Everand Logo

Welcome to Everand!

  • Discover millions of ebooks, audiobooks, and so much more with a free trial

    Only $11.99/month after trial. Cancel anytime.

    Jeremy Fink and the Meaning of Life
    Jeremy Fink and the Meaning of Life
    Jeremy Fink and the Meaning of Life
    Audiobook9 hours

    Jeremy Fink and the Meaning of Life

    Written by Wendy Mass

    Narrated by Andy Paris

    4/5

    ()

    About this audiobook

    Jeremy Fink has big plans for this summer with his best friend Lizzy, a notorious troublemaker (and no, he does not have a secret crush on her). He has everything he needs within a few blocks of his home so he never has to leave his little neighborhood. And this summer, he officially becomes a teenager. A mysterious box engraved with the words THE MEANING OF LIFE: For Jeremy Fink To Open On His 13th Birthday arrives in the mail from Jeremy's long-departed father. The four keys needed to open the box are lost, setting Jeremy and Lizzy off on a quest to find them somewhere in the vastness of New York City. Along the way, they soon discover something about themselves in their search for the keys to the meaning of life. Author Wendy Mass is a recipient of the ALA's Schneider Family Award. She delights young audience with her quirky characters that are easy to relate to. "Well-written and captivating; the reader gets a chance to discover the meaning of life as well and will not be disappointed."-Kliatt
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherRecorded Books, Inc.
    Release dateMay 23, 2008
    ISBN9781501992780
    Jeremy Fink and the Meaning of Life
    Author

    Wendy Mass

    Wendy Mass is the New York Times bestselling author of The Candymakers series, Bob, and many other novels for young readers, including the Schneider Family Book Award-winner A Mango-Shaped Space, Jeremy Fink and the Meaning of Life (which was made into a feature film), Every Soul a Star, Pi in the Sky, the Twice Upon a Time series, and the Willow Falls series that began with 11 Birthdays. She and her family live in New Jersey.

    More audiobooks from Wendy Mass

    Related to Jeremy Fink and the Meaning of Life

    Related audiobooks

    Children's Social Themes For You

    View More
    View More

    Related podcast episodes

    Related articles

    • Article

      Totally EMBARRASSING

      Nov 8, 2020

      Totally EMBARRASSING
      2 min read

    • Article

      Extra EMBARRASSING

      Apr 11, 2021

      Once, I was out on a farm and these goats came up behind me and started eating my pants. It was so embarrassing, I thought they were going to chew them off! Worst of all, my crush was there with me! OMTG! Frankie It was school picture day and I aske

      3 min read

    • Article

      Happy Endings

      Sep 1, 2023

      Happy Endings
      5 min read

    • Article

      Musings On My Father

      Aug 8, 2022

      Musings On My Father
      5 min read

    • Article

      Book Extract

      Jan 20, 2020

      My year off was also interesting, in that I didn’t feel any less loved, or cherished, or wanted. Why? Because my life is already rich with soulmates, and I got the chance to behold that. You don’t have to shag someone for them to be a soulmate. We do

      7 min read

    • Article

      On Making Friends With Raina Telgemeier

      Aug 26, 2019

      Our kids' books columnist Juanita Giles says the cartoonist Raina Telgemeier is almost like a personal friend to her own children, who fight over tattered copies of Telgemeier's graphic novels.

      4 min read

    • Article

      The Inherited Imagination

      Aug 18, 2020

      The Inherited Imagination
      9 min read

    • Article

      Six Sonnets

      Jan 1, 2021

      Goldenrod, I could say, you know, everybody wants somethingfrom me, but, well, everybody wants something and nobody wantsnothing from me, goldenrod, towhead, beast. Goldenrod, you packthe meadows like gold-plated sardines. I have heart palpitationsbu

      3 min read

    • Article

      A Puzzle Of Nostalgia

      Aug 26, 2022

      A Puzzle Of Nostalgia
      5 min read

    • Article

      The Show Boy

      Oct 9, 2019

      The Show Boy
      9 min read

    • Article

      Little House

      Jun 5, 2023

      On Monday nights our mother made popcorn and served it to us in mugs with milk poured over. My younger sister and I carried our mugs into the family room and ate the popcorn with spoons, like cereal. We were five and seven. Until we were allowed to s

      21 min read

    • Article

      Shanda

      Jan 1, 2024

      Shanda
      13 min read

    • Article

      The Last Friend on Earth

      May 4, 2023

      It was as if Doreen Saunders had been waiting for me, passing the time until my arrival. She might as well have been sitting in a rocking chair, knitting needles clicking, jam tarts cooling on the side, the door wide open, waiting for the next visito

      6 min read

    • Article

      In the Grass

      Jun 3, 2019

      In the Grass
      23 min read

    • Article

      How Postcards From My Mother Helped Me Survive Childhood

      Mar 3, 2017

      For years, my mother wrote to me every day. I’d been sent away to boarding school and for the first weeks was forbidden to call home­. I was eleven. This was just before mobile phones came beeping and clicking into the lives of everyday people. I di

