If You Find This

January 19, 2015
Eleven-year-old Nicholas Funes, a musical and mathematical genius and all-around outcast, tells this adventure story through notes left behind in a dresser drawer, leading readers to believe that something awful has befallen him. Quirky Nicholas (his closest relationship is with a tree planted in memory of his deceased brother) meets his ex-con grandfather, whose disjointed tale of missing family heirlooms gives Nicholas hope to save his family’s house. “Help me find what I buried, and you won’t lose anything,” promises Grandpa Rose. Other misfits, young and old, join in the search for the heirlooms and form a tight bond. Smugglers caves, graveyards, ghost houses, séances, and tattooed maps come together to make an intriguing mystery for the group to solve as the characters wrestle with their past selves in hopes of a better future. The story is enhanced with musical and mathematical notations (terms like “forte” and “piano” appear as subscript throughout, modifying actions and dialogue), giving readers a glimpse into Nicholas’s impressive brain and adding an unusual layer of interest and beauty to debut author Baker’s storytelling. Ages 8–12. Agent: Sarah Burnes, Gernert Company.

Young listeners will be captivated from the start by narrator Bryan Kennedy's youthful voice and enthusiastic performance. Middle school is tough enough for math and music whiz Nicholas Funes, but when his father has to take an out-of-town job and his mother puts their house up for sale, the boy becomes desperate to maintain the status quo. With a little help from two quirky grandfathers, Nicholas and his friends hope to find a real-life buried treasure that will make all of their dreams come true. Kennedy's appealing level of drama helps offset some of the more challenging themes of this mystery/adventure story. Robert Petkoff delivers the few short sections told from the grandfathers' perspective, providing a nice balance to the production. C.B.L. © AudioFile 2015, Portland, Maine