KidLit: The Fantastic Secret of Owen Jester (ages 8-12)
Owen Jester has a good life. By no means perfect (thanks to that rotten girl, Viola, next door), but it’s still pretty good. He’s not thrilled about his home--after the hardware store closed down, his father was unemployed and the family had to move--but he’s got a good home (with a mean housekeeper, Earline) at his grandfather’s, and his family is all together.
If it wasn’t for Grandpa’s house, Owen would never have the adventure of his young life. One of the things that Owen likes about living in his new home is the sound of the train that passes nearby late at night. The house is on a large piece of property that includes woods, ponds, and paths, as well as a wonderful old barn filled with odd and useful things to discover.
Owen still has his friends, Travis and Stumpy, from the other side of town, and he plays with them nearly every day--it’s summer and Carter, Georgia, is just the place for kids on bikes to pass the time. In addition to his two dogs, Owen has another pet--a big bullfrog he spent many hours trying to catch down at the pond. The three boys embark on an engineering project--building the best cage in the world for the best frog in Carter, Georgia.
Barbara O’Connor has crafted a fine mystery and adventure with The Fantastic Secret of Owen Jester, a warm-hearted story, leisurely told. What is the mysterious something that Owen hears fall off the train as it passes one night? Will he find it? And once found, how in the world will Owen, Stumpy, and Travis manage to use their fantastic secret? (Hint: it will take a lot of work and ingenuity.)
Over the course of the summer, the boys’ friendship is tried, a new friendship is formed, and Owen learns that just because something makes him happy doesn’t mean it makes everybody (or every frog) happy. The Fantastic Secret of Owen Jester is a great read for the middle-school set, especially boys since the benign villains are all female (Viola, Earline, and Joleen, a nosy neighbor)--and one of them turns out to be not villainous at all.
Bottom Line: Would I buy The Fantastic Secret of Owen Jester? Yes, it’s a nicely written, innocent adventure story appropriate for ages eight through twelve.
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