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Finding Orion
The acclaimed author of Ms. Bixby's Last Day and Posted returns with an unforgettable tale of love and laughter, of fathers and sons, of what family truly means, and of the ways in which we sometimes need to lose something in order to find ourselves.
Rion Kwirk comes from a rather odd family. His mother named him and his sisters after her favorite constellations, and his father makes funky-flavored jellybeans for a living. One sister acts as if she's always on stage, and the other is a walking dictionary. But no one in the family is more odd than Rion's grandfather, Papa Kwirk.
He's the kind of guy who shows up on his motorcycle only on holidays handing out crossbows and stuffed squirrels as presents. Rion has always been fascinated by Papa Kwirk, especially as his son--Rion's father--is the complete opposite. Where Dad is predictable, nerdy, and reassuringly boring, Papa Kwirk is mysterious, dangerous, and cool.
Which is why, when Rion and his family learn of Papa Kwirk's death and pile into the car to attend his funeral and pay their respects, Rion can't help but feel that that's not the end of his story. That there's so much more to Papa Kwirk to discover.
He doesn't know how right he is.
Rion Kwirk comes from a rather odd family. His mother named him and his sisters after her favorite constellations, and his father makes funky-flavored jellybeans for a living. One sister acts as if she's always on stage, and the other is a walking dictionary. But no one in the family is more odd than Rion's grandfather, Papa Kwirk.
He's the kind of guy who shows up on his motorcycle only on holidays handing out crossbows and stuffed squirrels as presents. Rion has always been fascinated by Papa Kwirk, especially as his son--Rion's father--is the complete opposite. Where Dad is predictable, nerdy, and reassuringly boring, Papa Kwirk is mysterious, dangerous, and cool.
Which is why, when Rion and his family learn of Papa Kwirk's death and pile into the car to attend his funeral and pay their respects, Rion can't help but feel that that's not the end of his story. That there's so much more to Papa Kwirk to discover.
He doesn't know how right he is.
10 pages, Audio CD
First published May 7, 2019
99 people are currently reading
4493 people want to read
About the author
John David Anderson
21 books619 followersLibrarian Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.
John David Anderson once hit himself so hard on a dare by his sister that he literally knocked himself out of a chair and nearly blacked out. He has since translated this passion and singularity of purpose to the related arts of novel writing and pizza eating. The author of STANDARD HERO BEHAVIOR, SIDEKICKED, MINION, THE DUNGEONEERS and the soon-to-land MS. BIXBY's LAST DAY, Anderson is a firm believer in wearing the same pair of jeans for three days in a row (four in the winter) and the power of writing to solve 73% of the world's problems. He lives with his beautiful wife and twins in Indianapolis, Indiana.
John David Anderson once hit himself so hard on a dare by his sister that he literally knocked himself out of a chair and nearly blacked out. He has since translated this passion and singularity of purpose to the related arts of novel writing and pizza eating. The author of STANDARD HERO BEHAVIOR, SIDEKICKED, MINION, THE DUNGEONEERS and the soon-to-land MS. BIXBY's LAST DAY, Anderson is a firm believer in wearing the same pair of jeans for three days in a row (four in the winter) and the power of writing to solve 73% of the world's problems. He lives with his beautiful wife and twins in Indianapolis, Indiana.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 228 reviews
January 20, 2023
I absolutely loved this book! The story of a very unique family, going on a quest to fulfill a grandfather’s last wishes and figuring out in the process that “ quirky” isn’t necessarily a bad thing to be.
Memorable Quotes:
(Pg. 219)-“And their opponent: weighing in at nine-thousand eight hundred calories and sporting thirty-six scoops of pure creamy awesomeness with enough whipped topping to fill an Olympic-sized swimming pool... it’s been called the Behemoth, the Belly Bulger, and the Last Dessert. It’s your pancreas’s worst nightmare...the one, the only.. Mountain.”
(Pg.310)-“Then again, maybe there was no right answer. Maybe Papa Kwirk’s last wish was like a scatter of stars in the sky, a collection of moments and memories that you traced your own pattern over, making your own story from the connected dots.”
