2013 children's newbery hopeful (not a winner, in my opinion); historical fiction adventure/mystery. I know they're not intended to be the most likeable characters, but I was annoyed by Max's parents straight off the bat, and had to skim over the first couple chapters just to get through it. I made it to page 72 or so (chapter 5) but didn't feel compelled to finish. The characters fall flat, and somewhat humdrum; the setting also feels stale and banal. I might recommend as a read aloud to theatre-loving families, but I tend to stay away from those families, so I probably won't. ( )

I found this book to be an absolute delight. It was fun and engaging, with real mysteries and intrigues while also being very whimsical. Max was so much fun, with his acting and painting and very real need to "figure things out" on his own, and the supporting characters were just as great. I liked the almost fairy-tale feeling that overarched the whole story. I sure wish I'd had it to read when I was in grade 4 or 5 because I would have absolutely loved it then, too. I'm looking forward to the rest of the series. ( )

Grade: middle school, main character Max is 12 years old and attempts to live "independently" (with the help of his (Grammie who lives next door) when his parents leave him behind to pursue an exciting acting opportunity abroad.

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The Book of Lost Things by Cynthia Voigt

Max is only 12 years old when his parents leave him behind while they pursue a potentially exciting acting opportunity abroad. His father dramatically emphasizes that Max is old enough to be 'independent" and has no qualms about leaving him alone. Fortunately, Max has a Grammie who lives next door to help him begin to unravel a mystery when he is unable to locate his parents. Its amazing how Max rises to the occasion of being independent! He cleverly uses his father's theatre costumes to assume the roles needed to complete his job as "detective." To his chagrin, he has become as skilled at acting as his theatrical parents!

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I received this book from NetGalley to read and review.
ACR NetGalley pub 2013 ( )

Interesting characters , a little slow but still enjoyable. I'm curious to see how kids like it. ( )

I didn't finish this. Partly because I realized I was supposed to be reading a different book with the same title, but also because I didn't really see the point of it. There's an overarching plot of Max trying to find out where his parents are, but it doesn't seem all that important to Max or his grandmother. The plot seems to be Max figuring out how to make money so he can be independent of his Grammie and live in his house, even though he's only 12. It feels like the plot isn't really moving, so I'm setting this aside for now. It is cute and good for a middle grade book. I may come back to it at some point. ( )