Kid Konnection: Jeremy Fink and the Meaning of Life
Just before his thirteenth birthday, Jeremy Fink is presented with a box that was left for the occasion by his late father. The box is rather complicated – it requires four different keys - and has “The Meaning of Life: For Jeremy Fink to Open on His 13th Birthday” engraved on the bottom. The only problem is, the person who was holding the box and its keys can’t find the keys, so it’s up to Jeremy and his best friend, Lizzy, to track them down.
Jeremy and Lizzy come up with a plan. Some of what they have to do, like taking the subway alone, is out of Jeremy’s comfort zone, but he’s determined and pushes himself. He and Lizzy get in a little trouble, but learn a lot in their quest to find the keys and they discover that the journey reveals as much of the answer as the destination does.
Julie knows I’m a big Wendy Mass fan so she had her autograph a copy of Jeremy Fink and the Meaning of Life for me at an event she was lucky enough to attend. I was more than a little excited when I received that wonderful gift in the mail, and I was just as excited after I read the book! I thought it was absolutely delightful!
I loved the friendship between Jeremy and Lizzy and between Jeremy’s mother and Lizzy’s father. Sure, they got on each other’s nerves, but they were there for each other when the chips were down. They supported, encouraged, believed in and were loyal to each other – who doesn’t need a friend like that?
I also loved the adventure that Lizzy and Jeremy went on. Since they took it seriously and persevered, they learned a lot about themselves and life. The message Jeremy found in the box was about choosing the type of life you want to live. I think hearing a wonderful message like that can help kids see that the choices they make help determine the type of person they become. Jeremy Fink and the Meaning of Life is a fabulous middle grade book!
For more children’s books reviews, go to Booking Mama’s feature, Kid Konnection. If you’d like to participate in Kid Konnection and share a post about anything related to children’s books (picture, middle grade, or young adult) from the past week, leave a comment as well as a link on her site.
This is one of my all-time favorite MG books. I’m glad you liked it!
What a great message for kids! I will have to check this one out for my niece.
This sounds like a really fun book for kids! My niece is an MG, and loves books that have “mysteries” to solve.
Fine review, Kathy! I like this story :”choosing the life you want to live” . It takes sometimes half a life , or more, to found it !
I love to read your reviews of book for Kid Konnection. It helps me to decide what to get for my every growing ‘children’s library.
We are Wendy Mass fans too and we have this book on our TBR list. We can’t wait to read it, especially since there is a movie in the making, which we definitely want to see but only after we read the book.
This one has been on my TBR list for what seems forever. And of course as usual it is a copy that sits on my Middle School shelves…geesh…I have a lot of reading to do!
Kathy, With such a wonderful endorsement how can I do anything but find this book and read it. And then, of course, I’ll pass it on to a deserving child.
This sounds like a book with a great message for grownups, too!
I really like the cover for this one and after reading your endorsement for its style I know I have to add it to the ever so long TBR list. So much to read… so little time… hmmm maybe I should just retire from work now and devote myself to reading FOREVER
I loved this book! What a fantastic review and reminder of a wonderful middle grade book!
This makes me wish I got a box like this! It sounds like a fun and appealing adventure.
This sounds like a wonderful book for middle schoolers to read!