Remarkables by Margaret Peterson Haddix

Remarkables by Margaret Peterson Haddix

Realistic Fiction, Some Fantasy Elements

age- 10-12

grade - 5-8

292 pages, hardcover

c. 2019

There are many “remarkable” elements in this book. One element that is often missing in current literature is the positive portrayal of an intact family that have a real faith in God. Haddix isn’t preachy and realistically shows the struggles of different family members but the overall tone is positive and hopeful. She deals with some serious topics, such as bullying, and the impact drug addiction can have on all family members.

            The story begins when 11-year-old Marin and her family move from Illinois to Pennsylvania due to her mother’s new job as a professor of nursing. Her dad, a physical education teacher, is still looking for work and for now is the primary caregiver of their new baby, Owen. Marin has some unresolved issues with two girls back home, one of whom used to be her best friend. Still angry at the way they bullied her, she is also uncomfortable at the way she acted toward them at their last meeting. All this is making her anxious about her ability to make new friends when she starts middle school in the fall.  

            While exploring the area around her house she notices a group of teenagers who seem very happy. Suddenly they all disappear. In her attempts to solve this mystery she meets Charlie, who lives next door with his grandmother and two younger brothers. Charlie is living with his grandmother because both his parents are drug addicts, resulting from a tragic accident that his father was involved in. Charlie also sees these teenagers who he calls “The Remarkables.” Charlie has been studying them for a while and he believes they are time travelers. He is also convinced that one of them is his father before the terrible accident occurred that he feels responsible for. Together Marin and Charlie try to figure out if they can change the past and prevent Charlie’s father from turning to drugs to escape his guilt feelings. As they consider different options, they also begin to realize that changing the past could change some of the good things that have happened as a result of the accident.

            Once again Haddix present some thought - provoking ideas about how to deal with the past, present and future. Marin realizes that she and Charlie can’t change the past but then she comments, “Isn’t it better to think about working toward a good future than trying to change the past? … Because the present and the future are the only things you can do anything about . … You can have a good future because the past is over. All you can do is learn from it.” Thus, Charlie comes to realize he is not doomed to follow the mistakes of his father, that he can have a future full of hope. Marin finds the courage to reconcile with her old friends. The effect of that realization and hope is truly remarkable.