Author Language English Publisher Dutton Juvenile | Country USA Genre Mystery Publication date November 2004 | |
Abduction! by Peg Kehret, is a novel about a 13 year old girl named Bonnie who searches for her brother Matt and their dog Pookie who were both abducted. Her abductor, a mystery at first, ends up being someone much close to home.
Contents
Plot Summary
Matt, a six-year-old boy, is kidnapped by his father, Denny, who he had never met. Though he has always dreamed of meeting him, nothing is the way he thought it would be, given his father is only using Matt to impress his sister who often brags about her two well-raised sons. Denny has also taken Matt's dog, Pookie, and then dropped him off in a park. With little clues to follow, Matt's mother, sister, and the police, are doing everything they can to find him. Some old folks found Pookie and later gave him back to Matt's mom and sister. Matt's sister, Bonnie, sees Matt at a Mariner's baseball game, but is caught by Denny. Now both captive, the siblings attempt to escape. On the ferry, Bonnie signals to Matt to throw his hardest pitch. The baseball hits Denny, which allows the two to escape. Denny is arrested, and the children return home safely.
Controversy
On March 30, 2006, this book was featured on a KMSP newscast discussing a parent who was disturbed by the book when her 4th grader brought it home and read it aloud. This book contains graphic language including a descriptive account of a man aiming a gun at a young girl's heart.
Awards
In 2007, Abduction! was awarded the Mark Twain Award by the Missouri Association of School Librarians.