A Clatter of Jars

A Clatter of JarsWritten by Lisa Graff


Who would guess when Cadence dropped a small bottle, no larger than a ping pong ball, empty except for a speck of light glowing at its center, into Lake Atropos, that the string of events to follow five years later would intertwine to bring families together. This magical realism tale follows the four main characters: Lily, Jo, Renny, and Chuck in alternating chapters. Their stories weave in the secondary characters to create a rich full story set in the summer at Camp Atropos. This camp is for kids with special talents, and perhaps some without. The kids are there for summer fun such as swimming, campfire gatherings and singing, and putting on a talent show for parents at the end of the two weeks. But they are unaware of the camp director’s true reason for bringing them together. Then seemingly empty jars begin to appear on the shoreline of the lake, but jars that are actually filled with talents. Now talents are getting swapped and memories too, from one camper to another. Only one person seems to know why.

I just love Lisa Graff’s books. To me, she is the master of magical realism. With such amazing books as Lost in the Sun and A Tangle of Knots, this book, A Clatter of Jars, is no exception. This beautifully crafted novel flows along so wonderfully that time passes without you even noticing. You just want to keep on reading to live in the world she has created for just a little longer. The characters are so vividly written and alive, and the way she brings all of the storylines together at the end is just truly magical. I really loved reading this book and highly recommend it.

Review by Renee Larsen, Hillside Elementary Media Center
Rating: ★★★★★ (5 stars)
Interest Level: Grades 3-7

Author Website: http://www.lisagraff.com/

A Clatter of Jars
Written by Lisa Graff
Philomel Books
217 pages
Release Date: May 24, 2016
A review copy was provided by the publisher.

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