The Exact Location of Home

by Kate Messner

Kirby "Zig" Zigonski lives for the world of simple circuits, light bulbs, buzzers, and motors. Electronics are, after all, much more predictable than most people--especially his father, who he hasn't seen in over a year. When his dad's latest visit is canceled with no explanation and his mom seems to be hiding something, Zig turns to his best friend Gianna and a new gizmo--a garage sale GPS unit--for help. Convinced that his dad is leaving clues around town to explain his absence, Zig sets out to find him. Following one clue after another, logging mile after mile, Zig soon discovers that people aren't always what they seem . . . and sometimes, there's more than one set of coordinates for home.

Genres: Middle Grade, Realistic Fiction, Fiction, Friendship, Chapter Books, Childrens, Mystery

224 pages, Kindle Edition

First published December 23, 2014

About the author

Kate Messner is an award-winning author, TED 2012 speaker, and former middle school English teacher. Her books for kids include THE BRILLIANT FALL OF GIANNA Z.,SUGAR AND ICE, and EYE OF THE STORM (Walker/Bloomsbury Dec. 2010) the MARTY MCGUIRE series (Scholastic), SEA MONSTER'S FIRST DAY, and OVER AND UNDER THE SNOW (Chronicle, Books). Kate also wrote SPITFIRE and CHAMPLAIN AND THE SILENT ONE, both Lake Champlain historical novels published by North Country Books.

Kate lives with her family on Lake Champlain, where she loves to read, write, hike, swing on birch trees, and eat chocolate. She also hangs out in various places online.
Visit Kate's website: http://www.katemessner.com

Find Kate on Facebook:
http://www.facebook.com/KateMessner

...or follow her on Twitter - @katemessner

Reviews

[Dana · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book made me want to go geocaching and I bet it will do the same for many children. I've yet to meet a Kate Messner book that I didn't love.

[Kristi · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is another book that my son asked me to read. He's already read it and during the process would tell me about things that were happening throughout the story. I'm looking forward to sitting down and discussing it with him.

There are some heavy subjects covered within the story. I think they are handled well and wrote in a way that is easy to understand and process. I do wish I had read it first though so I knew what he was getting into.

It's a story about hope, strength, knowledge and becoming a wiser person. Zig experienced things that no child should have to but such is life in this world in which we live. Reading this makes me feel more grateful and thankful for what I have and where I am.

Rating: PG -bulling, physical abuse (some implied), homelessness
Language: a clean read
Recommend: yes

[katsok · Rating 5 out of 5]

When I read The Brilliant Fall of Gianna Z., I wanted to immediately return to that world and those characters. Luckily for us all, Messner apparently felt the same. Here we return to Gianna's world, but this time through the eyes of her friend, Zig. I absolutely loved this beautiful book. My only wish would be a print copy one day so I can more easily share it with my students.

[Jen Petro-Roy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Kate Messner's best yet. This is pure middle-grade perfection.

[Don · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is great talking about this boys life after his dad left and how he wanted to ind him back and did lots of stuff, but if you want to know what stuff, read this book.

[Dee Dee G · Rating 4 out of 5]

Middle grade fiction about hardship, hope and acceptance. The lesson be kind to everyone you meet because you don’t know what battles they are facing rings true with this book.

[Maureen · Rating 5 out of 5]

In The Exact Location of Home, Zig and his friends spend a great deal of time together going to garage sales, skipping rocks, and just being together. When Zig gets a gps, they begin geocaching. But Zig hides a secret from his friends that has changed his entire world. As Zig grows, he finds support from an unexpected ally and gives support to a young boy, both facing similar circumstances as Zig. This one will tug at your heart. I thank the publisher and NetGalley for the chance to be an early reader in exchange for my unbiased review.

[Kimberly · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you @kidlitexchange for providing me with a copy of this book to read and review. All opinions are my own.

