Skip to main content

The Unknowns

By

by Benedict Carey
New York: Amulet Books, 2009. 259 pgs.

Mysteries using numbers are all the rage now, and this one is prime (get it? hahahahahahahahahahaha). A ragtag collection of trailers housing workers at the Folsom Energy Plant doesn't even have its own name: Folsom Adjacent is where our young heroes live, in a dusty, nasty place with no trees and nothing to do. Until people start disappearing. Lady Di Smith and Tom Jones (so-called because his Arabic name is unpronounceable to the Adjacenites) are on the case because one of the missing is their friend and tutor Mrs. Clarke. Luckily she has left mathematical clues for the children, and has prepared them to be able to solve them. The equations they come up with lead them (and soon some other helpers) into dangerous territory--the outlet pipes of the plant which fill with and purge hot water at regular intervals--and from there to a plot to scam the government and destroy the Adjacent community. Lady Di and Tom Jones are quirky, endearing characters who become their best selves during the frantic frightening action of the story, as do their oddball friends and neighbors. Carey, a writer for the New York Times, with a mathematics background has done a remarkable job of solving for the "unknowns" in this story: the numbers needed to solve the puzzle, as well as the invisible, beautiful, unknown kids of the trailer park.


Labels:

Comments

2112 said…
I liked the idea of this story. However, I felt the math bogged the action down too much and I had to skip ahead a few times to rejoin the flow of the story. The two main characters were well done and I enjoyed seeing different elements of their friendship. I also liked how the trailer kids all joined together to fight their common enemies despite all their differences.
June 22, 2009 at 6:29 PM
Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

De la hora del cuento: La letra "F"

By
Cuentos Gustavo: el fantasmita timido Por Flavia Z. Drago Somerville, Massachusetts : Candlewick Press, 2020. Libro ilustrado. "Conoce a Gustavo. Él es un fantasma y como a cualquier ser paranormal le encanta hacer lo que le es normal: atravesar paredes, hacer volar objetos y brillar en la oscuridad. También le encanta tocar el violín. Pero Gustavo tiene un problema. Él es muy, muy tímido, y aunque su deseo más grande es tener amigos, nunca se ha atrevido a hablarle a ninguno de los monstruos en su pueblito. Con el Día de Muertos cerca, ¿se atreverá Gustavo a dejar que lo vean?" --Editor Cuentitos ¡Yo sola! Por Sumana Seeboruth y Maribel Castells Concord : Barefoot Books, 2023. Pequeño libro ilustrado. "Yo sola. ¡No, no, no! Puedo hacerlo. ¡Vete, vete, vete! Esta niña no quiere que la ayuden ... hasta que su hermana mayor necesita ayuda. ¡El trabajo en equipo es divertido!" --Editor Otros libros sobre la letra "F" El bosque en familia Maisy juega fútbol Lo...
Post a Comment
Read more

From Story Time: The Letter "F"

By
Preschool Time Family of Friends Written by Varsha Bajaj Illustrated by Ishaa Lobo New York: Nancy Paulsen Books, 2025. Picture Book. Isha can't wait for her birthday party. Nani, her fun-loving grandmother, is coming all the way from India to be there! So when Nani has to postpone her trip, Isha is crushed. She no longer feels like celebrating. Fortunately, she has a whole neighborhood of friends to cheer her up, and they all work together to make her day truly special. This moving intergenerational story shows the impact that chosen family can have and is a wonderful reminder to appreciate all the important people in our lives. --Publisher Preschool Time Found By Salina Yoon New York: Walker Books for Young Readers, an imprint of Bloomsbury, 2014. Picture Book. Upon finding a toy rabbit in the forest, Bear tries his very best to return it to its home but by the time its owner appears, Bear has become attached to Bunny. --Editor Toddler Time On All Fours By Gaëtan Dorémus Brooklyn...
Post a Comment
Read more

Review: Last One Picked

By
  Last One Picked By Audrey Meeker New York: Feiwel & Friends, 2026. Comic.  Annabeth has never been very athletic, but that doesn't matter. She is perfectly content to spend her time with her Warrior Princess books and volunteering at the library. When summer comes, her mom is convinced by their stuck up neighbor to send Annabeth to volleyball camp, the last place she would ever want to be. Not only does she feel completely out of her depth, her ex-best friend, Serena, is there- and she is not happy that Annabeth is infringing on her domain. However, with the help of some encouraging coaches and teammates, Annabeth slowly starts to realize that she doesn't mind volleyball so much, and might even have a place on the team after all. This graphic novel will hit home for many tweens, especially as it deals with several relevant topics, such as body image, gaining confidence, and how we should treat others. The illustrations were bright and colorful, and the story itself ...
Post a Comment
Read more