Jack Baker has lost his mother and his home all at once. He also gained a father he’s not seen since before World War II began. They don’t know how to be together without Jack’s mom. And now Jack is at a strange boarding school in Maine – a continent away from his home in Kansas.
As he tries to get acclimated to his new school, he becomes fascinated with the strange boy, Early, who never shows up to class. Jack and Early become friends, of sorts. The next thing Jack knows, he has joined Early on a quest in the Appalachian mountains, hunting a legendary bear, and listening to Early’s unfolding story of Pi.
Author Clare Vanderpool has quickly joined my list of favorite authors. I loved her book Moon Over Manifest and Navigating Early is also a must-read, or listen. I listened to the audiobook, which was masterfully produced with two different voices and reading styles to distinguish between the story of Jack and Early and the story of Pi.
In fact, I loved it so much, I added Navigating Early to my Audible book list – a very selective group of books I know I’ll listen to over and over again.
Highly recommended for ages 8 and up.
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