      4 min read

    • Article

      The Letterbox

      Mar 1, 2019

      Dear Cricket, I like the way everybody says “Hey, every-buggy,” but I think I just want to say “Howdy!” I started reading Cricket about a year ago, so I’m still just a bit of a beginner and I don’t know Ladybug, Cricket, or all of the other bugs in t

      7 min read

    • Article

      Notes on Etiquette

      Mar 1, 2019

      Notes on Etiquette
      10 min read

    • Article

      Duncan Hannah

      Sep 15, 2017

      Duncan Hannah
      25 min read

    • Article

      The Ones We Sent Away

      Aug 7, 2023

      The Ones We Sent Away
      47 min read

    • Article

      Lineal Gaps

      Apr 6, 2021

      Lineal Gaps
      15 min read

    • Article

      Living Next Door To Alice

      Feb 5, 2024

      Living Next Door To Alice
      9 min read

    • Article

      Famous People

      Mar 1, 2022

      Famous People
      15 min read

    • Article

      A Year in Reading: Melissa Lozada-Oliva

      Dec 17, 2021

      I'm always on my way to writing or on my way to reading. These are the big loves of my life but I'm also interested in what pulls me away from them. The post A Year in Reading: Melissa Lozada-Oliva appeared first on The Millions.

      12 min read

    Related categories

    Reviews for Jeremy Fink and the Meaning of Life

    4/5

    319 ratings24 reviews

    What did you think?

    Tap to rate

    Review must be at least 10 words

    • 5/5
      I enjoyed the book! Fun and easy read. I liked how he has his “hour of Jeremy” cause I stay up late too and read or write. Great for I’d say 4th-8th graders. It took about 2 days to listen to. Yet again Wendy mass has not disappointed me! 5/5 stars!
    • 5/5
      This was a family road trip book. Wendy Mass never disappoints. Her books have an element of fantasy -- that something special or spectacular can happen in everyday life -- and that the kids these things happen to are unique individuals with great contributions to make. Jeremy is on the very verge of 13, when a package arrives at the apartment he and his Mom share in NYC. It is an elaborate box from his father, who died when Jeremy was 8. The cover is engraved with the words "The Meaning of Life" and it has a complex system of keyholes, but no keys. Jeremy goes on a quest with his best friend and next-door-neighbor Lizzie (love that dynamic!) to find the keys, open the box and learn his father's wisdom. The book tackles big topics like predestination, philosophy, and life's purpose but not in a heavy handed way. The reader learns as Jeremy does -- without even realizing it. And there are definitely moments that brought me to tears -- so touching and so spot on.
    • 3/5
      Kate and I enjoyed reading this book together. A tale of a boy who gets an unexpected gift from his deceased father before his 13th birthday. However, it takes 4 keys to open the box and there are no keys to be found! Jeremy and his best friend, Lizzie, set off on adventure to find the missing keys and open the box before Jeremy's 13th birthday....but will the be successful!??! Read to find out!

      Very cute and funny...We both liked it...wouldn't read it again but definitely worth the time.
    • 4/5
      It is a Sunshine State book with great reviews
    • 5/5
      I loved this easy-to-read story that makes you think about your own life and what's important. Jeremy, and his best friend Lizzy, find themselves a midst an adventure when Jeremy is given a box left to him by his deceased father. In order to open the box, they need to find four keys, and the search leads them to learn about themselves, other people, and what's really important.
    • 4/5
      This is a book that i would very much like to read again. Jeremy is just a character but Wendy Mass will describe him like he is very much real. I loved this book and I think you should read it. I think that because this book is for everyone, I found that any book by this author is accommodating to most ages. This book gave me a few second thoughts, the book has some bits and pieces that I think is helpful to not only Jeremy here but also for everyone reading the book.This book is about a young boy named Jeremy who, on his birthday receives a box. Now this is not your ordinary box. It has a number of keyholes that only can be opened with the right keys. As Jeremy learns more about his box he also learns about his father that had passed while Jeremy was very young. When Jeremy finally opens the box he is confused by what is inside. He cant tell if its real or not, when he gets back to NY he discovers that there is a meaning behind it all.
    • 4/5
      Read by Andy Paris, my very favorite narrator, this story is charming, heart warming : a coming of age adventure /mystery you will enjoy reading to children (or even for yourself) . It opens with a relationship between two long term friends, Jeremy and his red-headed female friend, Lizzy. For his 13th birthday, he is sent a present. It is a mysterious box with the words engraved on the top, "The Meaning of Life". Unfortunately, it has 4 locks on it and no keys. Jeremy use clues to track down the possible location of the keys. They end up discovering much about themselves in the process. Wonderful story. ( 9.5 hours)
    • 4/5
      Jeremy lost his dad in an accident. Before Jeremy's 13th birthday, a box comes to him from his dad, who'd had a premonition that he might die young. This book touches on physics (including the anthropic principle), love and many points in between. It's got wonderful characters, and the ending is tied up with a bow. Recommended.
    • 3/5
      Hey, a middle-school mystery! Here's the mystery: why I continued reading this book past the half-way point. Jeremy is given a box from his dead father, with instructions to open it on his 13th birthday. The problem: all 4 keys are missing. With the help of his best friend, they break into the office of the lawyer who sent the box, get caught, and are sentenced to community service, which involves helping deliver items pawned in the '50s back to their rightful owners. Jeremy's getting desperate; the box (according to the writing on it) contains the Meaning of Life. Naturally, he asks everyone he helps what The Meaning of Life is, and gets a whole lot of different answers. He helps a lot of people, and a lot of people help him. Meanwhile he's caught up in this existential quandary about why he's here, why anyone's here, on earth, and what the point is. And he's obsessed with candy. Readers will hear about it a lot. If this were a movie, I'd be screaming "product placement!" with all the brand names that feel self-consciously thrown in, like "I need to ground this in reality! Let's mention Snickers! or Razzles! Skittles, Starburst, M&Ms!"

