Teh Thief of Always pages 1-50

Summary: The story opens in a town called Millsap, it is a grey, dark, foggy town especially in the cold boring month of February. Harvey Swick, a ten year old boy, is bored out of his mind and is feeling pretty depressed when all of the sudden a man named Rictus flies through the window into his room. Rictus is a short, skinny man who wears a fancy suit and glasses. He tells Harvey that he doesn't have to be bored because he can go to the Holiday House. He then disappears, but returns a couple of days later to take Harvey there. The actual house is located behind a huge stone wall that has no gate, you just walk through it. Upon arrival Harvey is stunned by the four story house and the beautiful yard with an enormous tree house. After he enters the house an old lady named Mrs. Griffin. She lays out dozens of platters of food for him and tells him about the creator of the house, Mr. Hood who is a solitary man who hasn't appeared in the story yet. Harvey then he calls his mother, who is suprisingly fine with him skipping school and staying there for as long as he wants, almost too fine with it. He then meets the two other kids living there; Lulu and Wendell. Lulu is quiet and almost a suspious character, Wendell on the other hand is full of energy and him and Harvey hit it off right away. Then Harvey goes to sleep and when he wakes up it's spring outside, then after lunch it's summer. The seasons change every day! Harvey then knows this is no ordinary place. He later explores and finds a huge lake far behind the house, unlike everything else it is dark and gloomy. He leaves quickly, that night, like every night, is Halloween, Harvey dresses up as a vampire and the backyard of the house turns into a very long street for the kids to walk on. All seems well in the Holiday House for now, but the way the author is foreshadowing it can't stay that way for long.
Important Quote: "The House is full of suprises. You'll see."  Pg #46. This quote provides foreshadowing that really makes the reader question what is going to happen later in the story. This is also the point in the story where the house seems to get a little bit creepier than earlier in the story. Up to this point in the story the house seems great, but after this quote and the events on halloween, the house doesn't seem quite as perfect.
Connection: My connection to this text is the scene in Harry Potter where the roof in the dining hall change seasons. In the story the weather and feeling of the House changes from season to season each day. In the morning it's either spring or winter depending on how early you wake up and by the end of the day it's Thanksgiving. In Harry Potter the ceiling of the dining hall can change to fit the particular season outside. This helps enhance the magic and wonder of the settings in both stories, but in the Thief of Always I have a feeling that it will be a much darker sort of magic.