The Jigsaw Jungle

by Kristin Levine

Overview

A mysterious treasure hunt helps to heal a broken family in critically acclaimed author Kristin Levine’s first contemporary tale—perfect for fans of Wendy Mass and Jennifer L. Holm
 
Claudia Dalton’s father has disappeared. What began as a late night at work has spiraled into a missing persons case—one that’s left twelve-year-old Claudia questioning everything she’s ever known about her father and their family.

But when she finally gets word from her dad, it turns out he isn’t missing at all. He’s just gone to “think things over” and visit an old friend, whatever that means. Feeling confused and helpless, Claudia starts to assemble a scrapbook, gathering emails, receipts, phone transcripts and more, all in a desperate attempt to figure out what’s happening with her dad. Claudia’s investigation deepens at her grandfather’s house, where she receives an envelope containing a puzzle piece and a cryptic message.

It’s this curious first clue that sets Claudia on an unexpected treasure hunt that she hopes will bring her dad home and heal whatever’s gone wrong with her family. Told through the pages of Claudia’s scrapbook, The Jigsaw Jungle is a moving story of a family lost and then found, with a dash of mystery and loads of heart, from award-winning author and middle-grade master Kristin Levine.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780399174520
Publisher:	Penguin Young Readers Group
Publication date:	06/19/2018
Pages:	368
Product dimensions:	5.50(w) x 8.30(h) x 1.30(d)
Age Range:	10 Years

About the Author

Kristin Levine received her BA in German from Swarthmore College and an MFA in film from American University. She spent a year in Vienna, Austria, working as an au pair, and has taught screenwriting at American University. Currently, she lives in Alexandria, Virginia, with her two daughters. She is the author of the critically acclaimed The Best Luck I Ever Had, The Lions of Little Rock, and The Paper Cowboy.

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Excerpted from "The Jigsaw Jungle"
by .
Copyright © 2018 Kristin Levine.
Excerpted by permission of Penguin Young Readers Group.
All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
Excerpts are provided by Dial-A-Book Inc. solely for the personal use of visitors to this web site.

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Editorial Reviews

07/02/2018
Levine (The Lions of Little Rock) crafts a powerful puzzle of a novel about a missing father and his daughter’s search for the truth. The memorable narrator, 12-year-old Claudia, pieces together this “scrapbook” of a story through an inventive collection of notes to the reader, texts, emails, video transcripts, phone logs, Google directions, receipts, and other items. The fragments and ephemera serve to document and help Claudia to come to grips with the sudden, unexplained disappearance of her father. When Claudia’s mother must attend a work conference in Switzerland, Claudia has to stay with her introverted grandfather, Papa, who is still grieving the recent death of her big-hearted grandmother. As Papa and Claudia forge a closer relationship, she also meets a budding filmmaker, who helps her decipher the intricate clues that her father (a lover of brainteasers) left behind. Through the story’s patchwork format, Levine reveals characters’ inner complexities while maintaining tension and uncertainty leading up to the story’s moving revelation. This taut mystery is also a portrait of a family coming to terms with truth and identity. Ages 10–up. Agent: Kathy Green, Kathryn Green Literary Agency. (June)

Publishers Weekly

06/01/2018
Gr 4–6—Unlike her previous two novels, Levine's latest is set in contemporary times, with email, text messages, and movie ticket purchases all very much part of the plot. The novel aggregates these mementos in the form of a scrapbook put together by 12-year-old Claudia, whose world has recently been rocked by her father's sudden disappearance. Confused and angry, Claudia decides to stay with her recently widowed grandfather rather than accompany her mom to an upcoming business conference. There, she meets Luis, a budding documentarian, and she also gets something weird in the mail: a puzzle piece, with the mysterious words "find the time capsule" scrawled on the back. Soon, Luis and Claudia begin following a convoluted trail of clues that seem to lead to a secret about Claudia's dad. Luckily, Luis, Claudia, and her grandfather (who provides the cache of home movies Claudia must examine for answers about her dad's childhood) are all assiduous collectors of detail, and, as we peer into Claudia's dad's adolescence, it becomes clear that his absence results from a long-repressed struggle with his identity and sexuality. Readers are treated to a fast-paced narrative filled with feeling and subtle family tensions. Levine's clever mixture of modes—including screenplay, transcripts, text threads, emails, receipts, and first-person narration from Claudia—illustrate beautifully the ways multiple perspectives on a subject can provide a nuanced, vibrant picture. VERDICT Mystery lovers and budding filmmakers will love this well-paced, touching, and creatively executed coming-of-age tale.—Abigail Garnett, Brooklyn Public Library.

