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5 Stars The Universe of Fair Leslie Bulion Frank W. Dormer Peachtree No. Pages: 264   Ages: 8-12 ..................... Inside Jacket:  For young science whiz Miller Sanford, an eagerly awaited day at the Fair turns into a wacky adventure with more twists and loops than the BlastoCoaster! Hopeful that this year his mom and dad will [...]

……………………. Leslie Bulion The Universe of Fair Peachtree Publishers website: http://www.lesliebulion.com/ ………………………….. Please welcome our guest, author Leslie Bulion whose new book, The Universe of Fair, is starting a virtual tour this week. Follow Leslie as she makes her way around various book sites. Her publisher, Peachtree, has the schedule of events HERE! A review [...]

When Leslie Bulion isn't immersed in a book--"I read all the time as a girl and I still do"--she loves to immerse herself in the natural world, pulling on a wet-suit and diving into coastal ponds to do research for her graduate studies in oceanography, or simply studying bugs in an entomology class. Growing up, Bulion didn't study writing in school or know that one day she would become an

Jeremy Fink and the Meaning of Life
by Wendy Mass

I'd heard of A MANGO SHAPED SPACE, a book about a 13 year old girl with synesthesia, but I'd never read it when I came across JEREMY FINK AND THE MEANING OF LIFE at my local library. 

The first line, "my sweat smells like peanut butter" is one of the things that intrigued me enough to check this book out. 
The book follows 12-year-old Jeremy Fink through the summer before he becomes an official teenager. His father, who died when Jeremy was eight, has left behind a mysterious locked wooden box for Jeremy to open on his 13th birthday, but somehow the keys were lost. Now Jeremy has a deadline to find the keys which will open the box and reveal the meaning of life. According to his father's carving on the top of the box, that's exactly what's inside. To do this, Jeremy must think OUTSIDE the box, something he's not used to doing. He never leaves his own neighborhood unless he has to. Heck, he doesn't even like to try new foods. With the help of his lifelong best friend, Lizzy, Jeremy takes on the quest to find the meaning of life and meets all sorts of people along the way.

I enjoyed the storytelling style and the humor of Wendy Mass. Parts of the book seem to resolve a little too conveniently, and there are a couple of non-essential characters whose introduction remain a mystery to me (new neighbors Samantha & Rick), but overall, I'd say this one is worth the read. My nine-year-old son enjoyed Jeremy's character and voice, too.

I'll look for A MANGO SHAPED SPACE during my next trip to the library!