When eleven year old Stanley Buggles inherits a house from an unknown great-uncle, he has no idea what lies ahead. His parents put him on the train and send off to Crampton Rock for the summer to take possession of his new property. Things aren't quite that simple, as Stanley soon discovers. Before he can set foot on Crampton Rock, he has to present the proper documents proving that he is a land-owner. Only those that actually own property on the island are allowed to cross the wooden mile, a lo...

A bedtime read aloud that I found on the library shelves. It was nice to have something a little more narratively complex (as the parent reader). Enjoyably dark and creepy for spooky season, but not too much so for my still a little sensitive kiddo. We’ve started the second in the series.

Mould, C. (2007). Something Wickedly Weird: The Wooden Mile. New York: Roaring Brook Press.1596433833Stanley, as the youngest living relative of his great-uncle, inherits the deceased man’s hall and all of the wackiness of the people who live in the town of Compton Rock. Stanley leaves home without his busy parents to take possession of the immense Candlestick Hall and is greeted by unusual characters and strange rules, one of which is “don’t go out after dark.”The story includes a lot of humoro...

Young Stanley Buggles has just been informed that a previously unknown great-uncle has died and left Stanley a large house called Candlestick Hall on an island called Crampton Rock. Stanley goes alone to visit the estate and discovers a quaint fishing village that can only been reached when the tide is down via a long wooden bridge . As it turns out, Candlestick Hall and Crampton Rock each have many secrets. While Stanley loves his first experience of the ocean, he is unsure of what to make of t...

I was given a small pile of children books to read (3 books to be exact) and this was one of them.It's a bit hard to review this book because I don't have all that much to say about it. I didn't find this book boring nor did I find it that exciting. It certainly is a book aimed for little children which was the whole point for my reading.But in some places it just fell a little flat. I didn't feel compelled to keep turning the pages to find what happened next. I'm sure this book will excite some...

Stanley Buggles receives a letter containing a mysterious key in the post. He inherits his great-uncle's house on Crampton Rock, after his uncle Bartholomew Swift dies. It sounds like an ideal holiday home, but there’s a twist. Stanley, Mrs Carrelli and Lionel Grouse are the main characters in this non-fiction book. The villains in this adventure novel are William Cake, who is the werewolf, and the pirates: Randall Flinn; Sharkbait Jones; and Bill Timbers. Stanley decides to go to Crampton Rock

The title of this series caught my eye ("Something Wickedly Weird"), as did the dark front cover. In reading the book, though, I didn't find it all that weird, and the interior art was only so-so. There are pictures of crabs on the chapter headings and elsewhere in the book that are never mentioned ... what's up with the crabs? The writing is pretty good and flows easily. The reason I give this just *** is because the plot is sometimes rushed or isn't all that convincing. Two examples, which oth...

I read this book once when I was little but I read it again recently because I loved it so much when I read it the first time. It's about a boy who is sent off to this town that is very muggy and kind of old and grey. He stays in a giant house with many weird things, like the fish in the tank. During his stay some strange encounters occur. He keeps spotting the same wolf in the distance. In the end he has to fight the wolf. I really liked this book because I like to read about creepy mystery boo...

The Wooden Mile is a hilarious romp with plenty of pirates and adventure featuring young Stanley Buggles as the main character. Stanley is eleven and has recently inherited a large home in the seaside town of Crampton Rock from his unknown uncle Admiral Swift. Stanley's parents are unable to accompany him to Crampton Rock so he ventures there on his own to spend the summer in the care of housekeeper, Mrs. Corelli. When Stanley arrives he begins to realize nothing is quite as it seems it this sle...

This weird, creepy book is going to appeal to some, but I don't think it is going to entice most readers. Stanley Buggles has inherited a house from an unknown relative in Crampton Rock, but the village is not quite right. People scuttle indoors when night falls, lookout towers are sprinkled here and there, and a talking taxidermied fish cautions Stanley against a lady who lives in the water. When Stanley discovers that a werewolf is on the loose he is recruited by pirates to kill it. Unbeknowns...

