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This sounds really great! Thank you for sharing! I can't wait to check into it and use it as a book talk for our Mystery Book Clubs in early spring! I am just writing a quick post today to recommend a book, and because I'm dying to know if anyone else has read this fabulous mystery Amazon affiliate link follows: The main character is Lincoln, a boy who just began middle school after being homeschooled for the previous eight years.
He lives with his eccentric mother, a college professor who studies cemeteries. His father died a few years earlier. One of the reasons I love this book is because there are three storylines going on at once, and the author weaves them together so amazingly well! First, there is the storyline of Linc starting middle school and just trying to fit in.
Second, there is the mystery of "The Black Angel", a statue in Oakland Cemetery that is surrounded in legend and spine-tingling superstition. Finally, there is the mystery of Linc's father, and a part of his past that was covered up for so many years until Linc starts to unravel the mystery. It was difficult to put this book down. In fact, when I finally closed the book because I just couldn't read aloud anymore, my daughters would beg "Read more!
We live about four hours from Iowa City, so now my daughters want to see the statue in person. He's convinced his chances at a social life are over until a cemetery-related project makes him sought-after by fellow students he's not so sure he wants as friends, helps him make a new, genuine friend, and brings to light some information about his family that upends his world. Delia Ray has written a funny, heartfelt story about a lonely kid and his mother as they ultimately cope with the grief left behind from his dad's death, and along the journey find new ways to connect with each other, and their community.
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Here Lies Linc has ratings and 78 reviews. Emily said: Overall Review: From the title, and even the cover art, of this book, I admit that I was expec. Here Lies Linc [Delia Ray] on donnsboatshop.com *FREE* shipping on qualifying offers. When year-old Linc Crenshaw decides he wants to go to public school, his.
Oct 23, Emily rated it really liked it Shelves: From the title, and even the cover art, of this book, I admit that I was expecting something in the way of a silly spooky teen story to get you ready for Halloween. Here Lies Linc has a contemporary and engaging plot, full of finding connections with yourself and your past. Linc Lincoln learns so many things as he struggles to find himself.
However, he did improve and learn! He makes some wonderful friendships with very unlikely people especially his cute old neighbor, Mr. Krasny, whom I loved and discovers the joy of searching through the past and making lasting connections with his community. Learning about the Black Angel monument in the Iowa City, Oakland Cemetery was so interesting, especially because it was true!
I loved reading the epitaphs at the beginning of each chapter, and they become even more fun as I discovered that they are real epitaphs from actual headstones! There were funny ones, sad ones, and many famous ones. It made me wonder what I would write on mine… More than anything, though, I loved seeing the joy that came to so many people as they searched through the past to uncover the truth! This novel takes place around a cemetery, but it never gets creepy. Instead, it makes you want to go to a cemetery and wander around, just to see what stories you may find!
Overall rating is 4.
There is also a very cranky character who seems to take joy in the misery of others and has to have total control. Some characters are trapped in a burial vault for a short time. The only instance of any sexual content is when one character mentions she discovered she was pregnant after her boyfriend left town.
This specific information is told in just the manner I just did matter-of-fact, and in one sentence. There is one character who is caught drunk. Jan 05, Owen rated it really liked it. This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. This is a good book overall but I wish that they should've told you that the gravestones at the start of each chapter were real ones. Also I think that the spirits that Linc heard were just there for comedic effect and they weren't even that funny.
It just slowed down the pace of the story. Jun 26, Lisa Nocita rated it really liked it Shelves: Lincoln "Linc" Raintree Crenshaw is twelve and feeling all of the angst that comes with the territory. Add to it that his father passed away suddenly a few years ago, his mother studies graves and burial rites for a living, and he is beginning his first year of public school with all of its possibilities for missteps and mistakes and you have the basic premise of the book. He just wants to fit in and feel "normal," not easy when you don't have a TV, a working vacuum, nice shoes or clothes, and l Lincoln "Linc" Raintree Crenshaw is twelve and feeling all of the angst that comes with the territory.
