Sometimes being the smartest kid in your class doesn’t make you any friends. Sometimes the way you see the world is so different from “normal” that you’re not sure anyone can understand you. So it is for Nicholas Funes, the 11-year-old hero of If You Find This.
Nicholas can feel the vibrations of the sounds around him, and he can see—and reveres—any prime number he encounters. Nicholas’ family is in trouble, but he hopes that by finding his grandfather’s missing heirlooms, he can save them from their plight. Along the way he makes some friends, learns about the grandfather he’s never met and finds out that his strange worldview can actually help others as much as it helps himself.
Matthew Baker is an established short story writer, and his first book for young readers is an ethereal, fascinating mixture of music and math. His sense of story as vignette is reflected in his writing, which works well for the way Nicholas’ mind processes things. With mystery, adventure, hidden treasure and wild boat rides, this book will appeal to any young reader.
Jennifer Bruer Kitchel is the librarian for a Pre-K through eighth level Catholic school.
This article was originally published in the April 2015 issue of BookPage. Download the entire issue for the Kindle or Nook.
