Awards!
YALSA Michael L. Printz Award 2011
ALA William C. Morris Debut Award 2011
Indigo Books and Music Best Teen Books of 2011
ABC Children’s Group at ABA New Voices for Teens Selection 2011
ALA Best Fiction for Young Adults 2012 Nominee
Publishers Weekly Flying Start Author 2011
Annotation: Cullen Witter is an average teenage boy. He wants to focus on doing the things an average teenage boy needs to do; hang out with his best friend and convince a beautiful girl to reciprocate his adoration. Instead of achieving these goals, Cullen must spend his summer distracted. His brother Gabriel’s gone missing, his best friend is slowly going catatonic, his aunt won’t stop crying, and the whole town is going nuts over a woodpecker.
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| Image from boone.lib.ia.us |
Snap n' read:
Lily, Arkansas is a sleepy town where everyone knows everyone else.
Everyone knows, for instance, that 17-year-old, Cullen’s cousin, Oslo, died. Cullen’s Aunt Julia, who is staying
with them, can’t seem to keep dry eyes over her son’s death. But the constant
tears and sharing a bed with his brother is the least of Cullen’s worries. For
instance, Cullen can’t figure out why the resurrection of an extinct species of
woodpecker is bigger news than the disappearance of his little brother.
Benton Sage doesn’t know Cullen. Benton is on a different track in
life, he wants to reach people for the Lord and is going to the distance to do
just that.
“When Benton Sage woke up that next day…he found himself soaked in a
cold sweat, his clothes stuck firmly to his skin and his hair flat and
dripping. Rameel stood before him as dark as a shadow and taller than the tent
itself. He smiled, but with an expression of remorse or shame. He sent one hand
down to Benton and, as he pulled him up from his cot, said, ‘God has given us a
gift this day.’
The gift, Benton soon discovered, was a small village called Kwalessa
filled with the sick, the dying, and the hungry. “
Where Cullen’s life intersects Benton’s will shock and surprise. In
Lily, Arkansas, where things sometimes go missing but where things often come
back, something amazing is about to happen.
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Praise for Where Things Come Back!
Arielle's Recommendation: A deeply enjoyable, hard-to-put-down book, Where Things Come Back is the perfect title for a mature reader with a quirky sense of humor. Whaley's way with words is whimsical and fun...I especially appreciated Cullen's frequent use of the term "ass-hat" when referring to jerks and idiots. I totally thought I invented that term. In that vein, this book is for a reader with mature tastes. This book should have a home on public library shelves and its celebrated victories will likely give it a home in school libraries as well. Recommend this book to high school students and adults that appreciate adork-able characters and eccentric, surprising stories.
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Click here to see if this item is available at Ericson Public Library!
Click here to see if this item is available at Ames Public Library!
Praise for Where Things Come Back!
“This is one damn fine debut novel, and a darkly funny, enjoyable read.”
Denver Zombie Examiner
A “multilayered debut for sophisticated readers. Unexpected, thought-provoking storytelling.” Kirkus Reviews
“In this darkly humorous debut, Whaley weaves two stories into a taut and well-constructed thriller.” Publishers Weekly
“It doesn’t really matter what this book is about. It’s a good book about a good kid and it’s a good story told remarkably well.”
Maggie Stiefvater, author of the bestselling Shiver Trilogy
Arielle's Recommendation: A deeply enjoyable, hard-to-put-down book, Where Things Come Back is the perfect title for a mature reader with a quirky sense of humor. Whaley's way with words is whimsical and fun...I especially appreciated Cullen's frequent use of the term "ass-hat" when referring to jerks and idiots. I totally thought I invented that term. In that vein, this book is for a reader with mature tastes. This book should have a home on public library shelves and its celebrated victories will likely give it a home in school libraries as well. Recommend this book to high school students and adults that appreciate adork-able characters and eccentric, surprising stories.
I LOVE this blog! I wish my blog actually had a following so I could send them over :-) Now that I'm going on a honeymoon, I'm EXTRA glad you've introduced me to all of these amazing books. What a great resource!
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