Memorable Quotes:
(Pg. 219)-“And their opponent: weighing in at nine-thousand eight hundred calories and sporting thirty-six scoops of pure creamy awesomeness with enough whipped topping to fill an Olympic-sized swimming pool... it’s been called the Behemoth, the Belly Bulger, and the Last Dessert. It’s your pancreas’s worst nightmare...the one, the only.. Mountain.”
(Pg.310)-“Then again, maybe there was no right answer. Maybe Papa Kwirk’s last wish was like a scatter of stars in the sky, a collection of moments and memories that you traced your own pattern over, making your own story from the connected dots.”
June 28, 2019
I'm sure Anderson has flaws as a writer but I wouldn't be one to point them out because I've thoroughly enjoyed everything I've read by him. In my opinion, he's as polished and as close to a sure thing as there is in middle grade fiction. Maybe all his characters tend to sound similar in my head, all Topher/Brand/Steve/Frost-ish, but that may also be because I've listed to the last three as Audible Audio books and the narrators have all sounded similar.
This one reminds me of Jeremy Fink and the Meaning of Life by Wendy Mass (which is a personal favorite.) Yes, it's a dead parent/grandparent book which seems to be a popular topic/trend in middle grade fiction lately, but it feels fresh and different in Anderson's hands. There were reveals here that I genuinely did not see coming and the parts of this book that needed to work, worked very, VERY well (the FUNeral, the bar, the reading of the will, and Aunt Gertie's jelly bean conversation in the end.) I'm not sure the book needed the jelly bean recipe side plot, but it wasn't hurt by it either.
I loved this. One of my favorites of 2019. Can't wait for Anderson's next!
This one reminds me of Jeremy Fink and the Meaning of Life by Wendy Mass (which is a personal favorite.) Yes, it's a dead parent/grandparent book which seems to be a popular topic/trend in middle grade fiction lately, but it feels fresh and different in Anderson's hands. There were reveals here that I genuinely did not see coming and the parts of this book that needed to work, worked very, VERY well (the FUNeral, the bar, the reading of the will, and Aunt Gertie's jelly bean conversation in the end.) I'm not sure the book needed the jelly bean recipe side plot, but it wasn't hurt by it either.
I loved this. One of my favorites of 2019. Can't wait for Anderson's next!
July 12, 2019
Want to read about a "kwirky" family going on a scavenger hunt to find the remains of the recently deceased grandfather? Yes, you do! The Kwirk family is full of oddball characters and when they work as a team, there is much to discover about each other and themselves -- especially when they are hunting for Papa Kwirk's remains. The story begins with a jellybean that tastes like fried chicken and a clown delivering a singing telegram with sad news about Papa Kwirk. Our narrator Orion Kwirk then prepares to pay their respects to grandpa with some unexpected nudges from his sister Aunt Gertie. A touching and humorous tale that will remind us to love and appreciate those in our families. Would make a great read aloud for students in fifth grade and up.
A big thank you to Walden Pond Press for sending me a paperback ARC and to Edelweiss for a digital ARC. This one is going to stay on my personal library shelves.
A big thank you to Walden Pond Press for sending me a paperback ARC and to Edelweiss for a digital ARC. This one is going to stay on my personal library shelves.
September 26, 2019
Cried twice. Laughed a lot more.
November 29, 2020
4.5*!
Once things started to get going, it was quite hard to put down!
Once things started to get going, it was quite hard to put down!
June 1, 2019
I am a little conflicted as to whether this deserves four stars. It has definite weaknesses that I alluded to in my while-reading commentary: weaknesses in characterization and use of too-common kids lit tropes. In my commentary I mentioned Coyote Sunrise. Like that book, I think this one is emotionally manipulative. I gave Coyote three stars and I also gave three stars to The Parker Inheritance to which this also has some similarities. So I suspect objectively this should be three stars as maybe I would be hard-pressed to show how this is better than those two books. Unlike those books though, having just finished it, there are definitely multiple spots I want to go right back to and re-experience. So I think its high points are higher and I think it gets much better in the second half. My wanting to relive the best parts of this book is what gets the extra star from me.
