Mystery+Stories

=These stories are inspired by illustrations from the book [|The Mysteries of Harris Burdick]. Visit the link to learn more about the book.= //The Mysteries of Harris Burdick// is a fascinating and unusual book. It opens with an introductory letter from Chris Van Allsburg himself, explaining the book's origins. "I first saw the drawings in this book a year ago, in the home of a man named Peter Wenders," Van Allsburg begins. He goes on to explain that many years earlier, a man called Harris Burdick stopped by the office of Peter Wenders, who then worked for a publisher of children's books, choosing stories and pictures to be made into books. Burdick brought one drawing from each of fourteen stories he had written as a sample for Mr. Wenders. Fascinated by the drawings, Wenders told Burdick he wanted to see the rest of his work as soon as possible. Promising to bring the stories in the next day, Burdick left—never to be seen again. The fourteen pictures he left behind—and their accompanying captions—remained in Wenders's possession until Van Allsburg himself saw them (and the stories that Wenders's children and their friends had long ago been inspired to write by looking at them). The mysterious pictures, writes Van Allsburg, are reproduced for the first time in the hope that they will inspire many other children to write stories as well.

Following the letter, fourteen mysterious and haunting images are reproduced, each with a title and a suggestive caption. Next to a drawing of a boy fast asleep in his bedroom with five small, round lights hovering in the air above him are the title "Archie Smith, Boy Wonder" and the caption "A tiny voice asked, 'Is he the one?'" An image of a huge ocean liner pushing into a narrow canal is titled "Missing in Venice" and captioned "Even with her mighty engines in reverse, the ocean liner was pulled further and further into the canal." The picture from "The Third-Floor Bedroom", accompanied by the words "It all began when someone left the window open," shows a room that looks completely normal but for the wallpaper bird that seems to be coming to life and flying off the wall!

Each picture-and-caption pair is more mysterious and suggestive than the last, and will provide children and adults alike with hours of entertainment.

To see each of the illustrations, titles and captions watch the video - media type="custom" key="7356245"

Can you match the story to the image?

7.3 = = Taylor media type="file" key="Taylor's mystery.m4a"

Nick B. media type="file" key="nick's mystery.m4a"

Christian media type="file" key="christian's mystery.m4a" Emma media type="file" key="emma's mystery.m4a" Annabelle media type="file" key="annabelle's mystery.m4a" Kaela media type="file" key="kaela's mystery.m4a" Matthew G. media type="file" key="matthew g's mystery.m4a" Megan media type="file" key="megan's mystery.m4a" Mary media type="file" key="mary's mystery.m4a" Christopher media type="file" key="christopher r's mystery.m4a" Mary Virginia media type="file" key="Mary-Viriginia's mystery.m4a"

=7.2= Eric media type="file" key="Eric Bush.m4a" Austin media type="file" key="austin's mystery.m4a" Emily F. media type="file" key="emily f's mystery.m4a"e Peary media type="file" key="pearys short story.m4a" Shanay media type="file" key="Shanay Hassman.m4a" Gilly media type="file" key="gillys short scary story.m4a" Paige media type="file" key="paige's mystery.m4a" Ally media type="file" key="ally's mystery.m4a" Beau media type="file" key="Beau- The Pumpkin.m4a" Hannah media type="file" key="hannah's mystery.m4a" Will media type="file" key="will's mystery.m4a" Madeline media type="file" key="madeline's mystery.m4a" Delaney media type="file" key="Delaney- Halloween Trails.m4a" =7.1= Christopher A media type="file" key="christopher's mystery.m4a" width="300" height="50" Abigail media type="file" key="abigail's mystery.m4a" Kate media type="file" key="kate's mystery.m4a" Emily E. media type="file" key="emily e's awesome mystery!!.m4a" Maddy media type="file" key="maddy's mystery.m4a" Gabby media type="file" key="gabby's mystery.m4a" Thomas media type="file" key="thomas's mystery.m4a" Hunter media type="file" key="Hunter's Mystery.m4a" James media type="file" key="james' mystery.m4a" Mason media type="file" key="mason's mystery.m4a" Grace T. media type="file" key="grace t's mystery.m4a"