School Library Journal

★ 2018-04-16
Levine sends her readers on a quest for buried treasure and buried truths.In 2015, Claudia Dalton's life is suddenly turned upside down. On the last day of school, Claudia's father, Jeff, sends a short email to his family saying that he will be home late—and then does not return. A few days later, Claudia's mother, Jennifer, attends a conference in Switzerland, and Claudia stays with her recently widowed and still grieving paternal grandfather, Walter. While with Walter, Claudia frequently emails her father and finally receives an unlikely answer: a puzzle piece with a cryptic message telling her to find a time capsule buried in Jeff's youth. With the help of her new friend, budding filmmaker Luis, Claudia begins a quest to find the time capsule and the secret that has suddenly separated her family. Using emails, text messages, telephone transcripts, Luis' video footage, and other artifacts, Levine has created a masterwork of mystery that slowly unravels as Claudia learns more about her father's life. Astute readers may guess what life-changing secret drove Jeff away from his family, but even if they do, they'll keep reading to find out how this saga ultimately ends. The biggest trick is Levine's ability to keep the characters both likable and realistic—this holds especially true for Jeff's disappearing act and Jennifer's slow-burn emotional journey. Both an excellent read and an excellent puzzle. (Mystery. 9-12)

Kirkus Reviews

Praise for The Jigsaw Jungle:
A 2021–2022 California Young Reader Medal Winner
A 2020–2021 South Carolina Junior Book Award Nominee
An Amazon Best Book of the Month Pick for June 2018 (Ages 9–12)

★ “Levine has created a masterwork of mystery that slowly unravels as Claudia learns more about her father's life...The biggest trick is Levine's ability to keep the characters both likable and realistic...Both an excellent read and an excellent puzzle.” —Kirkus Reviews, starred review

“Readers are treated to a fast-paced narrative filled with feeling and subtle family tensions. Levine’s clever mixture of modes—including screenplay, transcripts, text threads, emails, receipts, and first-person narration from Claudia—illustrate beautifully the ways multiple perspectives on a subject can provide a nuanced, vibrant picture.” —School Library Journal

“A gripping middle school adventure.” —The Advocate

“The Jigsaw Jungle is a triumph of a book, portraying sensitive family dynamics in a loving, engaging way.”—Bookpage

“Ingeniously plotted middle-grade novel by Kristin Levine...develops tween and adult characters with compassion and depth, as they evolve a better understanding of a family that can be 'both great and broken, all at the same time.'" —The Washington Post

“A fast-paced, emotionally intense treasure hunt told in a scrapbook format.” —Omaha World Herald

"Through the story’s patchwork format, Levine reveals characters’ inner complexities while maintaining tension and uncertainty leading up to the story’s moving revelation. This taut mystery is also a portrait of a family coming to terms with truth and identity." —Publishers Weekly

From the Publisher

Narrator Erin Cahill's character voices extract maximum emotion from this scrapbook of receipts, video transcripts, emails, and texts. Twelve-year-old Claudia uses her collection to tell the story of her father's disappearance, its titanic impact on her family, and the treasure hunt he left behind. While time stamp details, addresses, and long lists add realism to the print version, they are tedious and difficult to follow by ear. Also, the story itself has a tonal struggle between the exciting treasure hunt and the weighty family issues. This clash, while awkward, is appropriately reflected in Cahill's portrayal of Claudia. Overall, Cahill captures her transformation from a giddy, hopeful preteen to a frustrated young woman who is grappling with her growing realization that her parents have far more complex lives than she ever imagined. S.T.C. © AudioFile 2018, Portland, Maine

JUNE 2018 - AudioFile

Narrator Erin Cahill's character voices extract maximum emotion from this scrapbook of receipts, video transcripts, emails, and texts. Twelve-year-old Claudia uses her collection to tell the story of her father's disappearance, its titanic impact on her family, and the treasure hunt he left behind. While time stamp details, addresses, and long lists add realism to the print version, they are tedious and difficult to follow by ear. Also, the story itself has a tonal struggle between the exciting treasure hunt and the weighty family issues. This clash, while awkward, is appropriately reflected in Cahill's portrayal of Claudia. Overall, Cahill captures her transformation from a giddy, hopeful preteen to a frustrated young woman who is grappling with her growing realization that her parents have far more complex lives than she ever imagined. S.T.C. © AudioFile 2018, Portland, Maine

JUNE 2018 - AudioFile