The Voice of Caroline

Thirteen-year-old Gordie Burnside has always been sure about one thing: friends are overrated. When he's forced to leave the world, he knows idyllic South Beach Florida and moves to Virginia with his father to live with his grouchy grandfather he's determined not to change. To add to his already chaotic life, he learns he will be living in a "haunted" house where legend has it a young girl was murdered fifty years ago.

However, despite all this Gordie remains firm in his belief he's much happier holed up in his room watching superhero movies and reading comic books. Nothing bad could happen to him there and it provided the barrier he desperately needed to avoid talking about the pain of losing his mother. This changes however, when the mysterious Caroline Dexter begins calling his house.

On Gordie's first day at Jefferson Junior High he meets two people that will alter his life forever. Lina Rios, a chatty, dramatic girl with Salvadorean roots whose locker is next to Gordie and Bryant Boulder, a carefree underachiever with hidden secrets.

His backpack disappears that first day and Gordie suspects Wes Jenkins, another classmate who has an obvious dislike for Gordie. The missing backpack was only the first in a series of pranks. The poems left behind are the only clues he has to who may be behind the crimes and Lina and Bryant are determined to help Gordie find the culprit.

It's from a group project Gordie, Lina and Bryant are assigned in their history class that is the catalyst to furthering their friendship, but he is keeping a secret from them. No one knows about Caroline. By now Gordie and Caroline have been talking for months but Caroline is running out of time. And so, without ever having met Caroline or any way to verify her story, Gordie decides to help her. This takes Gordie on a journey where he realizes not only the importance of family, but the rewards and joy that come from having friends.