This middle grade book touches on so many wonderful topics: single parents trying to make ends meet, evictions, homelessness, wonderful friendships, environmental issues, sadness when you lose a loved one and even a bit of spousal abuse. I immediately felt all of the emotions that Zig was portraying and trying to cope with. Unfortunately, these are many situations that children have to endure on a daily basis. It's equally important to introduce children to these scenarios so they can develop a sense of empathy if they ever encounter it through a friend. You have to love a good story that makes you think that every situation comes with a different perspective. Hopefully it will teach readers to not be so quick to place judgement on others.

I was really excited to read this book since it included geocaching. The story did a wonderful job of introducing and explaining this fun hobby. I've been finding and hiding geocaches with my family since 2011. It's a great activity to do with kids!! The author did a great job describing how the game works, the uses of a GPS, the various locations you can find a hide or the different containers they come in. I also loved that she included several ciphers. I hope it encourages some new players to look it up and join.

Overall, this was a really great story. After reading a few other reviews, I've realized that the author has written an earlier book that includes some of the same characters: The Brilliant Fall of Gianna Z. I'd definitely be interested in going back and reading that one now!

[Judi Paradis · Rating 4 out of 5]

Kirby's dad only comes to visit occasionally, but when he does, it's an event--limos, parties, and shopping sprees. But his dad has now been gone for a year, and doesn't show for a promised visit. His mother won't tell him what's wrong, and they're going broke--in fact, homelessness is a real possibility. Kirby is desperate to reach out to his dad for help, and comes to believe that his father is leaving him clues through a geocaching game they both play. While Kirby frantically searches for clues, his life slowly falls apart--from his homelife to his friendships to his school work. Kate Messner does a great job showing how often those around us are going through something really difficult that we just don't see. Kirby is believable, and it is a relief to see him land on his feet as the book ends. Good choice for grade 4 and up.

[Cassie Thomas · Rating 5 out of 5]

Kate Messner has blown me away again. The Exact Location of Home takes you through Zig's story and allows readers to understand that being "homeless" has many different looks and they don't all fit that stereotypical mold. As a teacher this book opened my eyes and making sure that I know my students living situations and their home lives as much as I can. There are amazing characters in this story whose parts play a huge role in the many themes and traveling through the plot exactly how they all needed to. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

[Gulshan Naqvee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a fine writing. Wish I had something to add, but it is complete. The climax of this book gave it all. Perfectly written.

[Katy O. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thanks to Bloomsbury Kids for the advance copy of this novel for review purposes.

Messner has given us a compassionate and necessary middle grade story about the reality of homelessness for many children today. This story has a unique premise with the geocaching theme and I love that while the main character is in 8th grade he will be relatable for students both much younger and much older than he is. I would love to get this book into the hands of all teachers and administrators who struggle to understand how difficult school can be for children without a stable home life, and who make well-intended but thoughtless comments about the homeless population.

Highly recommended as a purchase for middle school classrooms and libraries.

(Note: Apparently this title was available as an ebook since 2014, but I had not heard of it until now. It is new in hard copy format on Sept 12, 2017).

[Daniel Yao · Rating 2 out of 5]

kate messner idk if i recognize that name or not but you’ve been needed to end your career because of the such displeasure i’ve had reading this book. it’s about this kid who’s named Kirby like the fuck and his nickname is Zig like i already know kate would be the type of woman to name her son after a plant like “Oak” or like “Birch” and think that she ate with her name choice when in reality this kid is going to grow up and will only get jobs at the outside section of home depot because the AI reading his resume thinks he’s only interested in environmental roles.

i almost forgot to review the book but it was so ass what the fuck is geocaching like i think it’s just a myth that white people made up so they have an excuse to put listening devices in their POC neighbor’s backyards because they think the music they play at night is going to summon a demon from the jungle of the village that they immigrated from.

anyway this book was so ass it turns out Zig’s dad is an asshole who had to go to jail like ok deadbeat!

[Jessica · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thanks to NetGelley and the publisher for a review copy of this book. All opinions are my own!

Kirby "Zig" Zigonsky is a middle school tinkerer who can't wait to see his dad, who has been MIA for over a year. When his latest visit with his dad gets cancelled, Zig starts on a geocaching mission around town to find him. Meanwhile, he and his mom go through a variety of hard times, including experiencing homelessness and staying in a shelter, and Zig does his best to navigate social relationships with those around him.

