Book
The book of Lost Things
Record details
- ISBN: 9780307976819
- Physical Description: Book
- Publisher: Alfred A. Knopf, 2013.
Content descriptions
| Target Audience Note: | All Ages. |
Available copies
- 1 of 1 copy available at Sitka.
Holds
- 0 current holds with 0 total copies.
Other Formats and Editions
| Location | Call Number / Copy Notes | Barcode | Shelving Location | Holdable? | Status | Due Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bibliothèque Pere Champagne Library | JFic Voi (Text) | 366370000815501 | Teen Fiction | Volume hold | Available | - |
- Booklist Reviews : Booklist Reviews 2013 August #1
In the early 1900s, 12-year-old Max arrives at the dock to join his parents for a voyage to India only to learn that they have already gone, leaving him a cryptic note. He confides in his grandmother, who encourages him to support himself until their return. After he finds a lost toddler and restores the boy to his mother, her friends hire Max to recover other things they have lost. Though baffled by the mystery of his parents' disappearance, Max discovers that he has a knack for solving other people's problems. The measured pace of the writing will not appeal to every reader, but the style suits the story's period. Voigt takes her time creating multifaceted characters and laying the groundwork for the next two volumes in the Mister Max trilogy, while the novel quietly builds a momentum of its own. The hint of lurking villainy is real, but even stronger is the sense that Max, his grandmother, and his friends will use their individual strengths to set things right. Stay tuned. Copyright 2013 Booklist Reviews. - Horn Book Guide Reviews : Horn Book Guide Reviews 2014 Spring
Max Starling is looking forward to his family's trip to India. On the day of embarkation, however, he arrives at the dock to find his parents gone and no record of their ship. Max vows to discover what happened while supporting himself as a problem-solver and missing-object-finder--a "solutioneer." Max is a thoughtful and low-key hero in this entertaining trilogy-starter. - Horn Book Magazine Reviews : Horn Book Magazine Reviews 2013 #5
Max Starling, son of thespians William and Mary Starling, is looking forward to his family's trip to India to perform at the invitation of an enthusiastic maharaja. On the day of embarkation, however, he arrives at the dock to find his parents gone and no record of their ship. At first confounded (and more than a little worried that his parents have forgotten -- or even purposefully ditched -- him), Max soon rallies and vows to discover what happened to them. Determined to be independent, even from his librarian grandmother, Max looks for ways to support himself in the meantime, but no one is hiring until the day Max reunites a roaming toddler with his mother. The grateful woman not only pays him but recommends him to her friends, launching Max's career as a problem-solver and missing-object-finder, or, in his words, a "solutioneer." Max is a thoughtful and low-key hero, applying his analytical mind to problems not only involving missing heirlooms and family quarrels but also a dog's happiness and how to paint the wind. Although the parents' disappearance is underdeveloped, the entertaining and varied "solutioneering" episodes come together neatly at the climax. A final chapter gives Max his first solid lead in his parents' case, providing, at last, a launching point for what should be an exciting next volume in the projected trilogy. Final art unseen. anita l. burkam Copyright 2013 Horn Book Magazine Reviews. - Kirkus Reviews : Kirkus Reviews 2013 April #2
When Max's unpredictable actor parents leave home without him, he earns money by finding the lost things of others. But can he find his parents? In the first of a trilogy by Newbery winner Voigt, Maximilian Starling, son of theatrical parents, is left at the dock when he misses a boat to India, where his parents supposedly have been invited by a maharajah to start a theater. Did they intend to leave him? Are they in danger? Although his wise yet bossy librarian grandmother lives next door, 12-year-old Max wants to earn his keep and be independent. Cleverly donning the costumes and different roles performed by his missing parents, Max discovers an aptitude for finding lost things--lost lovers, a runaway child, a lost dog, a valuable spoon. He is a "solutioneer," solving people's problems. Voigt is a clever storyteller and wordsmith. The book is full of phrases to savor ("There was a lot of No in that Yes…"). While the solutions may be obvious to readers, the satisfying way that Max solves each one is engaging. Highly detailed black-and-white illustrations nicely reflect the novel's setting at the beginning of the last century. An endearing, memorable protagonist and a clever plot make this a winner. (Adventure. 9-13) Copyright Kirkus 2013 Kirkus/BPI Communications.All rights reserved. - Kirkus Reviews : Kirkus Reviews 2013 July #2
