Finding Orion - by John David Anderson (Paperback)

About the Book

"Rion Kwirk comes from a rather odd family. His mother named him and his sisters after her favorite constellations, and his father makes funky-flavored jellybeans for a living. One sister acts as if she's always on stage, and the other is a walking dictionary. But no one in the family is more odd than Rion's grandfather, Papa Kwirk. He's the kind of guy who shows up on his motorcycle only on holidays handing out crossbows and stuffed squirrels as presents. Rion has always been fascinated by Papa Kwirk, especially as his son, Rion's father, is the complete opposite. Where Dad is predictable, nerdy, and reassuringly boring, Papa Kwirk is mysterious, dangerous, and cool. Which is why, when Rion and his family learn of Papa Kwirk's death and pile into the car to attend his funeral and pay their respects, Rion can't help but feel that that's not the end of his story. That there's so much more to Papa Kwirk to discover. He doesn't know how right he is"--

Book Synopsis

The acclaimed author of Ms. Bixby's Last Day and Posted returns with an unforgettable tale of love and laughter, of fathers and sons, of what family truly means, and of the ways in which we sometimes need to lose something in order to find ourselves. Celebrate dads and Father's Day year-round with this warm and witty novel for tweens.

Rion Kwirk comes from a rather odd family. His mother named him and his sisters after her favorite constellations, and his father makes funky-flavored jellybeans for a living. One sister acts as if she's always on stage, and the other is a walking dictionary. But no one in the family is more odd than Rion's grandfather, Papa Kwirk.

He's the kind of guy who shows up on his motorcycle only on holidays handing out crossbows and stuffed squirrels as presents. Rion has always been fascinated by Papa Kwirk, especially as his son--Rion's father--is the complete opposite. Where Dad is predictable, nerdy, and reassuringly boring, Papa Kwirk is mysterious, dangerous, and cool.

Which is why, when Rion and his family learn of Papa Kwirk's death and pile into the car to attend his funeral and pay their respects, Rion can't help but feel that that's not the end of his story. That there's so much more to Papa Kwirk to discover.

He doesn't know how right he is.

• A Heartfelt Father-Son Story: Rion always saw his dad as nerdy and boring, while Papa Kwirk was the cool, dangerous one. But a journey to say goodbye will uncover the truth about the two most important men in his life.
• A Quirky Family Adventure: From a dad who invents fried-chicken-flavored jellybeans to sisters named after constellations, Rion is sure he's the only normal one. This trip will test their bonds in hilarious and touching ways.
• An Unforgettable Scavenger Hunt: Papa Kwirk was full of surprises in life, and even more so in death. His funeral is just the beginning of a mysterious scavenger hunt he left behind, with his own story as the prize.
• Humorous and Touching: Perfect for fans of poignant and funny middle grade novels, this story balances laugh-out-loud moments with a moving exploration of what it means to lose someone you love and truly find your family.

From the Back Cover

Rion Kwirk comes from a rather odd family. His mother named him and his sisters after her favorite constellations, and his father makes funky-flavored jelly beans for a living. One sister acts as if she's always onstage, and the other is a walking dictionary. But no one in the family is stranger than Rion's grandfather, Papa Kwirk.

He's the kind of guy who shows up on his motorcycle only on holidays, handing out crossbows and stuffed squirrels as presents. Rion has always been fascinated by Papa Kwirk, especially because his son--Rion's father--is the complete opposite. Where Dad is predictable, nerdy, and reassuringly boring, Papa Kwirk is mysterious, dangerous, and cool.

Which is why, when Rion and his family learn of Papa Kwirk's death and pile into the car to attend his funeral and pay their respects, Rion can't help but feel that that's not the end of his story. That there's so much more to Papa Kwirk to discover.

He doesn't know how right he is.

The acclaimed author of Ms. Bixby's Last Day and Posted returns with an unforgettable tale of love and laughter; of fathers and sons; and of the power and limits of family.

Review Quotes

"Humor, plot twists, and quirky characters abound in this earnest middle grade tale of self-discovery." - School Library Journal

"Eccentric yet believable characters and Rion's perceptive narration prevent Anderson's unpredictable tale from feeling overwrought as the relationships between three generations of fathers and sons are rewritten anew." - Publishers Weekly (starred review)

"Readers will be happily swept along by Rion's first-person narration, which is often amusing, sometimes bemused, and occasionally even tender as he shows how his family was unwittingly drawn together by their shared experience. The author of Ms. Bixby's Last Day (2016), Posted (2017), and Granted (2018), Anderson offers another original novel written with wit and compassion." - ALA Booklist

"A smoothly written family adventure that evokes both Willy Wonka and The Wonder Years." - Kirkus Reviews