Treasure of the Blue Whale

I like everything about this fast-paced, charming story. First, the Point-of-View is captivating: a 91-year-old man is looking back at a momentous summer when he was ten, learning so much about life, with so much life ahead of him. And then the tale itself is an intricately woven narrative–part mystery, part adventure story, and part morality tale. Plus, the characters are memorable and finely drawn, from the boy narrator and his family, his salty old Scots friend, the various neighbors and townspeople, and the Russian thug who works for the local tycoon of whom everyone is a little bit afraid. It's a terrific book to escape into.