January 23, 2020
The story: When Chuckles McLaughsalot the clown shows up at the doorstep to let Orion's family know their grandfather has died, things go downhill fast, even for the weirdest family in town. After a "fun-neral" featuring a marching band and fish tacos, the Kwirk family ends up on a scavenger hunt trying to find Papa Kwirk's ashes...and also their own past, as lived by their grandpa. Little does Rion know that finding yourself changes everything.
June Cleaver's ratings: Language PG; Violence G; Sexual content G; Nudity G; Substance abuse PG; Magic & the occult G; GLBT content G; adult themes (death) PG; overall rating PG.
Liz's comments: Loved this one! It's the charming story of a boy finding out that a family doesn't have to be "normal" to be the best family for him, and there are some true laugh-out-loud moments. Anderson's teen-boy voice is spot-on. Every MS library needs this book.
June Cleaver's ratings: Language PG; Violence G; Sexual content G; Nudity G; Substance abuse PG; Magic & the occult G; GLBT content G; adult themes (death) PG; overall rating PG.
Liz's comments: Loved this one! It's the charming story of a boy finding out that a family doesn't have to be "normal" to be the best family for him, and there are some true laugh-out-loud moments. Anderson's teen-boy voice is spot-on. Every MS library needs this book.
May 20, 2020
I've pretty much loved all of John David Anderson's books, Dungeoneers, Ms. Bixby's Last Day, Granted to name a few. He's an auto-buy author and I'm always excited when I hear about a new book of his coming out. He's also one of those authors where I actually hold his latest release in reserve, to read once his next book comes out.
I absolutely adored The Kwirk family, quirks and all. There's Mrs. Kwirk who is slightly obsessive-compulsive, and their father who is the chief flavor chemist for a jelly bean company and an expert at the lyrics to children cartoons. Cass is the eldest, and into performing arts, fencing, and her pet python. The youngest Kwirk is Lyra, who'd be considered to be a walking dictionary of knowledge and words. And then there's Rion, the middle Kwirk child, who considers himself to be the only normal person of the Kwirk family. He's totally convinced it's why he has to have been adopted. This is one of the things I love about Anderson's books, his characters. He always seems to create these memorable characters, and their dialog is spot on. I always find myself smiling, laughing at, or nodding my head to something that I'm reading in one of his stories.
Finding Orion begins as the Kwirk family is taste testing one of their dad's newest flavor inventions when suddenly they're interrupted by the doorbell. Standing on their doorstep is Chuckles the clown who starts singing the news that Papa Kwirk has died. I don't know about you, but a singing telegram death notice that certainly made me take instant notice. After determining from their aunt Gertie that it isn't a joke, Papa Kwirk has actually died, and yes it was his wish to have the message brought in a lighthearted manner, the family packs an overnight bag and heads out to attend Papa Kwirk's funeral. Who else remembers the dreaded road trip with one of your siblings on either side of you in the back seat? Oh my goodness the flashbacks.
Once the family gets to Aunt Gertie's the learn that the singing telegram wasn't the only thing that Papa Kwirk had in mind, he left a few more wishes in his will, first that it would be a Fun-neral, with emphasis on the fun. This wouldn't be your traditional somber occasion, instead, Papa Kwirk planned for a closed casket, a barbershop quartet, a marching band, and food trucks to serve the guests. All this frivolity doesn't sit well with Mr. Kwirk, who had a strained relationship with his father even before his death. So it's not surprising when he gets frustrated by what he thinks is a farce of a funeral, which leads to him discovering the final twist in Papa Kwirk's plans, a scavenger hunt to locate his ashes.
I love the way that Anderson can take a sad topic like the death of a grandparent (Finding Orion) or teacher with an illness (Ms. Bixby's Last Day), and write in dialog that brings humor, and a lightness to the story. Not to say there aren't tearful moments but he balances everything out so well. It's just a thing of beauty to read one of his books. Seriously, how many books involve a scavenger hunt to locate your grandfather's ashes? Ah but the story is so much more than just the hunt, it's also about the discovery. What the Kwirk's glean from each clue that they follow. I guess the one thing that stood out for me in Finding Orion was that our knowledge about a person includes all of the things we know about them, but it also includes gaps that when they're no longer here, no one can fill in. It also makes you ponder what kind of legacy people leave behind, and the importance of making amends and repairing relationships when you have the chance. The book is way more humorous than I'm making it out to be, and it does contain some of the best chapter headings like this one, "Ice Cream, Poop, Winky Face." A must-read for fans of Anderson's other books.
