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If You Find This


If You Find This 
By Matthew Baker
Little Brown and Co, 2015. Fiction 358p.

Nicholas has a lot to worry about.  He is worried that his family will have to move because of financial problems.  He is worried about being bullied at school.  He is worried that he will never have a true friend.  His worries only compound when his grandfather, who has spent the last two decades in prison, shows up on his doorstep.  It doesn't help that his grandfather has dementia and sometimes can't remember things. One thing his grandfather does remember is that there are some valuable heirlooms hidden somewhere in the old house where he lived before he went to prison. In a desperate attempt to save his own home, Nicholas teams up with some unlikely allies and tries to unravel the mystery of the missing heirlooms and his grandfather's missing memories. Baker captures an authentic middle school voice for Nicholas and his accomplices.  This sometimes lighthearted, sometimes serious adventure is full of quirky characters and complex relationships. Give this to readers who liked Three Times Lucky or Mister Max.  If You Find This is available in print, and as an e-audio download.

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