The Boy in the Box

September 1, 2012
In this loosely woven series setup, a relentlessly ordinary lad who has taught himself to juggle is kidnapped by the owners of a traveling medicine show. Repeatedly drawn to jovial pitchman Master Melville's horse-drawn wagon, 11-year-old Sullivan finally nerves himself to crawl into a box on stage as the magician's volunteer. When he wakes up, the wagon has traveled on, and he's locked inside with three young performers who are likewise kidnap victims. In a beguiling if startlingly unlikely development, Sullivan soon develops such strong familial ties with the rest of the troupe and becomes so wrapped up in developing and practicing a compelling juggling act, that he puts any plans to escape or even to contact his family on hold. Meanwhile, the general belief back home that Sullivan drowned in the nearby river leads two schoolmates to organize a memorial celebration, while Sullivan's stubborn little sister Jinny sets out with an octogenarian ally to prove he's still alive. Fagan cuts his three-stranded tale off abruptly, leaving these plotlines in midair--but readers willing to go with the flow will at least get a glimmer of how Sullivan could become so distracted from his most obvious purpose by the profound inner rewards of acquiring a difficult physical skill. Food for thought here about varieties of motivation, though with too many unanswered questions and a sudden, resolution-free ending that is more annoying than tantalizing. (Adventure. 11-13)

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October 1, 2012

Gr 4-7-Sullivan Mintz, 11, fades into the background at school and at home. He has a passion for juggling, but he can't imagine performing before an audience. Things change, though, when an old-fashioned caravan makes its way through Beanfield. Attending the evening medicine show in secret with his little sister, Jinny, Sullivan is mesmerized by Master Melville and the children who perform amazing magical and acrobatic feats, and it seems only natural to show Melville his own juggling skills. Before he quite understands how, Sullivan finds himself abducted by Melville and his wife, joining other kidnapped children. While making a quick escape out of town, the Melvilles leave Sullivan's jacket near a rushing river, leading the boy's parents and the police to believe that he drowned. After the police have closed their file, though, Jinny convinces her parents to let her travel with 81-year-old Manny Morgenstern, who lives at the home they operate, and try to track her brother down. Over several weeks, as the unlikely sleuths get closer to finding him, Sullivan becomes more drawn to the life of a traveling performer, and, as the story ends, he is feeling as if he has found a place where he belongs. Fagan creates wonderfully engaging characters and tackles some tough issues: bullying, abduction, grief at a child's disappearance. However, the abrupt ending is disappointing. As a stand-alone that addressed the mysteries of the Melvilles in a little more depth, this novel could have been something special. As it is, there are too many unanswered questions but not enough of a hook to keep readers in suspense for a sequel.-Kim Dare, Fairfax County Public Schools, VA

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