I absolutely adored The Kwirk family, quirks and all. There's Mrs. Kwirk who is slightly obsessive-compulsive, and their father who is the chief flavor chemist for a jelly bean company and an expert at the lyrics to children cartoons. Cass is the eldest, and into performing arts, fencing, and her pet python. The youngest Kwirk is Lyra, who'd be considered to be a walking dictionary of knowledge and words. And then there's Rion, the middle Kwirk child, who considers himself to be the only normal person of the Kwirk family. He's totally convinced it's why he has to have been adopted. This is one of the things I love about Anderson's books, his characters. He always seems to create these memorable characters, and their dialog is spot on. I always find myself smiling, laughing at, or nodding my head to something that I'm reading in one of his stories.
Finding Orion begins as the Kwirk family is taste testing one of their dad's newest flavor inventions when suddenly they're interrupted by the doorbell. Standing on their doorstep is Chuckles the clown who starts singing the news that Papa Kwirk has died. I don't know about you, but a singing telegram death notice that certainly made me take instant notice. After determining from their aunt Gertie that it isn't a joke, Papa Kwirk has actually died, and yes it was his wish to have the message brought in a lighthearted manner, the family packs an overnight bag and heads out to attend Papa Kwirk's funeral. Who else remembers the dreaded road trip with one of your siblings on either side of you in the back seat? Oh my goodness the flashbacks.
Once the family gets to Aunt Gertie's the learn that the singing telegram wasn't the only thing that Papa Kwirk had in mind, he left a few more wishes in his will, first that it would be a Fun-neral, with emphasis on the fun. This wouldn't be your traditional somber occasion, instead, Papa Kwirk planned for a closed casket, a barbershop quartet, a marching band, and food trucks to serve the guests. All this frivolity doesn't sit well with Mr. Kwirk, who had a strained relationship with his father even before his death. So it's not surprising when he gets frustrated by what he thinks is a farce of a funeral, which leads to him discovering the final twist in Papa Kwirk's plans, a scavenger hunt to locate his ashes.
I love the way that Anderson can take a sad topic like the death of a grandparent (Finding Orion) or teacher with an illness (Ms. Bixby's Last Day), and write in dialog that brings humor, and a lightness to the story. Not to say there aren't tearful moments but he balances everything out so well. It's just a thing of beauty to read one of his books. Seriously, how many books involve a scavenger hunt to locate your grandfather's ashes? Ah but the story is so much more than just the hunt, it's also about the discovery. What the Kwirk's glean from each clue that they follow. I guess the one thing that stood out for me in Finding Orion was that our knowledge about a person includes all of the things we know about them, but it also includes gaps that when they're no longer here, no one can fill in. It also makes you ponder what kind of legacy people leave behind, and the importance of making amends and repairing relationships when you have the chance. The book is way more humorous than I'm making it out to be, and it does contain some of the best chapter headings like this one, "Ice Cream, Poop, Winky Face." A must-read for fans of Anderson's other books.
January 6, 2023
participating in Helmet's Reading Challenge
2. a book about a child and grandparent
this was a lovely book! i enjoyed reading and getting into the adventure with the Kwirk family. no doubt i wouldve loved this book a lot if i had read it in middle school - not shutting up about it for years… so its a good thing i read it now. there are many parts that made me smile and many moments where i felt home.
quotes/spoilers
“Or when someone dies, someone close to you, and you know your heart should hurt, like it should be about to explode, but instead it’s more of a dull ache in the background.
Don’t get me wrong, I was sad that Papa Kwirk was gone. But I also felt like I wasn’t feeling sad enough.”
“You . . . uh . . . work here?”
