Mr. Samuel's Penny

October 15, 2014
A city girl from Queens, New York, is thrust into the slowed-down homeyness of a small North Carolina town in 1972, but the summer she fears will drag on intolerably soon turns into the mystery of a missing penny and an unknown killer. When Lizbeth rides her bike to the bridge, she feels the thrill of adventure. A car has gone over it; someone has died. But seeing the dead man's hand flutter lifelessly and learning that a baby has also died, Lizbeth feels the thrill morph into sickness. So begins Lizbeth's quest to discover the origins of the rare 1909 wheat penny that the dying man clung to as he and his baby plunged to their deaths. Melvin's tale of mystery opens with action, but then the story veers from murder to explore the thornier mysteries of human relationships. As a character, Lizbeth Landers is a spunky girl whose take on life is both illuminating and familiar. With a strong supporting cast that includes her aunt Alice and the new widow Miss Violet, she navigates the tricky waters of long-buried secrets while also learning something about what it means to be part of a community. While the slow pace might deter some younger readers, the beautiful phrasing will help to capture more sophisticated ones.A smart, funny pleasure, as satisfying as sipping lemonade on the front porch with a favorite grandparent. (Mystery. 10-14)

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October 1, 2014

Gr 9 Up-When 14-year-old Elizabeth Landers arrives in the small town of Ahoskie, North Carolina, she fully expects to have a boring vacation. Things turn out very differently that summer in 1972 almost as soon as Elizabeth and her sister arrive. A grisly car accident catches the town's attention and Elizabeth is at the scene when the bodies of Mr. Samuel and his young daughter are recovered. Mr. Samuel is clutching an unusual 1909 wheat penny in his hand-a penny that is stolen from the sheriff's office. Already interested in pennies herself and haunted by the crime scene, the protagonist decides to use part of her summer trying to find the penny for Mr. Samuel's widow. Melvin walks the line between adult nostalgia and the authentic voice of a teen throughout this novel that is set to start a new series. Unfortunately, the narrative never seems entirely comfortable with either tone. Numerous biblical analogies and references to Christianity lend a decidedly non-secular tone to the entire novel, although Elizabeth remains an approachable narrator, who will likely find her fans in certain readers.-Emma Carbone, Brooklyn Public Library

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