Book Scavenger (2015)
by Jennifer Chambliss Bertman
I’m such a creature of habit sometimes. I love re-reading books that I already know I enjoy, so I can be pretty resistant to “new” books. And so, I almost gave up on Book Scavenger a short ways in. It was one of those instances where the quotes of praise on the back cover were what actually convinced me to keep going, and I am SO very glad I did.
This book is so much fun. It’s got riddles and mystery and suspense. It hits on how friendships and sibling relationships shift and change. It’s got literary references, San Francisco references. For a book basically about books, it’s got a lot of technology in it—blogs, forums, online games, video making, laptops… I think that was a strange concept for me, since I’m usually drawn to children’s literature that lets me escape the here-and-now world. But, I expect these technology references will help reluctant readers relate and connect to this book.
I encouraged my husband to read this book after me, since we’re both fans of a book with a similar feel, The Mysterious Benedict Society, and he blew through it in a day. Book Scavenger is Ms. Bertman’s first novel, and I can’t wait to see if there’s another on the way!