Me, Dead Dad, & Alcatraz

Elvin Bishop's uncle is a lot like Elvin's father. They're both dead, for instance. But Elvin's cool with that; it's the way it's been for as long as he can remember.

Then one day it turns out that Uncle Alex isn't exactly dead. He is, instead, sitting on the couch, chewing a scone, and preparing to make up for lost time by fixing his sad-sack nephew before it's too late. Not long out of prison and perhaps not long for this world, Alex embarks on a crash course of tough love designed to turn Elvin into a real Bishop man.

Despite his mighty powers of resistance and denial, Elvin is dragged on an odyssey that introduces him to glam tuba, hellfire-hot food, and the horrors of gym membership. Along the way he finds things he never wanted to look for -- lost relatives, history, roots, regrets, and his own wobbly brand of strength.

With the arrival of his Uncle Alex, who his mother always said was dead, fourteen-year-old Elvin learns some important truths about his family and himself.

Elvin Bishop's uncle is a lot like Elvin's father. They're both dead, for instance. But Elvin's cool with that; it's the way it's been for as long as he can remember.

Then one day it turns out that Uncle Alex isn't exactly dead. He is, instead, sitting on the couch, chewing a scone, and preparing to make up for lost time by fixing his sad-sack nephew before it's too late. Not long out of prison and perhaps not long for this world, Alex embarks on a crash course of tough love designed to turn Elvin into a real Bishop man.

Despite his mighty powers of resistance and denial, Elvin is dragged on an odyssey that introduces him to glam tuba, hellfire-hot food, and the horrors of gym membership. Along the way he finds things he never wanted to look for -- lost relatives, history, roots, regrets, and his own wobbly brand of strength.

Paula Rohrlick - KLIATT

In this third tale about Elvin Bishop, following Slot Machine and Extreme Elvin, the self-deprecating 14-year-old is startled, to say the least, when his uncle Alex, who he was told was dead, turns up on his doorstep one day. Alex has led a colorful life, which included a jail term for stealing money from various people. Elvin and his mother are two of the people Alex stole from, and he's come to them in search of forgiveness and redemption. "Healthily skeptical" at first of this rather strange and scary man, Elvin soon starts to warm up to him as Alex makes an effort to be his friend and advisor. He introduces Elvin to spicy food, gym workouts, and the potential of the tuba. When Elvin gets a dreadful new haircut, in an attempt to look like his handsome friend Frank (and does he have a crush on Frank, he starts to wonder?), and then needs a crew cut to fix it, Alex gets a crew cut too. All too familiar with humiliation himself, Elvin feels for Alex when he makes an ill-advised attempt to reconcile with his children. Alex is far from perfect, but when at the end he vanishes again from Elvin's life, Elvin realizes he's gained a new sense of family roots and more self-confidence from their brief relationship. This is a funny and poignant novel, and Elvin's fans will definitely want to read it; it can stand alone, too. However, the cover, which in the advance reading copy featured a portly boy playing a tuba, and the title, which doesn't indicate that this is a continuation of Elvin's adventures, may not draw an audience, so this fine novel might need some booktalking. KLIATT Codes: J—Recommended for junior high school students. 2005, HarperCollins, 240p., and (Lib. bdg:). Ages 12 to 15.

Chris Lynch is a National Book Award finalist and the author of several highly acclaimed books for young adults, including Me, Dead Dad, & Alcatraz and the Michael L. Printz Honor Book Freewill, as well as Iceman, Shadow Boxer, Gold Dust, and Slot Machine, all four ALA Best Books for Young Adults and winners of several other prestigious awards. He holds an MFA from the writing program at Emerson College. He lives in Scotland and has two children.