Meet Ed Kennedy underage cabdriver, pathetic cardplayer, and useless at romance. He lives in a shack with his coffee-addicted dog, the Doorman, and he s hopelessly in love with his best friend, Audrey. His life is one of peaceful routine and incompetence, until he inadvertently stops a bank robbery. That s when the first Ace arrives. That s when Ed becomes the messenger. . . . Chosen to care, he makes his way through town helping and hurting (when necessary), until only one question remains: Who s behind Ed s mission? Winner of the 2003 Children s Book Council Book of the Year Award in Australia, I Am the Messenger is a cryptic journey filled with laughter, fists, and love. From the Hardcover edition. Distributed by Syndetic Solutions, Inc.

In our Best Books citation, PW called this tale of a teenage Australian cabdriver who thwarts a bank robbery and sets off an intricate chain of events "compulsively readable." Ages 12-up. (May) Copyright 2006 Reed Business Information. From: Reed Elsevier Inc. Copyright Reed Business Information

Gr 9 Up—Markus Zusak's writing grows stronger with each new title. His trademark is strange tales filled with quirky and memorable characters, all struggling to survive in a world that's mostly harsh and uncaring. In this novel (Knopf, 2005), 19-year-old Ed Kennedy considers himself pretty much a "zero," a cab driver with an unreciprocated crush on a girl who considers him her "best friend," the mother from hell, and friends who are battling their own demons. But when Ed incompetently stops a bank robbery, his hapless action sets off a string of events that change him from a budding down-and-outer into a powerful messenger responsible for changing people's lives in ways both strange and oddly appropriate. Narrator Marc Aden Gray is brilliant, capturing the sweet mix of desperation and innocence that characterize Ed's approach to life. His mesmerizing performance guarantees that the unique voices of the many unforgettable characters that leap and dance across the pages will stay with listeners for a long, long time.—Cindy Lombardo, Tuscarawas County Public Library, New Philadelphia, OH Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. From: Reed Elsevier Inc. Copyright Reed Business Information

Gr. 9-12. Ed is a 19-year-old loser only marginally connected to the world; he's the son that not even his mother loves. But his life begins to change after he acts heroically during a robbery. Perhaps it's the notoriety he receives that leads to his receiving playing cards in the mail. Ed instinctively understands that the scrawled words on the aces are clues to be followed, which lead him to people he will help (including some he'll have to hurt first). But as much as he changes those who come into his life, he changes himself more. Two particular elements will keep readers enthralled: the panoply of characters who stream in and out of the story, and the mystery of the person sending Ed on the life-altering missions. Concerning the former, Zusak succeeds brilliantly. Ed's voice is assured and unmistakeable, and other characters, although seen through Ed's eyes, are realistically and memorably evoked (readers will almost smell Ed's odoriferous dog when it ambles across the pages). As for the ending, however, Zusak is too clever by half. He offers too few nuts-and-bolts details before wrapping things up with an unexpected, somewhat unsatisfying recasting of the narrative. Happily, that doesn't diminish the life-affirming intricacies that come before. --Ilene Cooper Copyright 2005 Booklist From: Syndetics Solutions, Inc. Distributed by Syndetic Solutions, Inc.