“Didn’t you read the menu?” Tasha Meeks asked. “My parents own the place. So, yeah. I work here.”
“Yeah, but, like, don’t you have school . . . and stuff?”
Me talk so good to girls. “
2. a book about a child and grandparent
this was a lovely book! i enjoyed reading and getting into the adventure with the Kwirk family. no doubt i wouldve loved this book a lot if i had read it in middle school - not shutting up about it for years… so its a good thing i read it now. there are many parts that made me smile and many moments where i felt home.
quotes/spoilers
“Or when someone dies, someone close to you, and you know your heart should hurt, like it should be about to explode, but instead it’s more of a dull ache in the background.
Don’t get me wrong, I was sad that Papa Kwirk was gone. But I also felt like I wasn’t feeling sad enough.”
“You . . . uh . . . work here?”
“Didn’t you read the menu?” Tasha Meeks asked. “My parents own the place. So, yeah. I work here.”
“Yeah, but, like, don’t you have school . . . and stuff?”
Me talk so good to girls. “
August 28, 2019
Finding Orion by @anderson_author is HILARIOUS and full of heart. I was so charmed by this book and Rion’s voice. This is one of those books that I’ll hand to certain kids and say “oh, you have to read this one! Just trust me!!” It’s a bit hard to describe without giving things away, but it involves a dead grandfather, his FUN-eral complete with a marching band and a ridiculous scavenger hunt that brings a family together. Amazing!
January 5, 2020
What a heartwarming and sweet story! I loved all of the modern-day and literary allusions, the humor, and the heart woven into this story about a family navigating grief. Family dynamic are complicated and solidify over the years and I loved how this story continued to unfold the various layers of the father and son relationship. This is a very deep story masked in a humorous and unique perspective that I know middler schoolers would enjoy and love.
January 31, 2023
What a sweet, funny story about a quirky family and their adventures. Orion has always been slightly embarrassed by his family and wonders how he fits in. When his oddball Papa Kwirk passes away, his whole family ends up on a scavenger hunt to find answers and perhaps forgiveness and understanding. Things I loved about the book- lovely example of a family that supports each other, great father son relationship, and enough funny annoying things to show what family is really like. A lot of middle schoolers will relate to this book. Some crude humor (who doesn’t love a fart joke?), a mild swear or two, and mild violence involving fencing and a few thugs. 6th grade and up.
August 31, 2019
I thoroughly enjoyed this quirky middle school novel! A good lesson on discovering more about those you love even after they are gone. Loved the Kwirk family and their scavenger hunt for their recently deceased grandfather. Lots of unforgettable moments of love and laughter along the way.
December 14, 2018
To the publisher and Edelweiss: THANK YOU! THANK YOU! THANK YOU! Allowing me the honor of reading an ebook ARC by the amazing John David Anderson made my day!!!
So, if you cannot tell by my beginning statement, I LOVED THIS BOOK!!! To be honest, he is my favorite author of middle grade books. Just when I think he cannot top the his previously published book, he writes another one that blows me away! His books are so full of wisdom, humor, and sweetness...the perfect mix, in my humble opinion. I have no idea where he came up with the idea for this story, but it's so perfectly quirky! Hopefully, I will have the chance to meet him again and ask all of the questions I have about this story. I cannot believe I have to wait so long to get a paper copy of the book. So many passages struck me as being so perfectly written. I need a copy to highlight...I'm serious! His writing is that good! Gush! Gush! Gush! This is a book every library needs in their collection!!!
So, if you cannot tell by my beginning statement, I LOVED THIS BOOK!!! To be honest, he is my favorite author of middle grade books. Just when I think he cannot top the his previously published book, he writes another one that blows me away! His books are so full of wisdom, humor, and sweetness...the perfect mix, in my humble opinion. I have no idea where he came up with the idea for this story, but it's so perfectly quirky! Hopefully, I will have the chance to meet him again and ask all of the questions I have about this story. I cannot believe I have to wait so long to get a paper copy of the book. So many passages struck me as being so perfectly written. I need a copy to highlight...I'm serious! His writing is that good! Gush! Gush! Gush! This is a book every library needs in their collection!!!
