Moon over Manifest

Moon over Manifest by Clare Vanderpool (NY: Delacorte, 2010).

It's 1936 and Abilene Tucker's father Gideon has sent her to live in the town of Manifest, Kansas, because he lived there once when he was a boy. He's a drifter now, and Abilene has enjoyed the rough-and-tumble life on the rails, but a close call with a bad infection has convinced her father that she needs a more settled existence. Manifest is quiet on the surface, but has many hidden secrets that Abilene is aching to uncover, including any evidence of her dad's childhood. Instead she discovers the hidden trove of a boy named Jinx from 1918. As Abilene learns the story behind each treasure from the Hungarian medium who lives next door, she pieces together an old mystery with tentacles that reach into the present.

Colorful characters and vivid narration make this a novel well deserving of the Newbery Medal. Highly recommended for ages 9 & up.