Cornelia Funke Book

Tracking Daddy Down, by Marybeth Kelsey is too outrageously funny. I couldn t get to the end fast enough. I fell in love with all the characters, but most especially Billie Wisher. Billie is the daughter of a bank robber and she wants to find him and convince him to give himself up. [return][return]Beneath the humor is the serious lesson that Billie learns when she finds her daddy but discovers more than she was looking for. You can t help but chuckle when this mighty master of the mouth speaks. She is the future captain of the debate team without a doubt. Billie made me think of Gillie, from The Great Gilly Hopkins, by Katherine Paterson. Both have the same funny, quick witted, sassy backtalk that you just have to love because it is so genuinely real. [return][return]This writer defines each character with perfection by giving them a natural voice that is believable. I love her writing style and wit. I hope this becomes a character series because the main character is too good to say goodbye to.[return][return]This book would be suitable for read aloud grades 3-6 and independent readers age 8-12. Teachers would find this ideally suited for literature circles or readers workshop. [return]In doing a brief search online, I believe this is the author s first book. She hit it this one out of the park, and in my opinion, after reading this treat, we can expect more of the same.