Associates

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Ten year old Lewis Barnavelt recently moved in with his Uncle Jonathan. They live in a large, rather spooky house. Lewis discovers that his Uncle is a warlock – a good witch, mind you, but he does wander around the house trying to find the source of a clock ticking in its walls. And Lewis does his own sleuthing, accidentally unleashing a force that threatens not only himself and his uncle, but the entire world! The turn of events are both spellbinding and ridiculous, and show that Lewis has more courage than even he imagined. You'll love this delightfully creepy book.

The House with a Clock in its Walls was read by Thom Rivera
Thom Rivera is an accomplished actor who has performed extensively in regional theater and off Broadway. He is an alumnus of The Acting Company, America's premiere touring repertory theater, having performed in the world premiere of Pudd'nhead. He holds a BA from Cal State Northridge and an MFA from University of California, Irvine.

As a fifth grader, Thom enjoyed reading the Tripod science fiction series by John Christopher, starting with The White Mountains. He also enjoyed  Philip Pullman's Golden Compass Trilogy, which he recommends as well.

What do you think?

Why did you like the story?

What did you think of Uncle Jonathan and Mrs. Zimmerman? How did the author let you know they are good friends?

Which is your favorite character? Why? Julia Durango, in Children's Book Review (August 15, 2000), said her favorite character is "...wacky old Mrs. Zimmerman, and not just because she believes in cookies and poker for every occasion. Everything in her house is purple, right down to the toilet paper. And while she and Uncle Jonathan are best friends, they take great delight in creating nicknames for each other like Hag Face, Weird Beard, Frizzy Wig, and Pruny." What nicknames do you call your best friend?

What themes do you find in The House with a Clock in its Walls?

Why do you think Lewis told Tarby he could raise someone from the dead?

Why is this book considered a Gothic fantasy?

What does Lewis discover about himself?

How does his relationship with his uncle and Mrs. Zimmerman change over the course of the story?

Fun & Adventure Beyond the Book

Author John Bellairs created Uncle Jonathan's car, a Muggins Simoon. The name is actually a combination of two words: "muggings" is British slang for fool, and a "simoon" is a type of radial engine. Learn more about some of the other objects and words used in the book.

Bellairs based New Zebedee on his own home town, Marshall, Michigan. Here's a photo of the house he based Uncle Jonathan's house on. Take a virtual tour of Marshall, Michigan, touring buildings Bellaris used in his books.

Bellaris was once asked if he liked the work of writer Stephen King. Bellairs said no, replying that, "some people think horror is to be grossed-out by these really disgusting things. But for me, horror is suggestion and what might happen, and the old-fashioned haunted house movies." Learn more about the author and see photos of him.

Check out this site! Six kids in grades 6-8 created this ThinkQuest website, dedicated to the books of Bellaris. You'll want to try out the games Choose Your Own Adventure and Villain Word Search, or maybe you and your friends want to act out the skit based on The House with a Clock in its Walls. 

Edward Gorey drew the illustrations in the book.You can see more of his work here. Check out the games he illustrated for PBS' Mystery Theater!

Uncle Jonathan explained that wizards often use the Omega, the last letter of the Greek alphabet. Learn more about the Greek alphabet.

Uncle Jonathan described himself as a "parlor magician." Want to try it? This site has magic tricks for you to amaze your friends with! 


If You Like This Book, Check Out...

Grace Greene, from the Vermont Department of Libraries, says this is the first book in a series which continues with The Figure in the Shadows and The Letter, the Witch, and the Ring.

After Bellairs' death, author Brad Strickland finished three more in the series that Bellairs had begun: The Ghost in the Mirror, The Vengeance of the Witch Finder and Doom of the Haunted Opera. Brad Strickland then continued the series on his own with The Tower at the End of the World, The Whistle and The Grave and the Ghost.

Bellairs wrote two other series, one about Johnny Dixon and the other about Anthony Monday. All three protagonists are boys around 12 or 13 years old, and all are on the outside, with few friends.

Companion Titles:

Jeremy Thatcher, Dragon Hatcher, by Bruce Coville (Harcourt, 1991).
Small for his age but artistically talented, twelve-year-old Jeremy Thatcher unknowingly buys a dragon's egg.

So You Want to Be a Wizard, a series by Diane Duane (Delacorte, 1983).
Thirteen-year-old Nita, tormented by a gang of bullies because she won't fight back, finds the help she needs in a library book on wizardry which guides her into another dimension.

Island of the Aunts, by Eva Ibbotson. (Dutton, 2000).
As they get older, several sisters decide that they must kidnap children and bring them to their secluded island home to help with the work of caring for an assortment of unusual sea creatures.

The Magicians of Caprona, by Diana Wynne Jones (Greenwillow, 1980).
After two centuries of feuding, the powers of the two families of magicians in mythical Caprona are too weak to stop an incipient war, but the younger members of the families find a way.