Widening perspectives and building empathy is one of the biggest benefits of kid lit, and Kate Messner has done a great job handling homelessness and other issues with sensitivity. The Exact Location of Home is well suited to mature 4th & 5th graders up through middle school readers.

[Teresa Taylor · Rating 5 out of 5]

I actually snuck this ARC book from my 12y old son who said this was his first choice selection for his advisory board. Once I saw it I had to read it too and I couldn't put it down. I was immediately drawn into the main character, Zig and the relationship with his mom as well as the supporting cast. I honestly, think that every middle schooler and teacher should read this book. As an adult, I am always a fan for middle school books that make you think -- and ones that make you see another perspective, so you can then apply it to your own every day situation. I feel that this book makes you do exactly that. While I will admit I was able to predict some of the outcome, I still couldn't put it down because I wanted to see if I was right. I highly recommend this book and I will certainly be looking for other Kate Messner books.

[Laurie Hnatiuk · Rating 5 out of 5]

@katemessner has quickly become one of my favourite authors - she tackles sensitive topic areas so kids can see themselves in her books.
In this book she tackles homelessness using geocaching as a backdrop. We meet Zig who lives with his mother who is a nursing student - dad has been a no show for months now. Times are hard and Zig and his mother get evicted when mom cannot pay the rent and end up in a homeless shelter.
Zig and friends Ruby & Gianna get into geocaching and Zig is convinced a geocacher named “Senior Searcher” is his father leaving him clues to find him since they use to geocache together.
A realistic portrayal of kids who are living in shelters and providing the window and sadly mirror for students to see themselves. An important read for educators to think about the students in their classrooms and ensuring they have what they need without being shamed and/or ridiculed.

[Julie Suzanne · Rating 4 out of 5]

I appreciate middle grade books that portray difficult family situations, and this one satisfied my need for books like that. Zig is a latchkey kid, practically, with a difficult situation that gets a lot worse before things look up for him, and it's so important for tweens of all backgrounds to see life from his perspective. I had feelings about how his teachers handled his situation, and I saw our good intentions in "helping the needy" in a new way. The message here is to have hope, but HOPE IS NOT ENOUGH. You have to have a backup plan for when your hopes don't pan out. What a necessary life lesson! Endearing characters, real life crud, and an interesting plot that was a "twist" according to the middle school-aged students reading this in my club (not so much for me), and this is overall a WIN.

[Paula · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow, Kate has done it again…created a beautiful story that reflects the real-life challenges so many of our students are facing, and she does it without preachy moralistic overtones-just simple empathy and compassion. Kirby “Zig” Zigonski lives with his mother who is working and going to nursing school-he hasn’t seen his father in years. Each planned visit is cancelled and Zig begins to think his dad is leaving him clues as to why through geocaching. With the help of his friend Gianna (The Brilliant Fall of Gianna Z) and a GPS they follow the “clues” but find more than they anticipated. With the rise of homelessness for many of our students, I think this is another powerful “windows and mirrors” book to add to our classroom collections. I was lucky to get an advanced copy- this book will hit the shelves October 3rd. You’ll definitely want to pre-order this one!

[Serenity · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this in ebook format a couple of years ago and I was very disappointed that it was not available in print format. I decided to read it again when I saw that NetGalley had it available. I am glad I did, and I will definitely be ordering it for my library.

Zig is a pretty good kid, and when he and his mom fall on hard times he responds like most kids would. He is angry, disappointed, and embarrassed. However, for the most part he continues to try and keep up with his schoolwork and help his mom. He takes to geocaching in an effort to reconnect with his absent father. He gets in trouble a couple of times, but not because he is malicious. His friends also stick by him, though when they find out the truth they are hurt that he wasn't honest with them (another believable scenario). I think this is the book that turned me on to Kate Messner, and she is now among my favorite kidlit authors.

