The Secret Life of Lincoln Jones

October 17, 2016
Eleven-year-old Lincoln has several secrets: the stories he writes in his notebook, his cross-country move with his mother to escape her abusive boyfriend, and the home for people with memory loss and dementia where his mother works (and where Lincoln hangs out after school). Lincoln, who thinks of the residents as “the crazies,” is mortified at the thought of his classmates discovering where he spends his time—he’s already an outcast and a bullying target. But one outspoken classmate, the memorably named Kandi Kane, takes a persistent interest in him and as Lincoln gets to know the group home’s residents better, he begins to see that he isn’t the only one with secrets and stories. Van Draanen (the Sammy Keyes series) effectively portrays the frustrations of aging and memory loss through a mix of humor, sharp-eyed observations, and the compassion of Lincoln’s mother and her colleagues. Lincoln is relatable in his flaws and insecurities, and the story’s supporting characters are equally well-developed. It’s a moving coming-of-age story about creating new and unexpected connections. Ages 8–12. Agent: Ginger Knowlton, Curtis Brown.

July 15, 2016
Eleven-year-old Lincoln Jones has seen a lot in his time and is struggling to make sense of it all and still fit in in sixth grade. Almost a year ago, Lincoln escaped with his mother from her abusive boyfriend and moved from the South to a new town where people don't drawl and an apartment with sagging floors, no heat, and a dying stranger next door. Now he's the new boy at school, suffering taunts on the playground and the school bus. At Brookside nursing home, where his mother works and where he spends a lot of time, he witnesses food fights, a naked dancing woman, a zombie in a wheelchair, a vampire who seems to be killing off her roommates, and illness and death. It's enough to make him retreat into his comic books and made-up stories of superheroes, but he comes to realize who the real heroes in his life are and that "real folks around me had stories I'd been completely blind to." With the help of a nosy girl, a newfound friend, and a school writing assignment, he begins to find his place in the world. Van Draanen's engaging story is characterized by clever writing (narrator Lincoln drops his G's), a palpable affection for her characters, and a deep understanding of what's important about life. Characters' races go unspecified, leaving readers to make their own inferences. Readers will love Lincoln Jones. (Fiction. 8-12)

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August 1, 2016

Gr 4-6-The author of the successful "Sammy Keyes" series introduces sixth grade narrator Lincoln. He and his mother have fled her abusive boyfriend and live in poverty as she tries to pay back her savior sister with the small salary she earns as an aide in a dementia facility. Since Lincoln is legally not allowed to be left alone, he usually meets his mother at work after school and weekends, where he's badgered by confused residents and witnesses multiple deaths. There's little escape at school, where he's bullied because of his Southern accent and aversion to sports. Top it all off with a brassy girl named Kandi Kain, who's annoyingly obsessed with him. Luckily, Lincoln uses his artistic imagination, which is "as wide as it is deep," to escape with fantastic stories that mesh with reality. That reality becomes more bearable as the family settle in. They befriend a homeless man and a hoarding neighbor and learn that Lincoln's classmate's grandmother is a resident of the facility. Best of all, they use humor to alleviate tough times, such as when they secretly nickname a woman "The Vampire" because a string of her roommates suddenly die, and they come to appreciate the joyous singing of Brookside's elderly nudist. The seniors' Thanksgiving food fight is a hoot, and Van Draanen skillfully wraps up her tale in a loop to the beginning, offering a realistically happy ending. VERDICT The large cast leaves one wishing to know more about certain characters, but this is a story with a perfect balance of mirth and poignancy. A fine purchase for larger collections.-Gay Lynn Van Vleck, Henrico County Library, Glen Allen, VA

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