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Edenville Owls

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Edenville Owls

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Overview

New York Times bestselling author Robert B. Parker's first novel for young readers

There is something evil in the air ; Bobby senses it. Who is that man he saw arguing with his pretty new English teacher? Bobby knows he should mind his own business, but times are confusing. World War II just ended, and the world is changing? Bobby's world, especially. There's Joanie, for one?why does being her friend feel awkward? And then there are his buddies, the junior varsity Edenville Owls?basketball players in need of a leader. Can they help each other off the court as well as they can on it? They will need to.

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About the Author

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781101200636
Publisher:	Penguin Young Readers Group
Publication date:	04/24/2007
Sold by:	Penguin Group
Format:	eBook
Pages:	208
Sales rank:	741,498
File size:	825 KB
Age Range:	10 - 11 Years

About the Author

Robert B. Parker was the author of more than fifty books. He died in January 2010.

Date of Birth:

September 17, 1932

Date of Death:

January 18, 2010

Place of Birth:

Springfield, Massachusetts

Place of Death:

Cambridge, Massachusetts

Education:

B.A. in English, Colby College, 1954; M.A., Ph. D. in English, Boston University, 1957, 1971

Website:

http://robertbparker.net/

From the B&N Reads Blog

Page 1 of

Editorial Reviews

The Barnes & Noble Review
The first young adult book from crime fiction icon Robert B. Parker -- best known for his Spenser (Hundred-Dollar Baby et al.) and Jesse Stone (High Profile et al.) sagas -- is set in the fall of 1945 and revolves around a group of Massachusetts eighth-graders who become entangled in a decidedly adult mystery involving their lovable teacher and a shadowy and potentially murderous nemesis.

Bobby Murphy and his four best friends (who make up the Edenville Owls basketball team) start eighth grade during a time of great social and political change: Not only has WWII finally ended, but the kids find themselves with a new and attractive teacher, the charming Miss Claudia Delaney. But when Bobby witnesses a malevolent-looking man (with a voice "like a piece of broken glass") assault Miss Delaney, he and the rest of the Edenville Owls -- along with Bobby's good friend Joanie Gibson -- vow to protect their teacher no matter what the cost. The group of amateur sleuths, via some ingenious investigative initiatives, eventually uncovers the mystery man's identity: His name is Richard Krauss -- and not only is he a raving racist, bigot, and wanted army deserter, he's Miss Delaney's ex-husband! But how can a handful of 14-year-olds persuade a madman to leave town while also protecting their teacher's reputation and job?

Parker's first foray into the young adult genre is a heartfelt and deeply nostalgic tale that will appeal not only to his adult audience but also adolescent readers who enjoy a good mystery. Highly recommended. Paul Goat Allen

YAs will thoroughly enjoy this entertaining thriller.

KLIATT

Parker, the bestselling author of detective novels for adults, brings a healthy dose of noir to his first outing for children, set in the years following the end of WWII. Narrating is Bobby Murphy, an eighth-grader at Center Junior High in a town called Edenville. His school lacks a gymnasium, so Bobby and a few close friends start up an informal rag-tag basketball team, which plays against teams from other local junior high schools. As the Owls-the group's chosen team name-improve their skills in their quest to win a statewide tournament played at Boston Garden, Bobby's relationship with longtime friend Joanie Gibson begins to grow, causing tension with his teammate, Nick, who's interested in her romantically. Additionally, Bobby finds himself wrapped up in a mystery involving his new, young English teacher, Miss Delaney; one day, while staying late, he sees a strange man being rough with her outside the school. He scares the man off, but despite her insistence that he drop the matter, Bobby investigates further with the help of Joanie and his teammates. They unravel the secret that Miss Delaney is hiding, and Bobby discovers a world of suburban white supremacy and neo-Nazism. Though Parker saturates his writing with period slang and details, the book holds a timely resonance as Bobby strives to act in a noble, moral way in a confusing post-war era. Ages 10-up. (Apr.)
Copyright 2007 Reed Business Information

Publishers Weekly

Gr 6-9
It's 1945, and Bobby and his suburban Boston friends spend their free time traveling to other schools to compete in basketball games. Their junior high does not have a gym or a coach, so when it is announced that independent teams will be included in the state JV tournament, this group of six friends who call themselves the Owls feels a new sense of purpose. Outside circumstances threaten their single-mindedness, however. As Bobby sees a romance blossoming between his childhood friend Joanie and fellow Owl Nick, he is torn between his own feelings for the girl and loyalty to his pal. And when some members of the Owls witness a man threatening their pretty young teacher, they are drawn into a mystery that could endanger all of them. This first young-adult novel from an Edgar Award-winning author brings the same mix of fully developed characters and suspenseful prose that readers have come to expect in his adult works. While Parker's nostalgic references to various radio and movie personalities of the post-World War II era may not be fully appreciated by the target audience, students will identify with the emotional turmoil that characterizes Bobby's adolescence. This thought-provoking mystery will be a solid addition to middle school collections.
—Kim DareCopyright 2006 Reed Business Information.

School Library Journal

Edenville Owls

Edenville Owls

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