*I received an eARC of this book from the publisher through NetGalley*

[Sarah Nelson · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book made me want to go geocaching - which is saying something because I've never before thought that sounded like a fun thing to do. The book, of course, is about much more - geocaching is just the vehicle Zig uses to look for his missing dad. He's convinced that he's on the trail of his dad's caches, and that they will somehow give him important clues about his dad. When everything else seems to be falling apart for his mom and him, that narrative is an attractive one. The novel handles a range of difficult topics well - financial troubles, homelessness, hunger, domestic abuse - and shows how these issues impact regular kids in regular places. Despite the issues involved, this isn't a heavy read. There's a lot of heart and hope.

[Patrick · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a wonderful story. Zig, Gia, and Ruby are the best of friends! When Zig decides to go on a journey to find his father, he asks his two pals to assist. While on his search his own life is turned upside down and he needs to find a way to make it all right.

[Carli · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to Bloomsbury and Netgalley for the advance e-ARC of Kate Messner's newest novel. It greatly helps this middle school librarian plan, purchase, and promote! This one is out on 9/12.
•
4/5 stars for this heartbreaking story of family secrets and hard times. Kirby "Zig" Zigonski loves to tinker, fix things, and go geocaching with his dad. He hasn't seen his dad in a few months though, and when his dad backs out of a planned weekend together Zig wants to know what's up. His mother, who works shifts at a diner in between nursing school, won't let him contact his dad. Then Zig discovers that they are months behind on rent, and before he knows it, he and his mother are in a homeless shelter. Zig knows that if he can just find his father, things will be okay again. He finds a geocacher whose name leads him to believe that it has to be his father. Zig knows he can set things right.
•
This was a quick, heartfelt read that will resonate with patient readers. I am interested to see if students will relate to the geocaching theme.

[Lesley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Last year I read an article “Give the Kid a Pencil” (Teaching Tolerance, April 4, 2016). The article focuses on creating “a psychologically safe, mistake-friendly environment” for the student who always forgets a pencil. While I agree with all the author wrote, I started thinking about the student who doesn’t forget a pencil, but doesn’t have a pencil. What does one need to have a pencil? Some money—not much, but it needs to be extra money and rarely can one purchase a single pencil, transportation to get to the store, a place to safely keep the pencil, and a sharpener to be able to use the pencil. Education Department statistics show 1.3 million homeless children were enrolled in U.S. schools in the 2012-2013 school year. I assume that number has risen and that many of them don’t have a pencil.
Kevin Richards and Kirby Zigonski, characters in Kate Messner’s The Exact Location of Home do not have pencils—as their teacher points out in front of their eighth grade class. Kevin and Zig are homeless. Homeless children also have less than ideal conditions to complete homework and Zig experiences his stellar grades falling.
It is crucial that teachers and their students read novels such as The Exact Location of Home to become aware of who may be sitting in front of them and who may be keeping secrets from their own friends. When the teacher berates Zig for lack of homework and pencil, he writes, “I don’t say anything.” It is also important for children experiencing poverty, homelessness, fathers who leave, or the other circumstances outlined in this novel to see themselves honored in a book.
Besides falling grades and one pair of jeans and 4 shirts as his only available clothing, Zig has another problem—he wants to find the father who abandoned them, not only for child support to help them rent an apartment but just to talk. In his free time, he follows geocaching clues, clues he thinks his father has left for him. He finds not his father, but as Scoop says, that “Friends help” and, like electrons, he travels a path “and things work out.”

[Gulshan Naqvee · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the best ever! Hope doesn't come to you, Hope leads you there!

[Kim · Rating 3 out of 5]

Homelessness and geocaching. A good introductory book for students who know little about homelessness.

[Megrarian · Rating 5 out of 5]

Kate Messner creates a wonderful character in Zig. A young man, hoping against hope, that he can find his father, figure out why mom's acting so weird, and figure out how to get out of the financial mess they're in. An electronics wiz, Zig thinks he's following messages from his dad as he geocaches around town, after finding a GPS at a garage sale.
Messner gives a realistic voice to kids facing homelessness, struggling in school, afraid to tell their friends, their teachers, and sometimes, just afraid.
I loved this book, and hope it gets all the good reviews it deserves.

