The Body of Christopher Creed by Carol Plum-Ucci

Bibliographic Information: Plum-Ucci, C. (2000). The Body of Christopher Creed. New York, NY: Volo Books.  ISBN: 0152063862.  276 pages.

Plot Summary: Christopher Creed has gone missing, leaving only a mysterious note via email. Did he kill himself?  Or run away? Or, was he kidnapped or murdered? Christopher was not what one would call popular. Though he was well known to students throughout the school, he was considered weird and annoying, and was a frequent recipient of violence at the hands of his peers. Torey Adams is a popular football player, boyfriend of the prettiest girl in school, and in Chris’ eyes, one of the “perfect people.” But is Torey’s life perfect? Why does he feel so angry when his friends make derogatory remarks about Chris after his disappearance? Torey, along with Ali, Chris’s neighbor, and Ali’s boyfriend, Bo, investigate what really happened to Chris, ending up, themselves, knee deep in the mystery. Along the way Torey discovers his own empathy, what it really means to “fit in,” and that people are not always what they seem.

Critical Evaluation: This suspenseful book will keep readers hooked, anxiously awaiting the answer to: what happened to Christopher Creed? Written in the first person voice of 16-year-old Torey Adams, the narrative flows with Torey’s realistic reports and reflections. Addressing the universal teen concepts of intolerance of difference, adults’ lack of understanding of young people, and the difficulty of finding one’s place in the world, this book has staying power.  Plum-Ucci’s first person account from the perspective of Torey allows readers to enter the world of a teenager and join him in his difficult struggle to realize that the thoughts he had always had about the world and people’s places in it might not be accurate.  This book has won numerous awards and honors: Michael L. Printz Award Honor 2001, Edgar Award Nomination for Best Young Adult Mystery 2001, Children’s Book Council’s Children’s Choice List Honor 2001, ALA and YALSA’s Best Books for Young Adults Honor 2001, ALA and YALSA’s Most Popular Paperbacks 2004.

Reader’s Annotation: When Christopher Creed goes missing, popular football player Torey becomes an unlikely ally in the search for what happened.

Information about the Author: Carol Plum-Ucci lives in Southern New Jersey.  Plum-Ucci grew up on a New Jersey Barrier Island and often uses the south Jersey shore as the backdrop of her novels.  She was raised in a funeral home, but interesting trivia about Plum-Ucci does not stop there.  For years she worked for the Miss American organization, including being assistant to the producer of the pageant.  Also, “Plum-Ucci has ghost written for six Miss Americas, two CEOs and others who are nameless by discretion. “ (Plum-Ucci, About, n.d.).

In September of this year (2011) a follow-up novel to The Body of Christopher Creed was published; it is entitled Following Christopher Creed.  Plum-Ucci is dedicated to interacting with and helping out her readers.  Her website has a page entitled, “Students” where one can find several sections, below is an example of some of the links she offers.

Genres: Mystery/Suspense/Thriller, Issues, Realistic Fiction

Categories/Themes: Mystery/Suspense/Thriller: Contemporary Mystery, Issues: Life Is Hard: Outsiders and Missing Teens

Topics Covered: Bullying, Intolerance, Stereotypes

Curriculum Ties: Discussion of stereotypes, outsiders, assumptions

Booktalking Ideas:

• Use the mystery aspects of the book to draw potential readers in

Reading Level/Interest Age: Ages 13 – 17

Challenge Issues: This book was challenged in the Appleton Area School District in Appleton, Wisconsin.  It was challenged by several parents for “innappropriate words in the book” and one parent critic stated, “The Body of Christopher Creed is not a book to motivate and entice kids into reading.”    In response to any challenges, one can refer to the library’s collection development policies.  Additionally, there are several positive reviews of the book, and it has won several awards and honors.

Why is this book included? Initially chosen for its multiple awards and nominations, The Body of Christopher Creed is a fresh, relevant, intelligent addition to a teen collection.

References:

Plum-Ucci, C. (n.d.) Carol Plum-Ucci: About. Retrieved from http://carolplumucci.com/About.html