Books by
Tony Abbott

THE POSTCARD

FIREGIRL

THE POSTCARD
by Tony Abbott
Little, Brown for Young Readers
ISBN: 9780316011723
Ages 8-12
368 pages

When 13-year-old Jason finds out that his grandmother has died, he is not overcome with sadness as he has never even met her. Instead, he is overcome with annoyance. Now he has to leave his home in Boston at the beginning of the summer holiday and travel south to Florida to help his father clean out her house. To make matters worse, he fears that his parents are splitting up, and this one time with his dad will provide a great opportunity to talk. That is, if his dad doesn’t drink too much alcohol.

Jason’s first impression of Florida is HOT --- hot and flat, and filled with old people. He longs to go home, but that’s not an option. His father picks him up at the airport and delivers him to a musty house filled with lots of stuff needing to be sorted through and thrown out in the dumpster. Plus, there’s the funeral to attend, repairs to be made on the house in order to sell it, and dealing with his very emotional dad. This is definitely not the start to an awesome summer vacation. However, Jason buckles down and helps his dad, not knowing that things are going to start getting interesting.

First comes a weird phone call --- a stranger asking how smart Jason is and announcing that a person can learn a lot at a desk --- which he cannot get out of his head. He ends up searching his grandmother’s desk for something and discovers an old postcard, which is the first clue. Then his father drinks too many beers, falls off the ladder and lands in the hospital for a few days. Jason wrangles an invite to stay with his grandmother’s friend and next-door neighbor, not wanting his mom to find out that his dad had drunk too much. He returns to the cluttered house to continue working on the mess, and the mystery.

Jason joins forces with the spunky neighborhood lawn-mowing gal Dia, as they dodge the mysterious characters lurking around, explore historical buildings, gather clues and dive deeper into a family mystery almost as old as his grandmother. What starts out to be a boring, painful chore in a harsh environment turns into an adventure of a lifetime in a beautiful state rich with history and love.

Tony Abbott has written over 60 books for young people, and THE POSTCARD is another winner. He has created a multilayered, action-packed mystery filled with unusual and memorable characters (especially admirable is the feisty Dia; maybe he would consider writing another mystery about her). He handles point of view and voice with a shine --- each character and storyline separate, distinct and highlighted, yet weaving together perfectly. Abbott’s mystery will pull the reader through the pages with excitement, enthusiasm and a wallop of humor.

       --- Reviewed by Chris Shanley-Dillman, author of FINDING MY LIGHT and THE BLACK POND

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