Eleven-year-old Stanley Buggles just received a mysterious package. Inside was a large, old key and a letter from the Mayoress of Crampton Rock. It seems that Stanley had a long lost great-uncle who just died and left him a house. Now Stanley is off to visit Candlestick Hall for the summer under the watchful eye of Mrs. Carelli, the housekeeper of Candlestick Hall.As he arrives on Crampton Rock, Stanley realizes right away that he’s in a strange place. For one thing you can’t even set foot on th...

How would you feel if you were just an 11 year old boy whose uncle had just mysteriously passed away with his head missing and it's your job to figure out what happened? Well, the award winning author Chris Mould's book, The Wooden Mile, had Stanley, a young boy, go through this disaster. Stanley receives a house in Crampton Rock from his uncle who he'd never seen before. It all seems nice, until he notices something that doesn't make sense in the town. Nobody is ever out in dark, and all the do...

"This book is a really fun read that will appeal to a wide range of readers. It's part Roald Dahl and part Lemony Snicket -- but unlike Snicket, this book will be readable by a wider range of children. The chapters aren't quiet as long and the spacing is done with more room and there are some illustrations- which is terrific for just getting started with chapter books. The hero of the book is likeable and the other characters are well described. There is just enough mystery and adventure to keep...

The Wooden Mile: Something Wickedly Weird is a delightful book written by Chris Mould for 9 to 12 year olds, but I’m a few years past that and I loved it. It is published by Roaring Brook Press.It is the story of eleven year old Stanley Buggles, an ordinary boy who received a letter informing him that his Great-Uncle Bartholomew (who he’s never met) has died and left his estate and and all of his possessions to Stanley. It is decided that Stanley should visit the estate, Candlestick Hall in Cram...

Stanley Buggles inherits a property on Crampton rock from his long-lost uncle. When he goes to see the place, he realizes that Crampton Rock is not a normal place. First, he has to have papers to prove he can step foot on CR, then he's told not to go out at night. Come to find out that there is a werewolf on the loose and three pirates want him to get rid of it. Of course, they don't have the well-being of the citizens of CR in mind--they want to be able to go out at night to rob Stanley of a pr...

This is a great "scary" series for books who enjoy phillip Ardagh or a silly story with a scary theme. The illustrations that go along with the story are great and it is a little high interest low level going on here. Not to mention I love talking fish and how do you confuse a pike and a tuna? Grades 3+

This author has a very good grip round this genre of books. I think this book has got to be one of my favourites. He has done a series which are below;Wooden MileIcy HandSilver CasketDarkling CurseSmugglers MineTreasure Keepers

I read this when I was around 8 or 9 years old, and these were the books that got me into reading. I was one of those kids who would have much rather have been outside climbing a tree, or hitting someone with a stick, than picking up a book. Anyway, these were the books that made me want to read. They were "scary" (according to my 9-year-old self) and exciting. I flew through these books in one summer (which actually says a lot, because that was precious ice cream eating and stick fighting time

I read this as The Werewolf and the Ibis - which is a better title.An enjoyable opening to the Something Wickedly Weird series of children's books by author/illustrator Chris Mould who we went to see at a local library event recently. A good cast of characters (many of them distinctly creepy) - a pack's worth of three legged dogs, a talking pike, a pirate who wears the bones of his left arm and hand pinned to his jacket. I thought the theme of unintended consequences was a very fine one for a ch...

Eleven year old Stanley Buggles has inherited his late Great-Uncle Admiral Bartholomew Swift's estate, Candlestick Hall. He sets out for Crampton Rock, a small fishing village, where the property is located. Candlestick Hall and Crampton Rock turn out to be quite interesting, but also wickedly weird! This is a page turner filled with adventure and creative characters: pirates, a werewolf, an overprotective housekeeper, a wise keeper of the rock, and a talking fish.The very detailed pencil drawin...