"Hit the Road,
Manny: A Manny Files Novel" by Christian Burch (Atheneum, ISBN
9781416928126, $16.99, for ages 9 and up)
Ever since I reviewed the children's novel "The
Manny Files" last summer, I've been greeted by readers of many ages who
tell me how much they love the Manny and how much Christian Burch's whacky
family stories make them laugh. Well boy, do I have great news for you.
Burch has written a follow-up book, "Hit the Road, Manny!," and he's coming
to Watermark to tell us all about it. He'll be here two days after
Christmas, just when your home and heart are delightfully crowded with
visiting family members who desperately deserve an outing. Plan to come
early for lunch in the café, then enjoy hearing a stellar author read and
talk about his work. Think of it as a holiday gift to yourself and everyone
you love.
"Hit the Road, Manny!" takes up the story of the Dalinger family and their
one-of-a-kind male nanny as they strike out cross country on a slightly
demented family road trip. There are stops at a menacing Wizard of Oz
museum, a hard-luck camp site, the Manny's own boyhood home, the great state
of Utah, and the bright lights of Vegas!
The themes of this book are universal and powerful: When it comes to family,
love carries more weight than embarrassment (or fistfights); home can be
wherever a family comes together, whether that's on the road, on a ranch, or
on the Vegas Strip; and most important of all, it's really never, ever too
late to have a happy childhood--or to help provide one for the children in
our lives.
In the months since I first read "The Manny Files," I've discovered that
Christian Burch grew up here in Kansas. His visit to Wichita is possible in
part because he's willing to make a detour as he visits family for the
holidays. When he's here at Watermark meeting all you lovable readers, I
think he'll find that he has more family in Kansas than he ever before
realized.
Christian Burch will read and sign copies of "The Manny Files" and "Hit the
Road, Manny" at Watermark Books & Café on Saturday, December 27 at 2:00 p.m.
Come on down! It'll be a treat.
Review by
Mark David
Bradshaw, December 18, 2008
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