Almost thirteen-year-old Gabriel Marx struggles with just about everything, from school, to relationships, to navigating his divorced parents. He arrives in New York City for his annual summer visit with his attorney father who finds himself caught up in the mystery surrounding the murder of one of his clients. It is not long before Gabe finds himself smack in the middle of the intrigue and more determined than ever to prove himself to his dad.Gabe encounters various players in the unraveling mystery, learns to trust the friendship of eleven-year-old Alex, and that of the renowned, but now discredited, Professor Phineas Foster. Twists and turns and seeming coincidences reveal previously unknown family history and harrowing choices for Gabe.Will the children solve the murder? Will their determination lead to the truth? Will the professor be vindicated? Will the scoundrels who sought to corrupt the professor’s lifelong work be brought to justice?
G.B. Gurland has been an educator for over 40 years. She has extensive experience working with school-age children, adolescents, and young adults with reading and literacy challenges. More recently she has turned her attention to writing children’s books, and has edited and published several workbooks in the area of vocabulary development. The Secret Files of Phineas Foster is her first middle grade novel.
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Reviews
6 reviews
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Amazon Review 14/11/16
I've just completed reading this marvelous mystery. While written for middle school level students, its storyline is both apropos and completely enjoyable for their parents as well. The fast paced action holds the reader's attention throughout. In fact it's quite difficult to put it down and is easily read from start to finish in just a couple of hours. Of particular value is the message it discretely conveys ~ that each of us has our own personal talents , sometimes valued by others and sometimes not. Yet we each have the inner resources, if we believe in ourselves, to use our personal style to accomplish far more than might seem possible. Bravo to Ms. Gurland on her first book! I hope she writes many more!!
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Rochelle L. Roth, Ph.D., J.D.
I read this book in two sittings, only because I started reading it too late in the day to finish it all at once. It grabbed me from the first page.
Phineas Fosters turns out to be a centenarian surprise. When 12-year-old Gabe Marx sits next to him on a plane from Los Angeles to New York City, they engage in conversation that piques the curiosity of Gabe. When Foster leaves a notebook on his seat upon leaving the plane, Gabe retrieves it and tries unsuccessfully to give it back to the old man. But Gabe’s determination to find Foster grows when he hears that the elderly gent is wanted for murder — and that his father is the victim’s attorney. He accompanies his father to the office of the district attorney and meets her daughter, Alex, who is very adventurous, the two “nearly teens” begin to investigate the whereabouts of old professor Foster.
Along the way, the two leave the D.A.’s office and head uptown to continue the search. They meet many people whose surname is Foster, and are aided by some of the least likely people.
This clever pair manage to evade Gabe’s father and Alex’s mother, while trying to solve a puzzle with pieces that seem always to lead to confusion.
This is G.B.Gurland’s debut novel, and I can only hope that there will be more. Gabe and Alex are a wonderful pair. In many ways, they are opposites, but they share a devotion to adventure.
I recommend this book to those ‘tweens who love a good mystery.
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A wonderful story for both young and old! I found that I could not put this book down yet did not want it to end! Beautifully written in such a way that the reader will continually enjoy each page! Perhaps we are looking at a series or a screenplay?
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Enter the world of almost 13 year old Gabe as he tries to solve a confounding mystery and you will be instantly captivated. Enjoyable reading for adult and middleschooler alike. Teachers- this is an excellent piece of literature for teaching on so many levels!
Compliments for the high quality publishing and printing of this book. Easy on the aging eyes, and for kids whose eyes fatigue while reading. Thank you for a wonderful book!
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What a fantastic book! I read with my daughter and was as excited as her to see "what happens next". We both loved it and highly recommend it.
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I absolutely loved this book. This captivating and suspenseful story took me on an adventure, making it a very difficult book to put down. I would highly recommend this novel to students in the upper elementary grades and beyond. The author utilizes enriching vocabulary built into a thrilling plot. The characters are relatable yet also interesting and complex. I look forward to reading other books by GB Gurland.
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