Adam is absolutely the strangest person I have ever met, but he is grinning, and he is making Mom and Dad and me grin too. My heart has stopped pounding and I feel a little giddy. Christmas morning giddy.

Notes: A John Newbery Medal Honor Book
Hattie Owens lives a relatively normal life with her parents and several boarders at her parents’ boarding house. But when a mysterious uncle shows up one day with little or no explanation from anyone in her family, Hattie’s life changes in ways she would never have thought possible. Adam, her newly found uncle, had been away at a special school for Hattie’s whole life, and she never even knew he existed! He’s exciting and eccentric and honest and enthusiastic and generally so happy it’s contagious, but he’s also, well, a little weird. The two of them quickly form a tight bond and, through Adam’s example, Hattie learns not only how to be happy and more confident with herself, but gains a better understanding of both the good and bad of human nature.

I actually listened to the audio version of this book, read by Judith Ivey. She did a wonderful job of giving a voice and a life to each character, especially the flamboyant Adam. You can find both the audio book, on CD and on cassette, and the book format at your library.

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