21 The House With A Clock In Its Walls Lesson Plans and Activities (Book and Movie)

Want to incorporate The House With a Clock In Its Walls lesson plans into your learning and an awesome theme lesson?

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Me, too!

I remember reading The House With A Clock In Its Walls as a kid and it’s been on my list of “to read” books with my own child.

However, I couldn’t remember if it was too scary for kids (especially my super sensitive child), so I wanted to do a little more research and read some reviews.

 
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What is The House With A Clock In Its Walls?

The House With A Clock In Its Walls is a juvenile fiction mystery book written by author John Bellairs and first released in 1973. It features character Lewis Barnavelt who comes to live with his uncle who is a magician. Lewis finds that his uncle’s house has a clock built into the walls that could kill all humankind and only Lewis can stop it. The book is first in the series of 12 books containing this character. In 2018, the book was made into a movie starring Jack Black as the uncle and Owen Vaccaro as the orphan Lewis.

The House With a Clock In Its Walls Review for Learning

The House With A Clock In Its Walls Movie Trailer [VIDEO]

Now that it’s been made into a movie, I’m excited to see it.

(Personally, I think Jack Black is going to rock the character of Uncle Jonathan!)

Check out the movie trailer:

WATCH THE MOVIE: House With a Clock In Its Walls

Who plays Lewis in a House With A Clock In Its Walls?

Owen Vaccaro plays Lewis Barnavelt in a The House With a Clock In Its Walls.

Is The House With a Clock In Its Walls PG?

The House With a Clock In Its Walls movie is rated PG.

However, the video for the movie trailer does look a little intense.

(And, again, my daughter is pretty sensitive).

So, I’m going to read the book with her first and see how that goes before seeing the movie.

If you’re wondering, “Is The House With a Clock In Its Walls too scary for my kids?” then you might want to read this article.

(PS: The movie is getting mixed reviews.)

The House With a Clock In Its Walls Cast

The movie cast is played by some well-known actors that include:

Jack Black as Uncle Jonathan Barnavelt
Cate Blanchett as next door neighbor Mrs. Florence Zimmerman
Kyle MacLachlan as former home owner (who put the clock in the walls) Isaac Izard
Owen Vaccaro as Lewis Barnavelt (Vacarro has also appeared in Daddy’s Home 1 & 2 and Mother’s Day)

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The House With A Clock In Its Walls Book

Is the house with a clock in its walls based on a book?

YES!

The House With A Clock In Its Walls is a mystery book targeted at ages 8-12 (or grades 3-7).

I probably read it around second or third grade and I do remember it being a little scary.

So, if you have sensitive 8-year-olds, you may want to wait until they’re a little older to tackles this read.

(My sensitive daughter is 10 years old and it’s still a toss up if she’s going to like this book.)

So, what is The House With A Clock In Its Walls book all about?

From the book synopsis:

When Lewis Barnavelt, an orphan. comes to stay with his uncle Jonathan, he expects to meet an ordinary person. But he is wrong. Uncle Jonathan and his next-door neighbor, Mrs. Zimmermann, are both magicians! Lewis is thrilled. At first, watching magic is enough. Then Lewis experiments with magic himself and unknowingly resurrects the former owner of the house: a woman named Serenna Izard. It seems that Serenna and her husband built a timepiece into the walls–a clock that could obliterate humankind. And only the Barnavelts can stop it!

(Read what Common Sense Media says about the The House With A Clock In Its Walls.)

HOMESCHOOL HACK:

You can download The House With A Clock In Its Walls pdf for free if you want to check it out before you order the book or see the movie.

What are all the books in The House With A Clock In Its Walls Series

(Also Known As: The Adventures of Lewis Barnavelt Series / John Bellairs Mystery)?

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Full Titles in the Lewis Barnavelt Series:

The House with a Clock in Its Walls.
The Figure In the Shadows.
The Letter, the Witch, and the Ring
The Ghost in the Mirror
The Vengeance of the Witch-finder
The Doom of the Haunted Opera
The Specter from the Magician’s Museum
The Beast Under the Wizard’s Bridge
The Tower at the End of the World
The Whistle, the Grave, and the Ghost
The House Where Nobody Lived
The Sign of the Sinister Sorcerer

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