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  • Published: 1 March 2012
  • ISBN: 9780375858291
  • Imprint: RHUS Children's Books
  • Format: Paperback
  • Pages: 384
  • RRP: $17.99

Moon Over Manifest

(Newbery Medal Winner)



Abilene Tucker's aiming to learn about her father's boyhood when she jumps off the train in Manifest, Kansas. Having heard his stories of the town in its 1918 heyday, Abiliene's disappointed to find Manifest's a dried up Depression town. But her disappointment turns to intrigue when she discovers a hidden cigar box containing old letters, a collection of mementos, and mention of a spy known as The Rattler. Those mysterious words send Abilene and her new friends on a spy hunt even though they are warned to Leave Well Enough Alone. And the more Abilene hears, the more she's determined to learn what role her father played in Manifest's secret history.

Winner of the 2011 Newbery Award.

The movement of the train rocked me like a lullaby. I closed my eyes to the dusty countryside and imagined the sign I’d seen only in Gideon’s stories: Manifest—A Town with a rich past and a bright future.
 
Abilene Tucker feels abandoned. Her father has put her on a train, sending her off to live with an old friend for the summer while he works a railroad job. Armed only with a few possessions and her list of universals, Abilene jumps off the train in Manifest, Kansas, aiming to learn about the boy her father once was.
Having heard stories about Manifest, Abilene is disappointed to find that it’s just a dried-up, worn-out old town. But her disappointment quickly turns to excitement when she discovers a hidden cigar box full of mementos, including some old letters that mention a spy known as the Rattler. These mysterious letters send Abilene and her new friends, Lettie and Ruthanne, on an honest-to-goodness spy hunt, even though they are warned to “Leave Well Enough Alone.”
Abilene throws all caution aside when she heads down the mysterious Path to Perdition to pay a debt to the reclusive Miss Sadie, a diviner who only tells stories from the past. It seems that Manifest’s history is full of colorful and shadowy characters—and long-held secrets. The more Abilene hears, the more determined she is to learn just what role her father played in that history. And as Manifest’s secrets are laid bare one by one, Abilene begins to weave her own story into the fabric of the town.
 
Powerful in its simplicity and rich in historical detail, Clare Vanderpool’s debut is a gripping story of loss and redemption.

  • Published: 1 March 2012
  • ISBN: 9780375858291
  • Imprint: RHUS Children's Books
  • Format: Paperback
  • Pages: 384
  • RRP: $17.99

About the author

Clare Vanderpool

Moon Over Manifest, Clare Vanderpool’s first novel, is set in the fictional small town of Manifest, Kansas, which is based on the real southeastern Kansas town of Frontenac, home of both of her maternal grandparents. Drawing on stories she heard as a child, along with research in town newspapers, yearbooks, and graveyards, Clare found a rich and colorful history for her story. Clare lives in Wichita, Kansas, with her husband and their four children.

Also by Clare Vanderpool

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Praise for Moon Over Manifest

"Richly detailed, splendidly written novel. . . . The absolute necessity of story as a way to redemption and healing past wounds is at the heart of this beautiful debut, and readers will cherish every word."--Kirkus Reviews, Starred

"Replete with historical details and surprises, Vanderpool's debut delights, while giving insight into family and community."--Publishers Weekly, Starred

"With believable dialogue, vocabulary and imagery appropriate to time and place, and well developed characters, this rich and rewarding first novel is "like sucking on a butterscotch. Smooth and sweet."--Booklist, Starred

"The best book I've read in ages."--Patricia Reilly Giff, Two-Time Newbery Honor Winner

A New York Times Bestseller; a Publishers Weekly Children's Fiction Bestseller; an ALA-ALSC Notable Children's Book; a Midwest Connections Pick; a Junior Library Guild Selection; an Association of Book Sellers for Children New Voices Pick, a Kirkus Reviews Best Book of the Year.