Albert Whitman & Company, 2007
Russell isn’t happy about his wasted summer.
A wasted summer is one you’ll never get back, and he knows it. But he’s stuck in small-town Oregon, a place without a movie theater, a baseball park, or a pizza parlor. A place where his grandfather is slowly drifting away.
Then a legend about an old meteorite envelops him—and connects his grandfather’s special rock and old map to a nearly blind ex-con who did time for manslaughter. Eventually Russell, along with his new friends Phoebe and Isaac, makes a dangerous trip into the mountains to find the meteorite, rumored to be rare and valuable—and perhaps the same “piece of the sky” discovered by Russell’s great-great-great-grandfather.
“Patneaude creates a suspenseful quest tale along with a sensitive portrayal of Russell’s sense of loss as his grandfather, suffering from dementia, loses touch with memories and relationships.” —Booklist
“I really enjoyed it. I felt like a kid again, reading under the covers with a flashlight, because I had to know how the story ended…the craftsmanship and pacing are excellent. The author demonstrates a flair for spare description that gets things across, without excessive detail.” —Jennifer Robinson, Editor of Jen Robinson’s Book Page
- 2010-11 Tennessee Volunteer State Book Award Nominee
