Return to Sender

*An Instant New York Times Bestseller*

Magic, mystery, and a marvelous mailbox take two kids on an incredible journey in this middle grade adventure novel from bestselling comics creator Vera Brosgol. Perfect for fans of Greenwild and The Lost Library and kids ready to move from graphic novels to novels.

*This deluxe, beautiful book features dynamic yellow page edges and fun illustrations throughout by the author!*

Be careful what you wish for...

After everything they've been through, Oliver and his mom finally have a place to call home. But Oliver's fresh start feels more like a dead-end at his fancy new private school, where kids fly in on helicopters, wear the latest and most expensive sneakers, and go on luxury vacations. Oliver is only there because his mom's the school custodian.

Oliver wishes his life could be easier. And then one day, after slipping a wish into a mysterious mail slot, it suddenly comes true. Pizza for dinner? Yes! The rarest sneakers in the world? Yes! Everything he could ever want, without spending a cent? Yes, yes, yes!

Oliver's dreams are finally within his grasp... but what happens when he discovers that his wishes don't come for free?

"Vera Brosgol has combined the silliness and social satire of Roald Dahl with the imagination-bending multiverse of Everything Everywhere All at Once to create an utterly unique novel." -Adam Gidwitz, Newbery Honor Author of The Inquisitor's Tale

"I wish that you would just open this book and start reading it." -Lemony Snicket, bestselling author of A Series of Unfortunate Events

Check out these other beloved books by Vera Brosgol:
Anya's Ghost
Be Prepared
Plain Jain and the Mermaid
Leave Me Alone!
Memory Jars
The Little Guys

Author: Vera Brosgol
Publisher: Roaring Brook Press
Published: 05/06/2025
Pages: 320
Binding Type: Hardcover
Weight: 1.25lbs
Size: 8.10h x 6.20w x 1.30d
ISBN: 9781250292186
Audience: Ages 9-12

Accelerated Reader:
Reading Level: 4.6
Point Value: 8
Interest Level: Middle Grade
Quiz #/Name: 554465 / Return to Sender


Review Citation(s):
Publishers Weekly 02/10/2025
Kirkus Reviews 03/01/2025
Bulletin of Ctr for Child Bks 04/01/2025
School Library Journal 05/01/2025 pg. 126
Booklist 05/01/2025 pg. 93
Horn Book Magazine 07/01/2025 pg. 92
Hornbook Guide to Children 01/01/2025 - Superior,Well Above Average

About the Author
Vera Brosgol was born in Moscow, Russia, in 1984 and moved to the United States when she was five. Her three graphic novels, Anya's Ghost, Be Prepared, and Plain Jane and the Mermaid, were published by First Second. She wrote and illustrated several picture books including The Little Guys and Memory Jars, and her debut Leave Me Alone! was a 2017 Caldecott Honor Book. She's also worked on storyboards for several animated films, including Coraline, Kubo and the Two Strings, and Guillermo del Toro's Pinocchio. She lives in Portland, Oregon, with her dog Omar and a freezer full of khinkali dumplings.