Graven Images

Paul Fleischman's Newbery Honor-winning collection, 'Graven Images,' presents three distinct short stories, each centered around a statue that plays a pivotal role in revealing truths or influencing events. From the eerie 'Binnacle Boy' witnessing a ship's demise, to the humorous 'St. Crispin's Follower' guiding a love-struck apprentice, and the suspenseful 'The Man of Influence' involving a ghost and a ghastly crime, these tales offer a rich blend of supernatural mystery and human drama. The book also includes an afterword where Fleischman discusses finding his author's voice, making it a compelling read for young adults interested in storytelling and the unexpected.

Paul Fleischman, in his Newbery Honor winning book, spins three engrossing stories about the unexpected ways an artist's creations reveal truths - tales whose intriguing plots and many moods will entertain readers and inspire future writers. Can wood, copper, or marble communicate? They can if they are the graven images in Newbery Medalist Paul Fleischman’s trio of eerie, beguiling short stories. If you whisper a secret into a wooden statue’s ear, will anyone find out? Can a wobbly weathervane bearing the image of Saint Crispin, the patron saint of shoemakers, steer a love-struck apprentice toward the girl of his dreams? And if a ghost hires a sculptor to carve a likeness of him holding a drink to a baby’s lips, what ghastly crime might lie behind his request? And, in a brand-new afterword, the acclaimed storyteller reveals how he found his own author’s voice.