The Night Tourist – Book Review

A brilliant ninth-grade boy, Jack Perdu lives on the campus of Yale University where his father is a professor. Jack lives a lonely life as a classic prodigy, and his father struggles to identify with Jack.

At his father’s behest, Jack finds himself traveling to see a doctor in New York. Jack is bewildered by this turn of events, but intrigued at the same time. Jack hasn’t been to New York since his mother died eight years ago. Her appointment with the doctor is bizarre to say the least, and Jack becomes more confused.

While waiting for his train at Grand Central Terminal, he befriends a girl named Euri, who, oddly enough, no one else seems to know about.
“Jack stepped back in surprise from the column. The voice was that of a girl, one he didn’t recognize. He turned to look for her. But as he scanned the other corner, his stomach dropped. The tour guide was gone, and all the tourists were gone. Commuters were rushing through the mezzanine, but no one was standing near the columns.

With the new friendship formed and Euri’s encouragement, the two explore the underworld of Grand Central Terminal. Jack’s discovery of the ghostly underworld with hidden pathways and stairwells brings him to a world where it may be possible to see his mother again.

Title: The night tourist
Written by: Katherine Marsh
Ages: 10 – 12
Publisher: Hyperion Books for Children
ISBN: 978-142310689-0
Published: September 2007
Hardcover: 232 pages
Price: $17.99

Author, Katherine Marsh, easily brings the wonders of New York City history to life through the mystical storytelling of those who came before her. To learn more about Ms. Marsh, visit: http://www.haddixbooks.com/home.html.