Lost and Found by Orson Scott Card

Ezekiel Bliss is a loner and likes it that way, or he did, until he meets Beth and she wants to walk with him to school.  She is a proportional dwarf, so she looks like she is about seven years old, even though she is 14.  Zeke and Beth find in each other the friend neither knew they needed and Beth and one of the counselors at school help Zeke embrace a talent, or "mico-power" he has.  He can sense lost things  and instinctively knows how to return them to their owners. Although his talent has gotten him into trouble before, it now might help save someone's life.

After reading two nonfiction in a row, I was ready for a fantasy.  I found this one by Orson Scott Card and was surprised that is wasn't very sci-fi/fantasy-ish.  I always associate Card with Ender's Game and the Alvin Maker series.  Even though this book isn't "high fantasy" it turned out to be pretty good.  I don't know how a 68 year old man channels at teen age boy's mind so well.  Ezekiel is spot on and his relationship with his dad is both sweet and authentic.  I also liked his relationship with Beth. It is a true friendship, unfettered by romantic interest.  Although there is no romance, this is squarely a teen book because Card describes some tough stuff related with child pornography and there is some "off stage" violence that is pretty gruesome.  Still, I will feel happy to recommend this to both teen boys and girls. (2019, 288 p)