The Fantastic Secret of Owen Jester

THE FANTASTIC SECRET OF OWEN JESTER
by Barbara O’Connor
FSG, 2010

Category: Middle grade fiction

I fell for this cover the moment I saw it. It helped that the name Barbara O’Connor was printed on it, but truly, it was so many other things, too: the colors, that frog, those children, and, goodness, what is that mysterious, secretive, red, round … thing?

I couldn’t resist.

And then I stumbled into a chunk of free reading time this week. Alone and uninterrupted, I read THE FANTASTIC SECRET OF OWEN JESTER in a single sitting, and fell in love a second time. There were boys, and a know-it-all girl they wanted no part of, and a frog, and long summer days, and an adventure that made me want to be ten again.

I am buying myself a copy for Christmas.

You should too.