Following Fake Man (Paperback)

~ (Author) "This kid was nursed on a pickle," Madeleine liked to tell anyone who would listen..." (more)
Key Phrases: Owen Castle, Homer Winthrop, Owl Island (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Using strong visual imagery and occasionally alternating points of view, Holmes (My Sister the Sausage Roll) adroitly conveys the discord in a household haunted by the past. Homer Winthrop, the principle narrator and a young artist, yearns to know about his father, who died when he was a baby. But Homer's mother, a linguist who "heard words instead of what a person was saying," ignores her son's questions. As the novel opens, she is driving Homer and their housekeeper, Madeleine, to the coastal town in Maine where her late husband lived his final years. As the boy roams the streets, he feels a vague sense of familiarity and determines to learn something about his own history. He becomes convinced that "Fake Man," a strange, middle-aged man who disguises himself as someone much older, may hold the key. The author ably evokes an elegiac mood and crystallizes the essence of the characters in a few well-defined strokes. Homer, for example, notes the essential difference between his mother and Madeleine simply by observing their hair: "I opened my eyes and stared at the back of my mother's head: a circle with a bun in the middle, all perfect and neat. I stared at the back of Madeleine's: a boingy-haired triangle sticking out to the tips of her shoulders. A bird could be living in there." Holmes draws a detailed, complex portrait of the young protagonist, who gradually breaks his own code of silence to participate fully in the world around him. Ages 10-up.

Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From School Library Journal

Grade 5-7-Twelve-year-old Homer doesn't remember his father, who died when Homer was three. Since his mother, the stiff Dr. Winthrop, refuses to talk about anything connected to the past, he has learned to slam questions into his "suitcase brain" to squelch them. However, a summer trip to the family's former home in Maine brings the past rushing back to the present in unexpected ways. The memories drive Homer's mother to bed with another of her frequent migraines. Under the less-strict eye of Madeleine, the housekeeper, Homer is free to form his first real friendship. Roger, a local boy, quickly arouses Homer's curiosity when he reveals that he is following a man wearing a disguise whom he believes to be a smuggler. It soon becomes obvious that there is some connection between "Fake Man" and Homer's parents, and he follows the stranger with the hope of learning the truth. It turns out that the man is a famous artist who disguises himself merely to paint in peace, and that he was Homer's father's best friend. He provides the boy with the much-needed history of his past, and when the two of them confront Homer's mother, it appears that the Winthrops may be able to take the first steps toward building a future together. The strength of this book lies in the characters, and the real jewel is Madeleine, the housekeeper. Her homespun musings provide insight into the other characters and add humor to the story. A genuinely satisfying book about friendship and family.
Leigh Ann Jones, Staley Middle School, Frisco, TX
Copyright 2001 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 9-12
  
• Paperback: 240 pages
• Publisher: Yearling (November 12, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0440418550
• ISBN-13: 978-0440418559
• Product Dimensions: 7.4 x 5.1 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (21 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #1,117,039 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars 5 Stars with Thumbs WAY Up!, March 1, 2006

A Kid's Review

Following Fake Man is an excellent book for kids to read. It has mystery, suspense, and great wording! It is a book where the main character tries to find his past. With help from a rambunctious friend, Homer is tracking and following clues from his past. While following fake man, Homer realizes that it doesn't matter what his past is about, it is what the present is about. Will he find fake man or is it all just a mix up? This is an ideal book for grades 5-8. This book is a MUST read!

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Great Mystery, May 22, 2003

A Kid's Review

A compassionate and exciting novel, Following Fake Man tells the story of a boy who is yearning to know the truth.
Homer Winthrop is a moody city boy from Boston, MA. His father died when he was two, and his mother suddenly has migraine headaches or is struck dumb when he askes about his father. But this summer, things are different. Homer, his mom, and his housekeeper all go on a vacation to Herring Cove, ME, his father's hometown. Once there Homer meets Roger Sweeney, and they both get wrapped up in a mystery complete with disguises, supposed smugglers, and Homer's father's past. In the end NOTHING is what they expect.
I really enjoyed reading about Homer's progression through his mysterious past. Anyone with a 'sweet tooth' for mystery would!

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Unbelievingly Strange Mystery, January 3, 2003

A Kid's Review

This review is from: Following Fake Man (Hardcover)

The main character Homer Winthrop. He overcomes many fears that he has had when he lived in Boston. He has a vacation in Maine and meets a boy. His friend Roger helps him overcome being brave and cowardly. WIth his friend he is on a mission. He went to a shop and saw a man he was wearing makeup. Homer automatically thinks he is smuggling something like drugs. That is not how it turns out.
I think Following Fake Man was very intense. It is very plot-driven. I like the book because it has different views from the characters. All the characters express there opinion's very well. They have there own little journal and they write things about what people could have done better or worse or could work on. The characters really express things about themselves and the Homer's mother and maid write things about Homer and Homer writes things about them.
The style of this book is first person as I said all the characters express there opinion and there is a lot of description.
I would rate this book a four. It has excellent description. Why I rated this book a four is because it is not the best book I have ever read it is an awesome book but not the best I have read.