Synopses & Reviews
A reality-bending adventure from a Newbery Honor-winning author
Siblings India, Finn, and Mouse are stunned when their mom tells them they are flying that night--without her--to their Uncle Red's home in Colorado. But things take an even more dramatic turn when their plane lands in a very unusual place. A mysterious driver meets them at the airport; when he drops them off at their "destination," each kid suddenly has a clock with a different amount of time left. If the time runs out, they have to become permanent citizens in a place they don't recognize or understand. Only if they work together can they call the driver back to help get them where they really belong. Suspenseful, funny, dramatic, and thought-provoking, this is a book that will stay with you long after you read the incredible ending.
Review
"A fun ride, full of adventure, suspense, and good characterization." - School Library Journal
"Concrete yet dreamlike." - The Horn Book
"Choldenko's pacing is sure and her use of airport argot (white courtesy phones, a missing black box) adds an inventive element to this story of unlikely survival." - Publishers Weekly
"Constant shifts in perspective create suspense and contribute to the novel's eerie, dreamlike quality. The humdinger of an ending helps explain this off-kilter world while leaving much to ponder." - The Washington Post
"Fascinating." - Kirkus Reviews "The distinct voices of India, Finn, and Mouse, joint narrators, ring loud and clear with the complications of sibling rivalry . . . . Choldenko infuses each with a unique tenderness and humor." - Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books
"A fast-paced mindbender." - Booklist
Synopsis
Three siblings - India, Finn, and Mouse - have less than forty-eight hours to pack up all their belongings and fly, without Mom, to their uncle Red's in Colorado, after they lose their house to foreclosure. But when they land, a mysterious driver meets them at the airport, and he's never heard of Uncle Red. Like Dorothy in Oz, they find themselves in a place they?ve never heard of, with no idea of how to get home, and time is running out.
In a total departure, Gennifer Choldenko tells a story of adventure and survival, set in a fantastical place with rules all its own. Sharp dialogue, high stakes, and taut action make this a book that will stick with you long after you read the incredible ending.
About the Author
Gennifer Choldenko received a B.A. from Brandeis University, graduating cum laude with honors, and a B.F.A. in illustration from the Rhode Island School of Design. Gennifer’s first picture book is titled
Moonstruck: The True Story of the Cow Who Jumped Over the Moon. Reviewers called Moonstruck "hilarious" (School Library Journal), "hysterical, irreverent" (National Parenting Center), and "a giggle from beginning to end" (Publishers Weekly). Gennifer was the youngest in a family of four kids, where her nickname was "Snot-Nose." Her quirky sense of humor made its debut at the dinner table when Gennifer was a very little kid. After that, anything strange and funny became known as a Gennifer Joke.
Currently, she lives in the San Francisco Bay area with her husband and their two children. When she is not writing, she likes to draw animals at the zoo, especially crocodiles and turtles because they lie perfectly still. Notes From a Liar and Her Dog is her first novel for children.