THE POSTCARD, by Tony Abbott (Little Brown 2008)(ages 8-12). In this fun and quirky novel, Abbott delivers mystery, humor, suspense, and a touch of nostalgia.A week into summer vacation after eighth grade, Jason is sent down to St. Petersburg, Florida, to help his father settle his recently-deceased grandmother's affairs. After the funeral (which is attended by some truly bizarre individuals), and while going through his grandmother's papers, Jason discovers a magazine of pulp mystery-adventure serials. Then, after a mysterious phone call, he finds a postcard connecting his grandmother's never-talked-about past; the author of one of the (never-completed) serials; and a grand old hotel (featured in the postcard). Joined by Dia, a neighbor girl, Jason must discern fact from fiction as he attempts to untangle an intricate web of love, family, deceit, obsession, and, yes, postcards.
Never dull, often funny, THE POSTCARD offers a sophisticated mystery without stinting on character development or relationships. Highly recommended.
2 comments:
I'm currently rereading Tony Abbott's The Secrets of Droon chapter book series. That was one of my daughter's favorites, and one of the reasons I got into children's book writing. Tony's last MG novel Firegirl was very thought-provoking. I'll have to pick up The Postcard. Thanks for the tip, Greg!
Greg: I tried to leave a message when I first saw your review, but I'm not sure if it went through, so I'm trying again. Thank you for your thoughtful words about The Postcard. It seems to be a book that you either like or really don't. I'm happy that you liked it, and further, that you thought enough of it to mention it on your lovely blog. That's all.
Thanks again, and best wishes with all your own work.
Tony Abbott
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