The Dyerville Tales

Vince Elgin is an orphan whose parents died in a fire, but his father’s body was never found so Vince believes his father is still alive and waiting for him. So when he hears that his grandfather has died, he know that if he is ever going to find his father, he should be at the funeral, because surely that is where his father would be. He runs away from his orphanage and takes a journey where he crosses paths with a family of crooks, a friendly artist, and a family living where his old house used to be. Wherever he goes, he takes a book of stories that his grandfather wrote, called The Dyerville Tales, about Vincent (the grandfather) as a boy. The fantastical tales can’t possibly be true, but as Vince gets closer and closer to his grandfather’s hometown, he sees there is more to his grandfather’s tales than he thought.

I enjoyed reading the story written by Vince’s grandfather. I like how the book ends, leaving you guessing, almost sure, but not quite. Vince was not exceptional, just a normal person, trying to find his family, but the fun of this book was all in the grandfather’s stories and Vince’s changing reaction to them.