Hit the road, Jack - Mimi Thebo

Jack is determined to find his missing father. He tracks him down to the seamy side of town and an underworld that has no place in modern society. A second thought-provoking book from this lively new author.

A wonderfully original story to follow this author's debut as a children's author with Wipe Out. As in Wipe Out, the book follows a child through a difficult journey but humour and hope spreads through the novel, giving it that feel-good factor at the end.

Jack decides to track down his father when his mother announces she is to re-marry. Jack is a bit of a geek - he's a whizz-kid into nutritional values of food and goes to a school for gifted children. It's this that introduces the element of humour to the novel, through his friendships at school with other equally gifted kids.

During Jack's search, he befriends a homeless Big Issue seller, plus dog, and a Black soul singer and soul music is a feature of the novel. The two men try to dissuade Jack from finding his father, since they know he lives with the a 'no-good bunch of hobos' who live on the streets, funded by crime and even child abuse.

Written in Mimi Thebo's distinctive voice, this second novel is sure to attract attention.