  | Full Text Reviews: Booklist - 11/01/2013 When Travis Stoiska runs away from his lovey-dovey mother and stepfather in California and heads to his grandmother’s house in Middle-of-Nowhere, Minnesota, he thinks he is undertaking a quest to learn about the father he never knew. He gets much more than he bargained for, though, and lands headfirst in a 14-year-old mystery involving a bank heist, missing money, and a town full of people who believe his father did it. Trav befriends next-door-neighbor cousins Kenny (a smiling giant of a football hero) and Iz (the freaky girl with a special something), and the three set out to solve the mystery and claim the reward, which means something different to each of them. Bullard has a good sense of family and community dynamic and articulates complex conflict and resolution with honesty and humor. Her characterizations breathe with life, and she paints the setting, all church-basement hot dishes, patriotic parades, and live-bait vending machines, with affectionate respect. With a warm narrative, careful plotting, actual danger, and the beginnings of romance, this adventure has something for everyone. - Copyright 2013 Booklist. School Library Journal - 11/01/2013 Gr 5–8—When 13-year-old Travis set off from his stepfather's home in California to find out the truth about his dad, he never realized that he'd be embarking on a wild treasure hunt. He arrives in Minnesota only to learn that the dad he never knew is a local legend who robbed a bank and was never heard from again. Everyone in town has spent more than a decade trying to discover where the money was hidden, and no sooner has Trav arrived than he is enlisted by neighbors Iz and Kenny to help discover the missing loot. However, things get complicated when he begins to suspect that his grandmother might be in on the cover-up, while others think Travis, himself, is guilty. Along the way, this mystery not only sheds light on Trav's past, but also involves friendships, first loves, and finding a place to belong. Through strong character development, Bullard is able to explore family dynamics in a way that is both relatable and informative. Fans of books like Shelia Turnage's Three Times Lucky (Dial, 2012) are sure to enjoy this suspenseful and heartwarming novel.—Kerry Roeder, Professional Children's School, New York City - Copyright 2013 Publishers Weekly, Library Journal and/or School Library Journal used with permission. Loading...
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