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great book that addresses the topic of homelessness, would be good to use for introducing this topic to elementary-aged children.

[Amanda Work · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the first children's book I have read dealing with homeless characters and I was pleasantly surprised at how much I was emotionally invested in the life of the main character, 12 year old Zig. The story, told from Zig's point of view, effortlessly weaves the circumstances of Zig and his mom's loss of their home/apartment into an appealing adventure filled with tension, mystery and just a touch of humor that any 5th - 7th grader could appreciate. The descriptions of the hobby of geocaching may intrigue readers to follow in Zig's footsteps since each cache is itself a new adventure. The characters are not over developed and are easy for young readers to identify with, or at least recognize as representative of people they know in their own lives. While love of books, saving the environment and a missing parent are common themes, they are treated with a light touch and simply presented as topics worth further consideration beyond the reading of this fine book.

[Carol Royce Owen · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Exact Location of Home by Kate Messner, almost slipped through the cracks, because it came out as an ebook right before Christmas. For those of you who remember The Brilliant Fall of Gianna Z, we met the main character of this book, Zig, as a friend of Gianna's. Gianna and Ruby are in this book, too, and try to help Zig deal with questions surrounding his father, and there is even a little romantic interest between Gianna and Zig. :D

This is a beautiful, sensitive book about homelessness, fractured families, inner turmoil, and broken dreams and promises. Zig is 13, and as the book starts he is excited about the weekend when his dad, a busy real estate developer, will be visiting. He loves spending time with his dad, but knows not to get his hopes up too high, because things come up, and often his dad has an emergency to deal with at the last minute, so plans get postponed. And of course, that happens.

What Zig can't figure out, though, is why his dad's cell phone isn't working, and why his mom seems to be hiding things from him. With a bit of investigation (snooping), Zig finds his mom has been in contact with his dad and has gotten further and further in debt with the landlord, while she has been juggling a heavy schedule of nursing school and working at the diner. At this same time, Zig becomes interested in geocaching, and is certain that one of the cachers is his dad. Zig becomes absolutely positive that if he follows the path created by Senior Searcher, he will find clues left from his dad, and eventually it will lead to his dad.

Zig hides what he knows, but it all comes to a head when suddenly he and his mom are evicted from their apartment and left homeless. Embarrassed and feeling completely alone, he is angry at his mom for not calling his dad for help, and tries to hide from Gianna and Ruby that he's one of those "poor kids" who needs free meals at school, lives in a shelter, and can't even do homework because he doesn't have a pencil or a quiet place to do it.

[Valerie McEnroe · Rating 1 out of 5]

I'm perplexed at the high ratings this book has received. I was absolutely bored. The characters were boring. Protagonist, Zig, is looking forward to seeing his dad, but he doesn't show. His mom is upset and won't give him any information. When Zig finds a GPS at a yard sale he decides to do some geocaching, something his dad always liked to do. He logs into a geocaching website and sees the username Senior Searcher. Since he and his dad share the same name, making his dad the senior, he's convinced his dad is leaving clues for him.

Ok let me stop right there. This is just absurd. What dad would not show up to see his kid, but would take the time to leave clues for him in geocaching boxes? There's no justification for Zig to believe this.

Meanwhile, his mom can't afford to pay the rent, so they must move into a homeless shelter. She is a nursing student, close to graduating, and is a waitress on the side. Sorry. Not believing it. I really don't know this mom from the weak description I get. Would she really have the motivation to continue with the nursing program when she can't afford the basics, like rent? I could be convinced to believe it, if Messner had developed her characters better.

And the two friends: Gianni and Ruby. Hardly know anything about them. They could be struck from the story and it wouldn't change things one bit. In fact, it would probably be better because then Messner could focus on developing the main characters. They seriously need it.

I just couldn't get past all the lack of description to enjoy anything about this book. I recommend either of the following books instead.

Paper Things by Jennifer Richard Jacobson
How to Steal a Dog by Barbara O'Connor