The Secret Life of Lincoln Jones
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5.0 • 1 Rating
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- $4.99
Publisher Description
A fresh and funny story about a boy learning to become the brave hero of his own life, perfect for fans of Counting by 7s and The Fourteenth Goldfish.
My secret life is filled with psychic vampires, wheelchair zombies, chain-rattlin’ ghosts, and a one-eyed cat. But they’re nothing compared to my real-life stalker: a sixth-grade girl named Kandi Kain. . . .
Lincoln Jones is always working on the latest story he’s got going in his notebook. Those stories are his refuge. A place where the hero always prevails and the bad guy goes to jail. Real life is messy and complicated, so Lincoln sticks to fiction and keeps to himself. Which works fine until a nosy girl at his new school starts prying into his private business. She wants to know what he’s writing, where he disappears to after school, and why he never talks to anybody. . . .
The Secret Life of Lincoln Jones is a terrifically funny and poignant story about a boy finding the courage to get to know the real characters all around him—and to let them know him.
Praise for The Secret Life of Lincoln Jones:
Winner of the Josette Frank Award
"Van Draanen's engaging story is characterized by clever writing, a palpable affection for her characters, and a deep understanding of what's important about life. Readers will love Lincoln Jones."—Kirkus Reviews
"Van Draanen skillfully wraps up her tale, offering a realistically happy ending. A story with a perfect balance of mirth and poignancy." -- School Library Journal
"Lincoln is a delightful narrator." -- Booklist
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Eleven-year-old Lincoln has several secrets: the stories he writes in his notebook, his cross-country move with his mother to escape her abusive boyfriend, and the home for people with memory loss and dementia where his mother works (and where Lincoln hangs out after school). Lincoln, who thinks of the residents as "the crazies," is mortified at the thought of his classmates discovering where he spends his time he's already an outcast and a bullying target. But one outspoken classmate, the memorably named Kandi Kane, takes a persistent interest in him and as Lincoln gets to know the group home's residents better, he begins to see that he isn't the only one with secrets and stories. Van Draanen (the Sammy Keyes series) effectively portrays the frustrations of aging and memory loss through a mix of humor, sharp-eyed observations, and the compassion of Lincoln's mother and her colleagues. Lincoln is relatable in his flaws and insecurities, and the story's supporting characters are equally well-developed. It's a moving coming-of-age story about creating new and unexpected connections. Ages 8 12.
Customer Reviews
Keenly observed, consolingly funny, resonant
Lincoln Jones speaks truth with a rare alloy of humor and insight. Authors deep in empathy rely on readers to step into other shoes with them, to rediscover the world from a new point of view. Step into Lincoln Jones’s shoes, and you find acceptance, love and humor. Humor is buoyant, and can keep you afloat when love alone makes you weep.
Plot ingredients, listed recipe style, do not convey what’s created with them. Deftly distilled here are quiet strengths that make it possible to go on when life throws you monkey wrenches. Thankfulness. Acceptance of others, foibles included. Bravery. Empathy. Hope.
Dodging or juggling life’s monkey wrenches (as Lincoln and his mother have) requires extraordinary focus. Explaining to others and dealing with their reactions can be an unaffordable distraction, even a burden. Subtle truths about secrets and safety are spoken here with quiet brilliance.
What other powers are hidden here? Observation sans judgement. A deep bond with a parent who is present, not absent. Diversity, and acceptance of it. Love of writing, and mentally traveling at need. The layers and small complexities that make life difficult to fully explain. Humor and brevity, which lure young readers who need this tale, buoy adults also.
I am a K-5 librarian. Lincoln Jones is a book I will share for years, and re-read to keep in my heart.