The Last Station Master: A Boy, a Terrorist, a Secret and Trouble

Gr 6–9—In this fast-moving story, African American Nate Daniels expects to be bored when he's sent to spend the summer with his grandparents in rural North Carolina, but he quickly learns his vacation will be anything but dull. On the plane, he meets a hot girl who likes him and a stranger, Abdi, who will involve him in a terrorist plot. That same day, the 15-year-old discovers a concealed stairway and a mystery at his grandparents' historic home that dates back to the Underground Railroad. In her debut novel, Posey successfully juggles multiple story lines while developing appealing characters. Nate is a solid, realistic center for the novel; he's insecure and brash, impulsive and thoughtful. His growing appreciation for his family's place in history feels genuine. However, his rationale that because "Great-Gramps had followed his convictions and become a station master" for the Underground Railroad in the past means that he should aid a possible terrorist in the present, doesn't work. Unlike the runaway slaves his Great-Gramps helped or the battered women his grandparents hide, Abdi might not be who he claims to be and Nate could be making a grave mistake. Posey vividly depicts the rural setting and conjures images of the Old South as Nate's sleuthing solves his ancestors' mystery. Information on influential African Americans of the era is provided in the author's notes, which could encourage further exploration.—M. Kozikowski, Sachem Public Library, Holbrook, NY