Synopses & Reviews
This wonderfully wise and witty new collection is full of surprises as ordinary kids in offbeat situations uncover the unexpected--about themselves and others. In the title story, Carrie and Sam discover that while the Lord of the Fries, a legendary short--very short!--order cook at the Burger Barn, talks tough, he is anything but. In "Ick" Garnet and Brody find a clever way to use ick, the strange disease that killed Brody's goldfish, to protect a friend from the advances of a teacher. In "The Bermuda Triangle," a story full of missing things--buried treasure, a father, and even a young boy's voice--Billy Bones, an odd old man, and Jim Hawkins, a grieving young boy, find the unexpected gift of friendship. These stories, seven in all, shine with unforgettable characters, wry humor, and, best of all, a sense of the possible.
Review
...instantly likeable characters and intriguing original plots. . . Throughout the collection, the author's lively style and light touches of humor are evident. Another excellent collection of short stories . . . A page-turning adventure with a memorable heroine. (School Library Journal, April 99)
Review
Wynne-Jones creates boy and girl characters that are memorable, funny, unusual and refreshingly perceptive to what children experience... The stories allow readers ages 9 to 13 to sink their teeth into something as tasty as golden fresh french fries. In face, maybe better than fries. (Burlington Times-News, November 10, 1999)
Review
These stories fly through moments of delight, disappointment, and challenge. (The Christian Science Monitor, November 18, 1999)
Review
Tim Wynne-Jones continues his successful scavenging for story-building material in his third collection of tales... On the whole these seven stories plumb heaven and earth to reveal human nature with winning originality. (The Horn Book Magazine, July 1999)
Review
The book easily held my interest... there's not a single boring page... (Albuquerque Journal, June 27, 1999)
Review
The eponymous Lord of the Fries, a grouchy cook with two teenage detectives on his trail to discover the cause of his surliness, is just the first of the quirky characters spotlighted in seven vibrant stories. There is also Billy bones, an ancient man, who everyone thinks is touched in the head, and Jim, the mute, fatherless 11-year-old, who becomes his confidante; there is Luc (short for Lucifer?), whose devilish pranks turn choirboy Rodney's life into a living hell. In a unique conglomeration of slapstick humor, wistful moments and poignant outcomes, Wynne-Jones (The Book of Changes; Stephen Fair) sets up almost bigger-than-life situations and conjures offbeat relationships. Readers are able to explore new territories, like the secret world lying inside the hole at the foot of a 12-year-old's bed and the aquarium-like classroom for gifted children, where recent inductee Garnet feels like a fish out of water. Fresh dialogue, sympathetic and idiosyncratic protagonists, and surprises around every corner--these have become Wynne-Jones's calling cards, and he just gets better and better. (Publishers Weekly, Starred Review, January 25, 1999)
Review
Seven stories--a baker's half-dozen?--from Canadian short-story maven Vynne-Jones (Some of the Kinder Planets, The Book of Changes) provide some slices of intriguing and offbeat life. Lord of the Fries features a pair of friends who try to penetrate the mysterious past of a legendarily cranky fast-food entrepreneur; The Fallen Angel features a choirboy bedeviled by a new and problematic arrival in the choir loft; The Chinese Babies bring together a Welsh- speaking English Canadian, a van full of French Canadians, several generations of moody family, and some important games of chess. The book is fond of literary allusions both direct and indirect, with the Rumpelstiltskin story providing a basis for Lord of the Fries. The Bermuda Triangle borrowing names and piratical presence from Treasure Island, and The Anne Rehearsals depicting a young trio's obsession with the books of L.M. Montgomery. While the stories are inclined to be more intellectually than emotionally involving, Wynne-Jones' creative plotting and faith in the power of imagination (particularly evident in The Pinhole Camera where two kids square off over their fantasy worlds) keeps events sparking along in absorbing and unpredictable ways. Wynne-Jones continues to stand almost alone in providing unusual and accessible short stories for middle-grades readers. (The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books, March 1999)
About the Author
Tim Wynne-Jones is a writer in the best and broadest sense of the word. His work spans many different genres, and recognition for his achievements has been widespread. The singer, songwriter, and accomplished author has written everything from picture books, children's and young adult fiction, and adult novels to radio dramas, short stories, and magazine articles. He has also composed lyrics for CDs, musicals, operas, TV shows, and his band, The Usual Suspects, of which he is the lead singer. His most recent collection of short stories Lord of the Fries (DK Ink, 1999), received a starred review in Publishers Weekly and was praised by School Library Journal for its "instantly likeable characters and intriguing original plots . . . Another excellent collection of short stories." Similarly, Wynne-Jones' latest young adult novel, Stephen Fair (DK Ink, 1998), received a starred review by School Library Journal and The Horn Book Magazine praised it for 'strong characterization, rich imagery, and well-crafted writing." His novel The Book of Changes was also starred by School Library Journal and given a pointer by Kirkus Reviews. Wynne-Jones twice won the prestigious Governor General's Award for Children's Literature in Canada, most recently for The Maestro. He won the 1995 Boston Globe-Horn Book Award for Fiction for his collection Some of the Kinder Planets, which was also selected as a School Library Journal Best Book of the Year. These honors are but a few of the many bestowed upon Wynne-Jones for his literary accomplishments. Born in Cheshire, England, Wynne-Jones' family emigrated to Canada when he was only four years old. He graduated from the University of Waterloo with a B.A. in Fine Arts and received his M.A. in visual Arts from York University. He now resides in Perth, Ontario, with his wife and three children. Wynne-Jones has toured extensively in Canada and has now started giving readings and presentations in the United States as well. He has served as a writing instructor at many colleges and universities in Canada, as an instructor in visual arts at the University of Waterloo and at York University, as a children's book columnist at Toronto Globe & Mail, and as the children's book editor at Red Deer College Press.
Table of Contents
Lord of the fries -- Ick -- Bermuda triangle -- Anne rehearsals -- Fallen angel -- Pinhole camera -- Chinese babies.