If You Find This

By Author / Illustrator

Matthew Baker

Genre

Adventure

Age range(s)

11+

Publisher

Hot Key Books

ISBN

9781471404528

Format

Paperback / softback

Published

02-04-2015

Synopsis

Three boys, two grandpas, a tree, a map and some hidden treasure... Let the adventure begin.Eleven-year-old Nicholas Funes knows he's weird. He plays the violin far too well to be cool, he collects square roots and prime numbers and, weirdest of all, he talks to a tree who he believes is his brother. Plus, he doesn't have all that many friends. But even he is about to struggle with how strange his life is about to get. His long-lost and never-spoken-about Grandfather Rose turns up on Nicholas's doorstep one day, fresh out of a lifetime's prison sentence and suffering from dementia. Curious about this grandfather he's never known, Nicholas tries to unravel Grandfather Rose's stories. In particular, one about the family treasure that he hid years ago and that will be the solution to all their rather pressing financial woes. Because his mother needs to sell their house, and if they leave the house, they'll leave Nicholas's brother behind. And Nicholas is desperate to keep what little family he has together. With the help of two extremely unlikely allies, Nicholas must unwrap the secrets of his family's past in order to give them a shot at a future.

Reviews

Nicholas faces many problems. He sees the world in a different way from others; he finds forming friendships difficult and is often bullied as a result; he is younger than his peers as he has been moved ahead in school. As if this weren't enough, his father loses his job and the family will have to move, leaving behind the tree, which holds Nicolas's memories of his younger brother. Then Nicolas's grandfather is let out of prison, claiming to have a map that will lead them to the family fortune. As Grandpa Rose is having problems with his memory, this is not the instant solution Nicholas might have hoped for! This is a beautiful, well written story that explores some thought provoking issues. The character of Nicolas is complex and endearing. He knows he is not like others and can identify the kind of thing he says that makes his peers think he is odd, but that is how his mind works. Little details like the addition of the musical terms as adverbs help deepen our understanding of how he makes sense of the world. His relationship with his deceased brother 'My brother is a tree;My parents never talked about him after that, but I understood that he wasn't dead anymore -that instead he had become this other thing'- is explored with understanding and sensitivity. The book is also a pacey adventure with plenty of twists and turns along the way. A must read for older primary/ younger secondary children in search of something a bit different that will offer food for thought alongside a satisfying story. 317 pages / Ages 11+ / Reviewed by Sue Wilsher, teacher.