Catch You Later, Traitor

by Avi Narrated by Mark Turetsky

Overview

From Newbery Medalist Avi comes the thrilling and suspenseful story of an ordinary American family who fall under suspicion. It's 1951, and twelve-year-old Pete Collison is a regular kid in Brooklyn, New York, who loves Sam Spade detective books and radio crime dramas. But when an FBI agent shows up at Pete's doorstep, accusing Pete's father of being a Communist, Pete is caught in a real-life mystery. Could there really be Commies in Pete's family? As Pete follows the quickly accumulating clues, he begins to wonder if the truth could put his family's livelihood--and even their freedom--at risk. In the tradition of "Who Was That Masked Man, Anyway?, Don't You Know There's a War On?, "and "Nothing But the Truth, Catch You Later, Traitor" tells a funny, insightful story packed with realistic period detail of a boy in mid-twentieth-century America whose family is caught in the wide net of America's Red Scare.

Editorial Reviews

From the Publisher

Avi, a master of historical fiction, vividly recreates not only the neighborhoods and pop culture of period Brooklyn, but the runaway paranoia that dominated daily life in the early years of the Cold War. With each clue Pete uncovers, the tension picks up, engaging readers in solving the dual mystery of his father’s past and identifying his accuser whose name is kept a well-concealed surprise until the last moment . . . As a mystery, historical fiction, and love letter to 1950s Brooklyn, this novel succeeds on every level.” —School Library Journal, starred review

“Suspenseful . . . Authentic period details—such as popular radio programs and the ongoing rivalry between the Dodgers and the Giants—add a colorful backdrop to Pete’s quest as he navigates the murky gray area between truth and fiction. An excellent introduction to the frenzy of the McCarthy era.” —Publishers Weekly, starred review

“Avi’s tale of one Brooklyn family living in a time of intolerance effectively explores the natures of suspicion, loyalty, and freedom, following a young protagonist who comes to learn the importance of freedom of speech and ‘staying true to your own thoughts.’” —The Horn Book Magazine

“An involving, twisty mystery, grounded by the palpable emotional threat of Pete’s father being taken away. An accomplished historical mystery by one of kid lit’s most reliable craftspeople.” —Booklist

“A thought-provoking story about suspicion, trust and a memorable pennant race from a one-time Brooklyn boy.” —Kirkus Reviews

Kirkus Reviews

2015-01-10
How does loyalty to country, to family and to the local baseball team define one's life?Pete is a typical seventh-grade Brooklyn boy until the Red Scare of the early 1950s upends his life. Instead of just playing punchball and fervently following the Brooklyn Dodgers on the radio, Pete finds himself trying to unravel the politics of his family history, one filled with Communist Party joiners and sympathizers. The FBI labels his father a red sympathizer and is trying to find his missing grandfather, who went to Russia in the 1930s, by turning family members into informers. Pete's teacher, as easily swayed as so many others, turns the class against him, and his best friend, a girl, is forbidden to talk to him. In an act of rebellion, he embraces New York's other National League baseball team, the Giants. He also enjoys reading Dashiell Hammett's novels about Sam Spade and thinks in the detective's voice, hoping that someday he, too, will be a "hard-boiled detective." Avi builds Pete's story, told in the first person, with page-turning tension and memorable characters that will leave readers with a strong sense of the insidious power wielded by the FBI and McCarthyites. A thought-provoking story about suspicion, trust and a memorable pennant race from a one-time Brooklyn boy. (author's note) (Historical fiction. 9-12)

Product Details

BN ID:	2940170643141
Publisher:	Recorded Books, LLC
Publication date:	04/10/2015
Edition description:	Unabridged
Age Range:	8 - 11 Years

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