January 29, 2019
* Review is of an advanced reader copy
I really wanted to like this novel from author John David Anderson as I have enjoyed his work in the past. Alas! Finding Orion, despite having a worthy message, quite simply was not my cup of tea. Normally, I am a fan of quirky characters but protagonist Rion Kwirk's quirky family was too quirky, aiming for a laugh, definite fictional characters rather than actual humans to whom I can relate. Furthermore, I thought the story took too long to come to the inevitable conclusion. However, as I am an adult, I am sure the predictability factor I sensed would not be quite so profound in the target audience. Therefore, although the book does not top my list of top picks, I do think it is a good choice for young readers in search of a fun read with a deep(ish) message.
I really wanted to like this novel from author John David Anderson as I have enjoyed his work in the past. Alas! Finding Orion, despite having a worthy message, quite simply was not my cup of tea. Normally, I am a fan of quirky characters but protagonist Rion Kwirk's quirky family was too quirky, aiming for a laugh, definite fictional characters rather than actual humans to whom I can relate. Furthermore, I thought the story took too long to come to the inevitable conclusion. However, as I am an adult, I am sure the predictability factor I sensed would not be quite so profound in the target audience. Therefore, although the book does not top my list of top picks, I do think it is a good choice for young readers in search of a fun read with a deep(ish) message.
December 9, 2018
Thank you to Edelweiss Plus for an ARC of this book.
Another winner from John David Anderson! We all have some kwirks in our family, some more than others. For Rion Kwirk, his is a bit odder than most. I loved each and every family member and the adventures they go through to find themselves in this story. As with each of his other stories, I laughed till I cried. I will read anything that he writes. Cannot wait to get a hard copy of this book for myself and to share with the students at school.
Another winner from John David Anderson! We all have some kwirks in our family, some more than others. For Rion Kwirk, his is a bit odder than most. I loved each and every family member and the adventures they go through to find themselves in this story. As with each of his other stories, I laughed till I cried. I will read anything that he writes. Cannot wait to get a hard copy of this book for myself and to share with the students at school.
January 6, 2021
Another great one from John David Anderson. It's just so heartfelt and smile worthy, I can't believe how often this book is overlooked, I read this one a while ago, because I had read another one of this author, best decision. I want you to read this book. You won't regret it if you have taste like me!
August 2, 2020
Note: Anderson writes extremely well and makes me want to know more about the characters. And while the synopsis does say that it's about Rion and his family learning more about Papa Kwerk, I did also think that it was going to be as much about Rion--hence the title. For knowing how to tell a story, Anderson gets a 5/5. For the plot being almost completely at odds with the title (see reasoning in last paragraph), the book gets a 1/5. I think it's more of a 3.5/5 overall, but I'm giving it a 4 because by the end, I stopped caring about the story and am just glad I opted to listen to it, especially at 2.5x speed.
Orion's family, the Kwerks, learn that Papa Kwerk (Orion's grandfather) died. They learn this through a clown singing telegram.
Strange, but totally something Papa Qwirk would do.
Rion is 12, his sister Cass (Cassiopeia) is older and in high school--a lover of drama be it on the stage or in romantic fantasy novels--and their sister Lyra is younger and in elementary school--though is quite intelligent and has won high-stakes spelling bees.
Their father is a chemist who works on perfecting candy flavors (and is adamant that his candy rivals are simply sugar-producing schemers). Mom is an astronomer and is a control, neat, and safety freak. She means well though, and I absolutely LOVE the positive family dynamics here, that mom and dad stick together through it all and are by each others' sides, and that they try to bring their children in on decisions that affect them.
I don't like how Rion feels like he's not good at anything, that he has no talent, even though everyone always looks to him for quick mathematical calculations.
Between the title and the beginning of this book, I thought it would be about Orion finding himself. After all, how can we determine what we are "meant" to do if we don't even know what we're good at? What we like?
