The Boy in the Burning House

The Boy in the Burning House

Written by: Wynne-Jones, Tim
ages 12 to 15 / grades 7 to 10

Two years after his father mysteriously disappeared, Jim Hawkins is coping -- barely. Underneath he's frozen in uncertainty and grief. Then Ruth Rose crashes into his life. A sixteen-year-old misfit whose manic moods have to be managed by drugs, she tells Jim that her stepfather is a murderer. Every instinct tells Jim to walk away, to get back to the slow process of dealing with his own grief. Yet something about her fierce conviction will not let him rest. Ruth Rose lights a fire in Jim -- a burning need to uncover the truth, no matter how painful that truth may be.

Acclaimed author Tim Wynne-Jones turns his considerable talent to a stunning novel that is part mystery, part psychological thriller. Emotionally compelling, fast-paced, terrifying and clever -- The Boy in the Burning House is an irresistible read.

Two years after his father mysteriously disappeared, Jim Hawkins is coping -- barely. Underneath he's frozen in uncertainty and grief. Then Ruth Rose crashes into his life. A sixteen-year-old misfit whose manic moods have to be managed by drugs, she tells Jim that her stepfather is a murderer. Every instinct tells Jim to walk away, to get back to the slow process of dealing with his own grief. Yet something about her fierce conviction will not let him rest. Ruth Rose lights a fire in Jim -- a burning need to uncover the truth, no matter how painful that truth may be.

Acclaimed author Tim Wynne-Jones turns his considerable talent to a stunning novel that is part mystery, part psychological thriller. Emotionally compelling, fast-paced, terrifying and clever -- The Boy in the Burning House is an irresistible read.

Published By Groundwood Books Ltd — Aug 1, 2000
Specifications 232 pages | 4.52 in x 7 in
Supporting Resources
(select item to download)
Excerpt
Written By

TIM WYNNE-JONES is one of Canada's foremost writers for children. The author of over thirty-five books, he is a two-time winner of the Governor General's Award, as well as a two-time winner of the Boston Globe–Horn Book Award and of the Arthur Ellis Award. His short-story collections include Some of the Kinder Planets, Book of Changes and Lord of the Fries. He is also known for his Rex Zero series. Recently, he wrote the young-adult novels The Ruinous Sweep; Emperor of Any Place, which earned seven starred reviews; and Blink & Caution, which won the Boston Globe–Horn Book Award. Tim is also the recipient of the Edgar Award and the Vicky Metcalf Award for a Body of Work. In 2012, he was made an Officer to the Order of Canada. He lives in Perth, Ontario.

Written By

TIM WYNNE-JONES is one of Canada's foremost writers for children. The author of over thirty-five books, he is a two-time winner of the Governor General's Award, as well as a two-time winner of the Boston Globe–Horn Book Award and of the Arthur Ellis Award. His short-story collections include Some of the Kinder Planets, Book of Changes and Lord of the Fries. He is also known for his Rex Zero series. Recently, he wrote the young-adult novels The Ruinous Sweep; Emperor of Any Place, which earned seven starred reviews; and Blink & Caution, which won the Boston Globe–Horn Book Award. Tim is also the recipient of the Edgar Award and the Vicky Metcalf Award for a Body of Work. In 2012, he was made an Officer to the Order of Canada. He lives in Perth, Ontario.

Audience ages 12 to 15 / grades 7 to 10

Winner, Edgar Allan Poe Award for Best Young Adult Novel, 2002

Short-listed, Guardian Children's Fiction Prize, 2005

Long-listed, Wirral Paperback of the Year, 2005

Long-listed, OLA Red Maple Award, 2001

Long-listed, SYRCA Snow Willow Award, 2003

“An absolutely riveting thriller, this book is a tour de force for Wynne-Jones, Tim...full of wonderful literary play - with a sly nod to great adventures...” —Quill & Quire, STARRED REVIEW

“Intense, suspenseful, this novel is much more than a mystery - it's an exploration of human choices, of the tension between trust and reason, denial and self-knowledge. And it's hard to put down.” —Toronto Star

“The tale spins out taut as a bow string...Scary, absorbing, with a thrilling denouement.” —Booklist