He just wants to fit in and feel "normal," not easy when you don't have a TV, a working vacuum, nice shoes or clothes, and live next door to a cemetery. When he is assigned a local history project to investigate the life of one of the cemetery's residents, he is sure that further humiliation awaits as his mom is the guide for the field trip. However, the project serves as the catalyst in the story for growth and understanding for Linc and his mother, who hasn't been able to get past the death of her husband.
Along the way, Linc unravels a few mysteries and learns about integrity. The book is well written. The characters are fully realized and add a quirkiness of their own to the novel. Each chapter begins with a real inscription from a tombstone which were both entertaining and thought provoking. It's about not only fitting in but standing out and doing the right thing.
Might make a good read aloud. Mar 11, Shaunna Roszell added it Shelves: I thought it was realy good. The reason was because it was a mystery and I like mystery books. Sep 17, Charity Kelly rated it it was amazing. Jul 08, Leann S rated it really liked it.
A boy is living with his professor mom, his dad had died when he was 7. He is going into public school for first time, and for history class they get an assignment that takes them to the cemetery. His mom happens to be a cemetery and gravestone expert! Yet he never knew much about his father's family. A friend chooses a grave that shares his uncommon middle name. He chooses the mysterious black angel who is supposedly cursed, to learn the truth about it! A realistic book for kids, one A boy is living with his professor mom, his dad had died when he was 7.
A realistic book for kids, one that history or geneaology buffs may especially enjoy. Nov 06, Allen rated it it was ok. I read this book very quickly because I wasn't very interested in it. I didn't really care too much for the characters and the story wasn't very fun either. Jul 14, CM Wilcox rated it really liked it. Finally finished reading this to my son Aug 01, Brenda rated it really liked it.
It might have been a bit different, but it was happy, interesting and safe. Day one of the new life was going okay. In his old school one of his friends there had described middle school as like living in ancient Egypt. There was the pharaoh, next the high priests and nobles and after that the peasants and slaves and Linc could see that was true. He thought he was peasant and he could love with that until American Studies class when Mr. Oliver announced a project. It is an interesting look at families, friends, people and history. How would you like your epitaph to read? Jun 19, Laura rated it really liked it Shelves: Lincoln Raintree Crenshaw is having a tough start to seventh grade.
He has transferred from his small private home school to a regular public middle school. He's becoming increasingly aware that his off-beat mom, a professor who studies gravestone and burial rituals, is having her own problems. And his father's sudden death several years ago continues to color his life. Linc's teacher assigns the students to choose a gravestone and to complete research to learn more about the person. Linc choose Lincoln Raintree Crenshaw is having a tough start to seventh grade.
Linc chooses the infamous Black Angel [Note: And here begins the mystery -- Linc learns about his family connection to Iowa City and helps his mother find a way to move through her continuing grief. He also enlists his Czech neighbor to learn more about the legend behind the Black Angel and finally uncovers the truth behind a woman's tragedy-filled life. Linc also learns a lot about himself, finds a way to develop friendships, and proves that a nice kid can grow up to be a normal teen.
Each chapter begins with a gravestone epitaph, which provides some amusement and interest. Delia Ray describe the actual Iowa City cemetery and provides information about gravestones in a fairly extensive author note. This might be a bit of a tough Black-Eyed Susan sell. The book is long and while the reading level is certainly accessible for 5th graders it needs a bit of a commitment to read the whole book. I also found some of Linc's problems overly described or rehashed. I initially considered this book realistic fiction but many of the reviews, especially written by middle grade readers, noted a positive response to the mystery element.
Linc's father died young and his mother is a professor at U of I doing research on cemeteries who knew that was even a thing. However, there is a creepy story surrounding the grave Lincoln chooses, that of a black angel, and because of the many tales, Linc is on his own to find some answers as to why this grave is so disturbing. Read this brief article about a local graveyard sculpture that has turned into an urban legend. Jun 26, Lisa Nocita rated it really liked it Shelves: However, the project serves as the catalyst in the story for growth and understanding for Linc and his mother, who hasn't been able to get past the death of her husband. Aug 28, Pages Middle Grade Buy.
