Inspire and Enthrall Students with the Mysteries of Harris Burdick

Once upon a time a quiet, non-descript man by the name of Harris Burdick walked into the office of a Mr. Wenders, book seller. Mr. Burdick offered a series of images he had drawn with companion stories. He brought only the images but not the story behind it. Mr Wenders was enthralled and mystified by the pictures. Each posed an impossibly fantastical wondrously eerie concept. Wenders asked Mr. Burdick to return immediately with the stories, but alas, when Harris Burdick walked out of Mr. Wenders office, ... he was never heard of again.

So begins and ends Chris Van Allsburg enigmatic tale, The Mysteries of Harris Burdick. Happily for us he was able to provide us with the images that Mr. Burdick brought in each along with a small quixotic note, only a sentence really that leaves us with a tiny hint at the original stories that never surfaced.

If you gasped in awe over The Polar Express or hung on to the edge of your chair of desk in thrilled terror in Jumanji, if you thought nothing could surpass Mr. Van Allsburg's stories and drawings in The Garden of Abdul Gazabi, you are in for a deliciously intoxicationg treat with The Mysteries of Harris Burdick.

Written in 1984, I initially discoverd this volume as a young teacher and shared its tingling secrets with my 4th graders. Needless to say they were agog with this magical book. As a student teacher I had been steeped in the delightful world of children's literature. Chris Van Allsburg was a author from whom we could always expect a magnum opus. He wowwed the literary world with Jumanji, winning the prestigious Caldecott for this in 1982.

Now, altough my 4th graders are parents of their own and Harris Burdick is nearing his 25th anniversary, this timeless masterpiece has the same power to evoke fantasy, horror, suspense, drama and mystery. I invite all teachers, home-schoolers, artists, art teachers, literature teachers and parents to search ou this book and share the images and tantalizing clues with your children and students.

Several links I've included have offered samples of student writing to explain these mysterious pictures. LaSalle Academy Library to publish any stories they receive which could explain the stories. I've included one of the images, my personal favorite called Missing In Venice. Wait, maybe that's not my favorite. I really love The Seven Chairs, oh and how could I exclude Captain Tory or Mr. Linden's Library ? I guess you can see the dilemma. So be sure to check out The Mysteries of Harris Burdick and put me out of my consternation trying to choose my favorite! Explore the links to view each of the 14 pictures. Try your hand and invite your students pen a plausible ending. Compile these stories into a book or website. Share the joy of puzzling out these wondrous stories.