When Max's unpredictable actor parents leave home without him, he earns money by finding the lost things of others. But can he find his parents? In the first of a trilogy by Newbery winner Voigt, Maximilian Starling, son of theatrical parents, is left at the dock when he misses a boat to India, where his parents supposedly have been invited by a maharajah to start a theater. Did they intend to leave him? Are they in danger? Although his wise yet bossy librarian grandmother lives next door, 12-year-old Max wants to earn his keep and be independent. Cleverly donning the costumes and different roles performed by his missing parents, Max discovers an aptitude for finding lost things--lost lovers, a runaway child, a lost dog, a valuable spoon. He is a "solutioneer," solving people's problems. Voigt is a clever storyteller and wordsmith. The book is full of phrases to savor ("There was a lot of No in that Yes…"). While the solutions may be obvious to readers, the satisfying way that Max solves each one is engaging. Highly detailed black-and-white illustrations nicely reflect the novel's setting at the beginning of the last century. An endearing, memorable protagonist and a clever plot make this a winner. (Adventure. 9-13) Copyright Kirkus 2013 Kirkus/BPI Communications.All rights reserved. - Publishers Weekly Reviews : PW Reviews 2013 July #2
A mysterious invitation to establish a theatrical troupe in India starts off the action in the first book in a trilogy from Newbery Medalist Voigt, set in the early 1900s. Max Starling's actor parents set sail (or do they?) for the new opportunity, accidentally (or not?) leaving him behind. Frightened and slightly hurt by their abandonment, yet determined to solve the mystery of their disappearance and maintain his independence, 12-year-old Max searches for income-earning opportunities and stumbles into detectivelike workâfinding a lost dog, a missing antique silver spoon, and (secretly) reuniting two lost lovers. Max creates different characters for each of his missions, with appropriate costumes from his parents' trunks, and encounters the requisite eclectic characters, all well-drawn by Voigt. Max has a good heart and a sharp mind, with enough self-doubt to be credible, and his adventures, while not deeply suspenseful, build in complexity and develop Max's maturity; Voigt's accomplished writing draws readers into every aspect of his world. A double-edged ending solves one big mystery while setting the stage for a new one. Final art not seen by PW. Ages 8â12. (Sept.)
[Page ]. Copyright 2013 PWxyz LLC - School Library Journal Reviews : SLJ Reviews 2013 July
Gr 5â8âAdmirers of Voigt's "Tillerman" series (S & S) will recognize several plot points in this first volume of a proposed trilogy: a child is seemingly deserted by his parents and survives with the support of his grandmother. But there the similarities end, for this is a mystery-cum-adventure story with a 19th-century feel and an accumulation of improbabilities that build to a satisfyingly melodramatic climax. As Maximilian Starling wends his way around his nameless city trying to find an honest day's work, he stumbles across a series of people with problems, unanswered questions, unsatisfied longings, or vague states of malaise. And then there are the sinister types who seem intent on breaking into Max's house. What are they looking for? Fortunately, Max's parents were theatricals, which gives him both an intimate knowledge of roles to assume while pretending to be old enough for employment and an ample supply of costumes in which to disguise himself. Whether it's finding a good home for a lost dog, facilitating the reunion of disappointed lovers, or recovering a long-lost heirloom, Max displays good sense, a sensitive nature, and winning ingenuity. He resists being labeled a detective and since he merely guides people toward the resolution of their troubles, it's fitting that he calls himself a "solutioneer." By book's end, however, he has not answered his own questions. Readers still don't know what has happened to his parents, for example. This will likely leave them strangely contented, knowing that Voigt has so much more to reveal in the sequels to this comedic page-turner.âMiriam Lang Budin, Chappaqua Library, NY
[Page 86]. (c) Copyright 2013. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted. - Voice of Youth Advocates Reviews : VOYA Reviews 2013 August
Max Starling, Mister Max, is a twelve-year-old boy who lives with his theatrical parents in the city. His parents receive a special invitation from the Maharajah of Kashmir, asking them to come to India. The main purpose is for Max's parents to create a theater company there. This sounds like an exciting opportunity for Max and his parents. It is too great to pass up. The problem is when Max attempts to meet up with his parents at the ship, there is no such shipânor parents. Many questions abound as a result. Did his parents lie to him, were they kidnapped, or did they not receive the correct destination information? Max has to focus upon making some important decisions. He solves other people's problems, but can he solve his own? Will he live alone, or will he stay at his grandmother's house? His dilemma is somewhat reminiscent of the Home Alone movies. Will he go to school? If he lives by himself, how will he support himself? How long can this go on without the authorities intervening in his affairs This fast-paced historical fiction novel is the first of three books involving the protagonist, Mister Max Starling. It is a great read for young teens, and for those who enjoy mysteries.âSharon Blumberg 5Q 4P M Copyright 2011 Voya Reviews.
