Return to Sender - by Vera Brosgol (Paperback)

Book Synopsis

*An Instant New York Times Bestseller*

Magic, mystery, and a marvelous mailbox take two kids on an incredible journey in this middle grade adventure novel from bestselling comics creator Vera Brosgol. Perfect for fans of Greenwild and The Lost Library and kids ready to move from graphic novels to novels.

*This deluxe, beautiful book features dynamic yellow page edges and fun illustrations throughout by the author!*

Be careful what you wish for...

After everything they've been through, Oliver and his mom finally have a place to call home. But Oliver's fresh start feels more like a dead-end at his fancy new private school, where kids fly in on helicopters, wear the latest and most expensive sneakers, and go on luxury vacations. Oliver is only there because his mom's the school custodian.

Oliver wishes his life could be easier. And then one day, after slipping a wish into a mysterious mail slot, it suddenly comes true. Pizza for dinner? Yes! The rarest sneakers in the world? Yes! Everything he could ever want, without spending a cent? Yes, yes, yes!

Oliver's dreams are finally within his grasp... but what happens when he discovers that his wishes don't come for free?

"Vera Brosgol has combined the silliness and social satire of Roald Dahl with the imagination-bending multiverse of Everything Everywhere All at Once to create an utterly unique novel." -Adam Gidwitz, Newbery Honor Author of The Inquisitor's Tale

"I wish that you would just open this book and start reading it." -Lemony Snicket, bestselling author of A Series of Unfortunate Events

Check out these other beloved books by Vera Brosgol:
Anya's Ghost
Be Prepared
Plain Jain and the Mermaid
Leave Me Alone!
Memory Jars
The Little Guys

Review Quotes

*An Instant New York Times Bestseller*
An Amazon Best Book of 2025 So Far
The New York Public Library's Best Book of the Year

"Brosgol, a Caldecott honoree and Eisner Award winner, brings a light, humorous touch to the novel's central questions about fate, loss and acceptance." -New York Times

"Delightful... Ms. Brosgol has a sharp eye for both class dynamics and the way that social media can exacerbate adolescent (and indeed, adult) envy." -Wall Street Journal

★"Readers will resonate with sensitive and empathetic Oliver, whose pie-in-the-sky desires and earnest, grief-fueled yearning for his father are achingly heartfelt." -Publishers Weekly, starred review

"I wish all artists were as wonderful as Vera Brosgol. I wish all stories were as exciting as this one. I wish for a thousand more wishes. I wish that you would just open this book and start reading it." -Lemony Snicket, bestselling author of A Series of Unfortunate Events

"Return to Sender is a tenderhearted and madcap story about the power of desire and the havoc it can bring on the world around us. Brosgol's gifts as a storyteller shine through in these pages." -Colin Meloy, bestselling author of Wildwood

"I love the funny and scary and ultimately wise Return to Sender. Oliver is grieving his father and his lost dreams when he discovers a magical way to make wishes come true. But wishes have consequences and not just for him. With courage and persistence and imagination, Oliver finally discovers he already has everything he needs. It's an astoundingly good novel, packed with humor, mystery, family, secrets, and healing. And the illustrations by the author are splendid." -Karen Cushman, Newbery Medal winning author of The Midwife's Apprentice

"Long after I finished this funny, moving, completely unpredictable book, I found myself thinking about its main character, Oliver--who now occupies a tender place in my heart. Vera Brosgol has combined the silliness and social satire of Roald Dahl with the imagination-bending multiverse of Everything Everywhere All at Once to create an utterly unique novel." -Adam Gidwitz, Newbery Honor Author of The Inquisitor's Tale

"Do not return this book! Full of wit, charm, and heart, Return to Sender is so good it might have popped out of a magic mail slot--much like the one that wreaks so much havoc in the life of its unlucky but lovable protagonist. Young readers will delight in this new fictional adventure from graphic novel wonderworker Vera Brosgol. But please go easy on the glorp! It's very strong stuff." -Pseudonymous Bosch, bestselling author of The Secret Series

"From the mean streets of Manhattan to the furthest reaches of outer space, Vera Brosgol takes readers on a breathless, unpredictable ride. But underneath her limitless imagination, we find an equally surprising investigation of our complex modern world, and a tender, honest heart. Return to Sender is a brilliant, fearless delight." -Laurel Snyder, award-winning author of Orphan Island and The Witch of Woodland

"A vividly told narrative." -Kirkus

"[A]ppealing and well-written" -BCCB

"Readers with a taste for absurdity and social satire will relish this imaginative tale." -Horn Book

"[A] tender story... perfect for fans of magical realism and would make a great family read." -Booklist

"Brosgol's signature illustrations add richness to the story... A fantastical middle grade story with a touch of ethics" -School Library Journal

About the Author

Vera Brosgol was born in Moscow, Russia, in 1984 and moved to the United States when she was five. Her three graphic novels, Anya's Ghost, Be Prepared, and Plain Jane and the Mermaid, were published by First Second. She wrote and illustrated several picture books including The Little Guys and Memory Jars, and her debut Leave Me Alone! was a 2017 Caldecott Honor Book. She's also worked on storyboards for several animated films, including Coraline, Kubo and the Two Strings, and Guillermo del Toro's Pinocchio. She lives in Portland, Oregon, with her dog Omar and a freezer full of khinkali dumplings.