Instead, it's about Papa Kwerk's "fun"-eral, about a scavenger hunt that brings them around town for a < spoiler > reason, and about learning about Papa Kwerk and his life, not Orion's. Orion doesn't go off on his own, isn't kidnapped, or anything like that either that would maybe tie into Papa Kwerk's story. So the title makes no sense.
Orion's family, the Kwerks, learn that Papa Kwerk (Orion's grandfather) died. They learn this through a clown singing telegram.
Strange, but totally something Papa Qwirk would do.
Rion is 12, his sister Cass (Cassiopeia) is older and in high school--a lover of drama be it on the stage or in romantic fantasy novels--and their sister Lyra is younger and in elementary school--though is quite intelligent and has won high-stakes spelling bees.
Their father is a chemist who works on perfecting candy flavors (and is adamant that his candy rivals are simply sugar-producing schemers). Mom is an astronomer and is a control, neat, and safety freak. She means well though, and I absolutely LOVE the positive family dynamics here, that mom and dad stick together through it all and are by each others' sides, and that they try to bring their children in on decisions that affect them.
I don't like how Rion feels like he's not good at anything, that he has no talent, even though everyone always looks to him for quick mathematical calculations.
Between the title and the beginning of this book, I thought it would be about Orion finding himself. After all, how can we determine what we are "meant" to do if we don't even know what we're good at? What we like?
Instead, it's about Papa Kwerk's "fun"-eral, about a scavenger hunt that brings them around town for a < spoiler > reason, and about learning about Papa Kwerk and his life, not Orion's. Orion doesn't go off on his own, isn't kidnapped, or anything like that either that would maybe tie into Papa Kwerk's story. So the title makes no sense.
November 12, 2019
I really thought I would like this book much more that I did. I absolutely adored Ms. Bixby's Last Day, loved Granted, and found Posted highly entertaining. So why wouldn't I love, or at least enjoy, this fourth book by the author? Well, for one thing it took me 9 days to read it, when normally I could have knocked it out in one evening. I just couldn't seem to read more than a few chapters at a time. The story never really hooked me. And why would you have a whole family who are all extremely quirky, like really quirky, and also a bit annoying, and have their last name be Kwirk? Kind of like, hey we're a really quirky family, and guess what? our last name is Kwirk. Get it? We're quirky, and we're named Kwirk! Funny huh??? Hmmm, not really. Most everyone here on goodreads loved it, but this one just didn't work for me.
May 6, 2019
The Kwirks are a decidedly different family. Some might even say they’re odd. Every Christmas when Papa Kwirk pays them a visit, he brings the grandkids some very unusual and perhaps inappropriate gifts. When a singing telegram is delivered to their door dressed as a clown named Chuckles McLaughsalot and proceeds to sing a ditty informing them that Papa Kwirk has kicked the can, well you can imagine the reaction from the rest of the Kwirks.
A humorous, fun story for middle graders about families and fitting in. From fried chicken flavored jelly beans to a wacky funneral (and yes, I did spell that right) to a crazy scavenger hunt, this book has it all. Readers will be delighted by and get a kick out of this extra entertaining book!
A humorous, fun story for middle graders about families and fitting in. From fried chicken flavored jelly beans to a wacky funneral (and yes, I did spell that right) to a crazy scavenger hunt, this book has it all. Readers will be delighted by and get a kick out of this extra entertaining book!
January 31, 2019
This is my third John David Anderson book and I just adore what he does in writing the average middle grade boy’s voice. Ultimately I loved this book and I loved the way that Rion’s story is a story about family and about feeling unremarkable among your exceptionally exceptional siblings and parents. Watching the Kwirks come together on their quest to find the resting place of the family’s patriarch Frank is utterly delightful.
That said, FINDING ORION takes a while to find its footing, and I have some issues with it. It takes FOREVER to get to the point of the book, even though anyone can imagine there will be something out of the ordinary at Frank’s funeral (I’m sorry, FUN-neral). It was 130 pages before the real plot started! And I don’t know what the point is of some of the, ahem, particular quirks of the Kwirk family. You start the book expecting it to be a Roald Dahl sort of adventure, with the kids named after constellations and the dad working in jelly beans and the literal allusion to Dahl in having characters he calls the Slugworths. I thought this was going to be over the top and instead it settled into this lovely family story.
