When his Vietnam veteran uncle dies of a heart attack, 12-year-old Gabe tells no one because he fears that he will once again become a foster child. The next day he discovers a strange note in his mailbox: "I have a secret. Do not be afraid." Distributed by Syndetic Solutions, Inc.

Gr 5-7 Complex and believably imperfect characters emerge from the first page to the last in this debut novel. Gabe, 12, had been shuffled around the foster-care system for years, until, as a 9-year-old, he was taken to Virginia to an uncle he had never met. Now, two years later, he comes home after the first day of sixth grade to find Uncle Vernon dead. Numb with fear and grief, he tells no one, but the body disappears and mysterious cards begin to appear in his mailbox. As he mourns for his uncle and struggles to honor his memory, readers get to know the strong and caring people surrounding him, and to see the enormous impact made by one scarred and cantankerous, but loving, old man. Uncle Vernon's colloquial voice; the details of successive school days and vignettes of what it means to have a best friend; horrifying glimpses of the Vietnam War, in which Vernon had served, and its aftermath; and sketches of compassionate adults make up some of the bits and pieces of the story. The book is much more than the sum of these parts, however. Warm and moving, it is an evocative picture of the weblike nature of human existence and the interconnectedness of seemingly disparate experiences. Faith Brautigam, Gail Borden Public Library, Elgin, IL Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. From: Reed Elsevier Inc. Copyright Reed Business Information