Module 9: Abduction by Peg Kehret

Bibliographic Citation: Kehret, Peg. Abduction. New York: Puffin Books, 2004.

Plot Summary:

Bonnie and Matt's mom has given them great advice as to what to do if they are ever apporached by a stranger.  However, when Matt is apporached by a stranger that claims to know his mother and sister, and happens to have the family dog, Matt is tricked into going with the stranger.  It turns out the stranger is Matt's father, Denny, whom he's never met.  Denny ends up taking Matt to his apartment and keeping him there.  While Matt is missing, Bonnie and her mother are doing everything they can to find Matt.  Since the family dog was taken, Bonnie is convinced that Matt is not simply lost, he has to be missing, and he must have been abducted because he would never leave on his own.  

When Bonnie is invited to a baseball game, she agrees to go even though she feels guilty at going without her little brother.  When she is at the game, she spots a kid that looks like her brother, but she can't be sure since he is in disguise.  Once she gets closer, her thoughts are confirmed and she sees her little brother.  However, Denny spots her and he ends up taking both children.  Bonnie tries to get help along the way, but nobody listens to what she is saying, such as when she went into the bathroom and she told two ladies what was happening.  They thought she was playing a game and didnt take her serious.  Eventually Bonnie and her brother Matt managed to get away from Denny.  Then Denny thought it would be a good idea to go on a ferry and get rid of Bonnie, when he was about to throw Bonnie overboard, she yelled Zinger, and Matt threw his baseball as hard as he could, hitting Denny.  The kids were rescued and Denny was arrested.   

My Impressions of the Book:

I found the title to be interesting which is why I picked up this book in the first place.  I have to say that this is not on my top 10 books.  Matt is abducted by his father, whom he's never met, and I just didn't fall in love with any of the characters in the novel.  I felt myself getting flustered when Matt was at the baseball game with his dad, and I didnt know why he didnt just run away or ask someone for help.  I mean he was in a stadium with thousands of people, just ask for help!  Then Matt's sister finds him, and again, no yelling for help, no nothing!  So, the plot annoyed me a little.  However, I can see this book being very educational to many kids/teens.  I think this book teaches kids/ teens awareness about being abducted.  So, this book is added to my blog because a teen that reads this book can learn a lot, as in tips as to what to do if you are abducted.  There were a lot of terms throughout the book that teens can leanr, such as what an Amber Alert is.     

Review(s) About the Book:

Barnes & Nobles Editorials Review

Janis Flint-Ferguson - KLIATT

Bonnie is a pretty typical seventh grade student. She is responsible for her six-year-old brother after school and so she leaves the middle school directly to join her brother in the bus line and get him home. But on this Friday her brother isn't standing in the line waiting for her. In fact, he has disappeared from the elementary school. The school is searched, the teachers are brought in, and finally the police arrive, but Matt Stolter is still missing, abducted by his father. Denny Thurman is a desperate man and intends to use Matt to get money to pay off gambling debts. He disguises himself to cover his tracks and uses a pet dog to lure Matt away. While Bonnie and her mother talk to news media, hang posters, and wait for news, Denny hides Matt in an apartment and tells him that his mother and sister have died. After a week, Matt is bored and Denny needs more money—fast. Matt, Bonnie and Denny end up at a Mariners game in Safeco Field where the situation goes from coincidence to climax. The novel follows the situation at home and at Denny's as the sense of loss and missed clues mount up. Coincidence provides much of the suspense. There is little violence and the story is happily resolved. KLIATT Codes: J—Recommended for junior high school students. 2004, Penguin, Dutton, 224p., Ages 12 to 15.

Barnes & Nobles Editorials Review

School Library Journal

Gr 4-7-Matt, a kindergartener, meets his 13-year-old half sister every day after school for the ride home. When he fails to show up, Bonnie immediately notifies his teacher and principal, and a full-scale search ensues. Even though Matt has been taught "stranger danger," he is lured into the kidnapper's car with his own dog, stolen from his house. The kidnapper is the boy's father, whom he has never met, and who tells Matt that his mother and sister are dead. So even though the boy knows his phone number, he doesn't try to call. The story portrays a kidnapper's determination and the ease with which a child can be swayed by a stranger despite years of teaching. The novel also does a good job of incorporating modern-day search techniques, such as an Amber Alert, and explaining their use. The plot stretches a bit when Bonnie spots her brother at a Seattle Mariners game, but it does make for a suspenseful ending as she also becomes a victim. The story is resolved happily but with a twist showing the remorse of the people who could have helped along the way but didn't for various reasons. This novel has enough suspense to keep children interested, and it will also appeal to reluctant readers.-Diana Pierce, Running Brushy Middle School, Cedar Park, TX Copyright 2004 Reed Business Information.

Use in Library Setting:

I would recommend this book to parents who want to educate their children on what to do in case of an emergency, such as being abducted.  No one wants to think about their children being abducted, but awareness is very important.