"'This complex work has all the trappings of vintage Konigsburg: unusually articulate children considering the adult world and trying to stake their claim on it; an art history — related mystery; a headlines-inspired story line; eccentric grown-ups; and, of course, incisive, often brilliant prose. Sad to say, the magic is missing. The action starts off promisingly. Amedeo Kaplan (son of characters met in The Outcasts of 19 Schuyler Place) has just moved to coastal Florida and made friends with William Wilcox, son of an estate sale manager (introduced in the story collection Throwing Shadows). As the boys help William's mother pack up the palatial home of Amedeo's next-door neighbor, a larger-than-life retired opera singer, Amedeo finds a signed Modigliani drawing. Because Amedeo has just returned from attending an art exhibit curated by another Outcasts alum, Peter Vanderwaal, on the subject of 'degenerate' art (modern art criminalized by the Nazis), Amedeo is primed to uncover the history behind the drawing — a dark provenance that links the retired opera singer, the Vanderwaals and the Nazi occupation of Amsterdam. While the author's material and style prove as stimulating as ever, her repeated reliance on coincidence weakens the book's impact. Her tried-and-true fans will forgive these contrivances, but newcomers should not start here. Ages 9-12. (Sept.)' Publishers Weekly (Copyright Reed Business Information, Inc.)" Publishers Weekly (Copyright Reed Business Information, Inc.)

"[S]hould appeal to intellectually ambitious young readers who would share Amadeo's delight in showing off his knowledge of the correct way to pronounce the name of the artist Modligliani." Children's Literature

"[Konigsburg] at her best." Horn Book Magazine

"[A] cast of idiosyncratic people and skillfully embedded them in an appealing tale of friendship, loyalty, and mystery." School Library Journal

"Konigsburg writes with a singular intelligence that permeates every page." Booklist

A two-time Newbery Medalist spins a tale of art, discovery, friendship, history, and truth, in this novel about two boys who find themselves caught up in a story that links a sketch, a young boys life, an old mans reminiscence, and a painful secret dating back to Nazi Germany.

E. L. Konigsburg received the Newbery Medal for From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler, and the same year had a Newbery Honor Book, Jennifer, Hecate, William McKinley and Me, Elizabeth. In 1996, she received the Newbery again for The View from Saturday. She has since written a number of very successful books, including, most recently, Silent to the Bone, a NYT bestseller, and ALA Best Book for Young Adults, and an ALA Notable Book. She has spoken to groups all over the nation, has had her books translated into many languages (including Japanese), and is one of the most important, beloved figures in the world of children's books today. She lives in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida.