Starred Review for Kirkus Reviews

Following the precise coordinates of geocaching doesn't yield the treasure Kirby Zagonski Jr. seeks: his missing father. Geeky eighth-grader Kirby can't understand why his mother won't call his dad after their generous landlady dies and they're evicted for nonpayment of rent. Though his parents have been divorced for several years and his father, a wealthy developer, has been unreliable, Kirby is sure he could help. Instead he and his mother move to the Community Hospitality Center, a place "for the poor. The unfortunate. The homeless." Suddenly A-student Kirby doesn't have a quiet place to do his schoolwork or even a working pencil. They share a "family room" with a mother and young son fleeing abuse. Trying to hide this from his best friends, Gianna and Ruby, is a struggle, especially as they spend after-school hours together. The girls help him look for the geocaches visited by "Senior Searcher," a geocacher Kirby is sure is his father. There are ordinary eighth-grade complications in this contemporary friendship tale, too; Gianna just might be a girlfriend, and there's a dance coming up. Kirby's first-person voice is authentic, his friends believable, and the adults both sometimes helpful and sometimes unthinkingly cruel. The setting is the largely white state of Vermont, but the circumstances could be anywhere. Middle school worries and social issues skillfully woven into a moving, hopeful, STEM-related tale. (Fiction. 10-14)

School Library Journal Starred Review

Gr 5-7Thirteen-year-old science and electronics enthusiast Zig hasn't had a visit from his father in more than a year. Zig's mother won't explain why, so he begins looking for clues in local geocaches. Meanwhile, Zig's mother fails to pay the rent and they move into a homeless shelter after a short stay with Zig's aunt Becka, who lives with an abusive husband. Messner describes the mundane details of hard realities. The shelter is perfectly safe, but there are no school supplies. Zig shows up for his school's free breakfast and finds out that his friend Ruby regularly attends. His teacher lectures the class about "the less fortunate," as if poverty and homelessness are issues that no child she knows has to handle. The author offers realistic but hopeful resolutions to many of Zig's problems. The geocache trail doesn't locate Zig's father, but it does lead to a job for his mother. Aunt Becka doesn't leave her husband, but she knows that Zig's mother is there for support. There is no question that life will bring problems, but it's just as certain that friends and family can help. Vivid characters and situations, along with clear, simple writing and plotting, make this an accessible and enlightening read. VERDICT A gentle but truthful look at poverty and homelessness for fans of realistic middle grade novels, such as Gary Schmidt's Okay for Now and Messner's The Brilliant Fall of Gianna Z., in which Zig is a secondary character.Lisa Goldstein, Brooklyn Public Library

ALA Booklist

Learning that Dad has (once again) canceled his plans to visit isn't exactly a surprise to 13-year-old Zig. But after a year without seeing his father, it's a major disappointment. Zig spends his free time geocaching with friends. Soon, with little money for food and none for rent, he and his mother move into a homeless shelter. He avoids telling even his best friend, Gianna, about their situation. When his teacher schedules a class visit to the shelter, Zig dreads discovery, but more painful is his mother's eventual revelation that his father is in prison. Messner creates a sympathetic character in Zig, whose narration reflects his believable unwillingness to take his father off a pedestal throughout most of the novel. Within the story, Messner gently overturns some stereotypes about homeless shelters and their residents. The narrative flows well and sweeps readers along, though the conclusion ties up loose ends too quickly and neatly. Still, readers hoping for a happy ending will not be disappointed. A companion book to The Brilliant Fall of Gianna Z (2009).

Kirkus Reviews (Fri Oct 04 00:00:00 CDT 2024)

Following the precise coordinates of geocaching doesn't yield the treasure Kirby Zagonski Jr. seeks: his missing father. Geeky eighth-grader Kirby can't understand why his mother won't call his dad after their generous landlady dies and they're evicted for nonpayment of rent. Though his parents have been divorced for several years and his father, a wealthy developer, has been unreliable, Kirby is sure he could help. Instead he and his mother move to the Community Hospitality Center, a place "for the poor. The unfortunate. The homeless." Suddenly A-student Kirby doesn't have a quiet place to do his schoolwork or even a working pencil. They share a "family room" with a mother and young son fleeing abuse. Trying to hide this from his best friends, Gianna and Ruby, is a struggle, especially as they spend after-school hours together. The girls help him look for the geocaches visited by "Senior Searcher," a geocacher Kirby is sure is his father. There are ordinary eighth-grade complications in this contemporary friendship tale, too; Gianna just might be a girlfriend, and there's a dance coming up. Kirby's first-person voice is authentic, his friends believable, and the adults both sometimes helpful and sometimes unthinkingly cruel. The setting is the largely white state of Vermont, but the circumstances could be anywhere. Middle school worries and social issues skillfully woven into a moving, hopeful, STEM-related tale. (Fiction. 10-14)

Publishers Weekly (Fri Oct 06 00:00:00 CDT 2023)

First seen in Messner-s first novel, The Brilliant Fall of Gianna Z., Kirby -Zig- Zigonski loves tinkering and appreciates the way that -everything fits- in a simple electrical circuit. Zig lives with his mother, who both works and is studying to become a nurse, but he can-t wait to see his father, who travels for his real estate business. When his father cancels an upcoming visit and Zig-s mother won-t say why, Zig decides to track down his dad using an old GPS unit and following clues he believes his father is leaving in geocache stashes around town. When Zig and his mother are evicted and forced to move into a shelter, Zig is caught between shame, anger, and a determination to find his father. Messner delivers a sensitive and realistic portrayal of financial stress, the realities of living in a shelter, and how both take a toll. Zig-s crush on Gianna and the mystery surrounding Zig-s father will keep readers hooked, but it-s his bonds with his mother and friends that will stay with them. Ages 8-12. Agent: Jennifer Laughran, Andrea Brown Literary. (Sept)