And then something happens inside a veterans museum and I’m like, sigh.
BUT. I still love what this author does with boys on the cusp of young adulthood. Late middle grade is a genre swimming in female voices and kids that are exceptional and often bullied. It’s so wonderful to read JDA’s books because they’re about normal kids who have normal problems in the face of often normal situations (though let’s be clear that the quest in FINDING ORION is not exactly a normal situation). His characters are utterly relatable and I adore what he does.
That said, FINDING ORION takes a while to find its footing, and I have some issues with it. It takes FOREVER to get to the point of the book, even though anyone can imagine there will be something out of the ordinary at Frank’s funeral (I’m sorry, FUN-neral). It was 130 pages before the real plot started! And I don’t know what the point is of some of the, ahem, particular quirks of the Kwirk family. You start the book expecting it to be a Roald Dahl sort of adventure, with the kids named after constellations and the dad working in jelly beans and the literal allusion to Dahl in having characters he calls the Slugworths. I thought this was going to be over the top and instead it settled into this lovely family story.
And then something happens inside a veterans museum and I’m like, sigh.
BUT. I still love what this author does with boys on the cusp of young adulthood. Late middle grade is a genre swimming in female voices and kids that are exceptional and often bullied. It’s so wonderful to read JDA’s books because they’re about normal kids who have normal problems in the face of often normal situations (though let’s be clear that the quest in FINDING ORION is not exactly a normal situation). His characters are utterly relatable and I adore what he does.
May 8, 2019
Papa Kwirk has died and Rion and his family have to go to another state for the funeral, it seems every person in town is there, to lay him to rest. Rion's dad makes jelly beans of all flavors even those nasty mystery flavors, like stinky feet, or shoe leather,lol. There is some action at the very end. but it's mostly a sweet family story, where everyone learns about an old mans life and death.
This story is way to young and contemporary for me.
I received this book in exchange for a fair honest opinion, no one has influenced my opinion.
This story is way to young and contemporary for me.
I received this book in exchange for a fair honest opinion, no one has influenced my opinion.
November 14, 2019
This one was nearly five stars for me! I loved how the story focused on family and searching for meaning in the death of a grandfather. It was fun to follow the "Quirks" on their journey. I loved the relationship between Orion and his sisters, and the growing bond between him and his father. I just wanted a little more overall from the story, but I really loved this one!
January 22, 2020
When Grandpa Qwirk dies, he does it like he lived: in his own way. Rion and his family go back to his dad's home town for a funeral, but find themselves on the strangest scavenger hunt that ever was. War stories and bad jokes. Motorcycle rides and toothbrush collections. Jelly beans and pet ferrets. One last chance at reconciliation for a father and son. Heartwarming.
August 19, 2019
This book started off kind of slow for me and I was struggling for the first 1/4 to really get in to it but then once it started going somewhere it went really fast and I was able to really appreciate and enjoy the story.
September 21, 2019
“So no matter what—no matter what you think of me, or I think of you, or whatever happens between us—I don’t want you to ever, ever think that I don’t love you for exactly who you are.”
February 8, 2021
Gently adventurous family story filled with humor and some bittersweet moments.
June 24, 2025
I really enjoyed this book!
It had me laughing in every chapter!
I also got to learn a lot of more words to my vocabulary, which is always nice.
I did not know that the whole Keira family goes on a scavenger hunt, for their grandpa! And not in the way you would think.
Totally 5 stars!🌟💫🌟
It had me laughing in every chapter!
I also got to learn a lot of more words to my vocabulary, which is always nice.
I did not know that the whole Keira family goes on a scavenger hunt, for their grandpa! And not in the way you would think.
Totally 5 stars!🌟💫🌟
July 3, 2019
This is a great family read! We chose this book for a tween book club as a part of our public library's summer reading program. And, it didn't disappoint!
July 16, 2021
I read this as one of the Young Adult award nominees and I loved it. It's slow and "quirky" in the beginning, but I fell in love with the characters. The lessons I learned, (or at least was reminded of) really hit hard and made me think.
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