A charming middle-grade novel about friendship and the power of imagination, told in alternating chapters by Rebecca Stead, the Newbery Medal winning author of When You Reach Me, and Wendy Mass, New York Times bestselling author of The Candymakers.
Livy can’t remember her first visit to her grandmother’s house all the way across the world in Australia, though she does seem to recall a ‘wrong chicken’ and something unusual about a black chess piece.
She definitely doesn’t remember the strange little creature she finds in the wardrobe. His name is Bob, and he’s been waiting for her to come back for more than five years - that’s a very long time to sit in the dark.
Livy and Bob piece together the mystery of who Bob is, and a beautiful friendship unfolds. Now Livy must help Bob find his way home.
Bob is a tender and engaging story for young readers about loyalty and the power of imagination, set in an Australian country town.
About the Author
Wendy Mass is the author of eleven novels for young people (which have been translated into 13 languages and nominated for 46 USA state book awards), including A Mango-Shaped Space (which was awarded the Schneider Family Book Award by the American Library Association), Leap Day, the Twice Upon a Time fairy tale series, Every Soul a Star, 11 Birthdays, Heaven Looks a Lot Like the Mall, Jeremy Fink and the Meaning of Life, and Finally.
Her most recent book is The Candymakers. Wendy wrote the storyline for an episode of the television show Monk, entitled 'Mr. Monk Goes to the Theatre,' which aired during the show's second season. She tells people her hobbies are hiking and photography, but really they're collecting candy bar wrappers and searching for buried treasure with her metal detector. She lives with her family in New Jersey.
Industry Reviews
'Irresistible tale of magic, mystery, and friendship that poses timeless questions about identity and belonging.' * Publishers Weekly *
`Stead, whose When You Reach Me (2009) won the Newbery Medal, and Mass, author of the beloved Willow Falls series, combine their considerable talents to create an unusual fantasy with simplicity, immediacy, and wit.' * Booklist *
`Rebecca Stead owns my heart, I swear. Her books just make me happy down to my toes.' * Alpha Reader on Goodbye Stranger *
A wonderful story, beautifully and realistically imagined but with a deft touch full of empathy and humour.' * Readings on Goodbye Stranger *
`It is the true gift of the storyteller to take such age-old themes and issues and shine a light on them in such a way that it appears brand new.' * Magpies on Liar & Spy *
'Realistic and compassionate...This is a layered, textured read, and adds to Rebecca Stead's growing list of consistently high quality novels. Highly recommended.' * Reading Time *
`You can't help falling in love with Bob just a little.' * Good Reading *
`A delightful story of friendship with a touch of magic.' * Readings Best Middle Fiction Books of 2018 *
`A magical story...a story of remembering and forgetting across vast distances and generations.' * Best Kids' Books of 2018, NZ Listener *
