When a Parent Goes Missing
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Putting together this column was not easy--many of the young adults affected in the stories seemed so familiar, making me feel uncomfortable and, at times, hopeless. The parents who go missing in these books disappear for a variety of reasons, including magic, espionage, and fear.
BLACK, Holly. Kin. Bk. 1. illus. by Ted Naifeh. (The Good Neighbors Series). Scholastic/Graphix. 2008. ISBN 978-0-439-85562-4.
Gr 7-12-Rue, 16, discovers that her mother is a faerie, not human like her father, after she disappears. Torn between two worlds, Rue begins to understand what her role is and grows from an often-petulant teen into a responsible young adult. Naifeh's style of illustration, done in black and white, provides a perfect canvas for Black's text to connect the story between the panels. The second title in the series, Kith, came out in 2009, and the third, Kind, is due out in October.
MCDONNELL, Margot. Torn to Pieces. Delacorte. 2008. Tr $15.99. ISBN 978-0-385-73559-9; PLB $18.99. ISBN 978-0-385-90542-8.
Gr 8-11-Anne's life is a little unusual, but not bad, not bad at all. Her grandparents seem to always be there, making up for her mother's frequent work trips and unusual hours. Then, on Anne's birthday, her mom doesn't show up. No call, nothing. Anne does a little investigating and starts to piece together her mother's hidden life. Full of intrigue and shady characters.
MCGANN, OisÃn. Daylight Runner. HarperCollins/Eos. 2008. Tr $16.99. ISBN 978-0-06-134058-1; PLB $17.89. ISBN 978-0-06-134059-8.
Gr 9 Up-Originally published as Small-Minded Giants in Great Britain in 2006, this story from Irish author McGann takes place in the domed city of Ash Harbor in the dystopian future. Sixteen-year-old Solomon Wheat and his friend Cleo are looking for Sol's missing father, and challenges come from both the inhabitants of the city as well as the machinations of the city itself. Fans of DePrau's City of Ember and Fisher's Incarceron will immediately take to this fast-paced story with a philosophical edge.