Lincoln Raintree Crenshaw is a twelve-year-old boy who makes the decision, after being homeschooled with a very smart group of kids, to go to public school for junior high. His mother, who he calls, Lottie, is a bit of an eccentric history professor. Interestingly, one of the girls picks a grave with the name of Robert Raintree. This author does a great job of weaving this tale to which she incorporated parts of actual grave stories.
It would be a great read-aloud for a class of upper elementary and middle school students. Jun 13, Kendra rated it really liked it. This is another title written for the middle grades, so it's a little out of my normal reading zone, but it was another that I read quickly and enjoyed and will gladly recommend to students when school resumes.
I always have kids asking me for more mysteries, so I was excited to find this one, and it has a boy protagonist too which is a little unusual. The MC here is Lincoln, a socially awkward year old who, as part of a school project, has been assigned to research a grave in the local cemet This is another title written for the middle grades, so it's a little out of my normal reading zone, but it was another that I read quickly and enjoyed and will gladly recommend to students when school resumes.
The MC here is Lincoln, a socially awkward year old who, as part of a school project, has been assigned to research a grave in the local cemetery. Now it just so happens that Lincoln's mother is a college professor who specializes in burial customs, so Linc knows his way around a cemetery. However, there is a creepy story surrounding the grave Lincoln chooses, that of a black angel, and because of the many tales, Linc is on his own to find some answers as to why this grave is so disturbing.
Then there is a second mystery involving Linc's father, who died previously and has some connection to the town where Linc and his mom are now living. There's also a new friend who helps Lincoln with his various investigations, as well as the requisite bad guy who tries to kick Lincoln out of the cemetery for good. This is quick, interesting, and actually solves two mysteries, so I think it will be one many young readers will be happy to find.
Aug 06, Jan Blazanin rated it it was amazing. Graveyards don't bother twelve-year-old Lincoln Crenshaw. He's spent most of his life tagging after his mother, Lottie, as she studies the history of burial customs. This year Linc leaves his tiny private school and begins sixth grade at Plainview Junior High.
It's not easy to fit in, especially when their first American Studies outing is exactly what Linc doesn't want--a field trip to Oakland Cemetery with his mom as a tour guide. Things only get worse when the class project is to "adopt" a gra Graveyards don't bother twelve-year-old Lincoln Crenshaw. Things only get worse when the class project is to "adopt" a grave and learn everything possible about the person buried there.
Linc chooses the infamous Black Angel headstone to prove the curse is nothing but a rumor. But the more information he uncovers, the more it appears the curse may be the real deal. This is a fun, not-too-spooky book for kids Readers will enjoy following Linc as he adjusts to his new school and makes both friends and enemies. His new friend Delaney is a brave female character, cemetery worker Jeeter provides comic relief, and Kilgore, the new cemetery superintendent, is suitably obnoxious and foils Linc at every turn.
This novel has depth, too, as Linc comes to terms with his dad's death, his mom's unusual parenting style, and an out-of-the-blue discovery about his family history. Oct 23, Samantha rated it really liked it. Lincoln Raintree Crenshaw is all too familiar with death.
He lives right next door to the town cemetery, his mother is an anthropologist who has taken Linc visiting cemeteries and graves all over the US, and his father died suddenly when Linc was only seven. To choose a tombstone in the cemetery and find out the history of the person buried there. Linc has a lot to prove. He has finally convinced Lincoln Raintree Crenshaw is all too familiar with death. He has finally convinced his mom to let him go to public school after years in a homeschool setting, he has no friends at his new school, and he really needs to fit in.
So, which tombstone does he choose? The Black Angel, a giant statute of a scary looking angel that hovers over the whole cemetery. The Black Angel has a bad reputation, with lots of frightening things happening to people who touch it. As Linc unravels the mystery of the Black Angel, he also unravels some painful things about his own family and the town he lives in. Will the hurt be worth it in the end? Read Here Lies Linc to find out for yourself!
A great read for grades 5 and up. Jun 25, Dolores rated it really liked it. I feel like I've been spending a lot of time in graveyards lately. At least in books. Twelve-year-old Linc is making changes in his life. He has decided to attend public school for the first time. His mom is not especially happy with this decision. She's a somewhat eccentric professor--an expert on death customs, who is still struggling to deal with the death of Linc's dad five years earlier.