Abrahams, Peter
DOWN THE RABBIT HOLE : AN ECHO FALLS MYSTERY
New York : Laura Geringer Books, 2005
IL 5-8, RL 6.0
ISBN 0060737018

(3 booktalks)

My name is Ingrid Levin-Hill, andI am sitting and waiting in the orthodontist’s office. You know you are born cute. Babies are cute. You grow a little older and then you hit twelve or thirteen and "Everything needs fixing." You need orthodontists, dermatologists, contact lens guy, hair tinting guy and nose job guy. You look in the mirror, I mean really look in the mirror and what do you see? Oh my Goodness.!!!! Well that is how my story starts in the Orthodontist’s office. When I was finished I made my next appointment and came out of the office, and I expected to see either my Mom or my Dad. But neither one of them was there. It was already 4:10 and soccer practice was at 4:30. If you miss a practice, you miss the game. That was Coach Ringer’s number one rule. Is there anything more boring than sitting on the bench for a whole game? It was now 4:15 and still no Mom or Dad. I had an inspiration! I could walk to soccer practice, I had never actually walked to soccer, but I had been driven millions of times. So I started running, I figured that I could just about make the 4:30 practice. I ran for a while and then I noticed the shabby old gingerbread houses, with their paint peeling, and grimy windows and… Whoa! There was no soccer fields, no hill, no hospital, and I think that I was lost!! The house nearest me was the worst of all. It was actually crooked to the eye and out came a woman with a shopping bag in her hand. She was tall even taller in the gold spike heels that she was wearing. She was also wearing a red and black checked lumberjack’s coat. Her hair had strips of foil stuck, like she was doing a coloring treatment. She asked me if I was lost and I said, "Not really" and she replied that I looked lost, like totally. She introduced herself as Katie, but I recognized her as Cracked-up Katie. She collected cans from trash barrels and bought stuff at the end of tag sales. Well, she invited me in to her house, decided that I needed a cab to get home. We talked for a while and I showed her my bright red Pumas with glittering red laces ordered especially for me. And then I took the cab and went to soccer. I managed to keep my whereabouts a secret from Mom and Dad, but then the front page of the paper announced that Cracked–up Katie had been murdered and my red Pumas were at the scene of the crime. And the police wanted to talk to anyone who had seen or spoken to Katie in the last few days. I just had to get those pumas out of that house. And that is the start of Ingrid’s adventures in playing detective in Down the Rabbit Hole by Peter Abrahams.   (Rhode Island Teen Book Award nominee 2007-2008)

Booktalk #2

My name is Ingrid Levin and my story begins in the orthodontist office. I finished my “visit” and after I made my next appointment, I expected to see my Mom or Dad waiting for me. I only had 15 minutes to make it to soccer practice. I couldn’t wait so I decided to walk – actually run. After I ran for a while, I noticed the shabby houses with their peeling paint and grimy windows. Yep, I was lost, big time. Cracked-up Katie, the bag lady, invites me into her house, we visit, and she decides I had better get a cab for soccer. I leave to go to soccer and then go home. What do I see on the front page of the newspaper? Cracked-up Katie was found murdered. And a pair of bright red Pumas (which happen to be my sneakers) was found at the scene. Now what shall I do?  (Pennsylvania Young Reader’s Choice Awards nominee, 2008-2009)

Booktalk #3

I think “Down the Rabbit Hole” is an awesome book. I think this, because I liked the book a lot and I also liked the way the author, Peter Abrahams wrote this book.
In Echo Falls, a girl named Ingrid lives with her family, and her new dog Nigel. Ingrid’s brother Ty usually tells her, “You are such a dork.” One Day, in the Echo Falls newspaper, it says that a resident has been murdered. Soon, Ingrid realizes she must solve the murder on her own, before it’s too late! In her town’s production, Ingrid additions for the role of Alice, in “Alice in Wonderland.” Later, Ingrid gets a call from her director for the play, and makes it. The sport that Ingrid plays is soccer and she wears red cleats with disks, which soon, she can't find. After a while, Ingrid remembers that she forgot to take her cleats at 99 Maple Lane. Will she be able to get the cleats back, and will she solve the mystery?
I would recommend this book for kids who like mystery books. Abrahams also, wrote two other books in this series, which are called “Behind the Curtain” that is the next book, and “In the Dark” which is the last book.  (Anna G., K-12 student)