      I'm sure you can already see where this is going. The book slogs along to its predictable conclusion. This is the kind of book that's written for 7th-graders but will only be appreciated by adults (some of them), because, really, how many 12-year-olds want to read this kind of metaphysical angst?

      Overall rating: blah.
    • 4/5
      The twist at the end is like the cherry on top of the sundae. You already like the book, but now you like it more. Not too long of a read, a little thought-provoking in that you may think about the meaning of life (bubt it is certainly not a philosophical novel).
    • 3/5
      Jeremy Fink was always searching for the key and never gave up. I think it was a great example of determination.
    • 4/5
      I didnt reall care to much for this book i think it was because it took them for ever to fin the keys. i would recomend this book to people who like slower books not like action packed
    • 5/5
      Janet LamThe genre is realistic fiction.The book is about a young boy named Jeremy Fink and his bestfriend Lizzy. Jeremy's father had died from a car accident, and near Jeremy's 13th birthday, he finds a box that holds the meaning of life. He finds out that his father wanted jeremy to open the box on his 13th birthday. His mother had sent it to this man to keep in storage, but he's moving into another office. Jeremy can't open the box because the man lost they keys, which is the only way to open it without destroying the box. Now Jeremy must find the keys. i would reccomend this book because it is a very nice story. This is one of the books i could read over and over.
    • 5/5
      Another amazing novel by Wendy Mass. By the first few pages I was sold on the book and couldn't put it down. I spent class time even trying to sneak a page or two while the teacher wasn't looking. The story follows Jeremy Fink who one day receives a mysterious box from his deceased father and sets off on a journey with his best friend Lizzy to search for the keys to unlock the box and discover the meaning of life. I would highly recommend it!
    • 4/5
      I had nothing to listen to on tape for my long daily commute, so, in desperation, I picked up Jeremy Fink from the children’s audio section of the public library. I got hooked into the story quickly and realized soon that listening to the book on tape was too slow for me. Jeremy Fink was a book I could have pulled from our fall book fair, but I passed it by. I ended up getting a copy for the library just so I could read it. Here’s the plot: Jeremy’s father died when Jeremy was a little boy. Just before Jeremy turns thirteen, he receives a box in the mail from his father, a book labeled “The Meaning of Life.” Unfortunately, there are no keys, so Jeremy and his best friend set off in search of the keys and the meaning of life.
    • 3/5
      At times the main character seems one-dimensional. The middle of the book gets a bit too cerebral and preachy for its target audience. That said, there are some delightfully good things about this book. Supporting characters that are charming and would make good subjects for a book of their own (like the grandmother who owns a B&B with 12 rooms and 12 cats . . . one for each room that comes with "care and feeding instructions for your temporary cat.") This is not a book for a poor reader--there are challenging concepts in it and it requires more than one leap of faith to keep with it in the middle. However, it is a good pick for an adolescent (who IS a reader) that is dealing with some kind of loss and managing grief. In the end, it is a "feel good" story and I would recommend it to most adults I know (but only a few 13-year-olds).
    • 5/5
      Jeremy Fink and the Meaning of Life was a very good book about a boy named Jeremy who had lost his father in an accident. Jeremy then gets this box a month before his 13th birthday from his father. But there is a problem, the box is missing its keys and Jeremy cant find them. And the only way to open the box without damaging what is in it, you'll have to use the keys to open it correctly. So Jeremy and his best friend, Lizzy set out to find the keys. Check out their adventure of finding the keys when you reading this thrilling, awesome book.
    • 5/5
      My sweat smells like peanut butter.How can anyone not be immediately drawn to a book with an opening sentence like that?Jeremy Fink and the Meaning of Life documents the life Jeremy Fink and his best friend, Lizzy, as they attempt to find the keys to a box that contains the meaning of life. Along the way they discover important things about themselves, their friendship, and of course life. They also encounter many unique characters that will aid them on their search and leave a lasting impression on their lives.I really enjoyed this book, as I was instantly intrigued with the lives of Jeremy and Lizzy. Wendy Mass does a wonderful job describing the characters of her novels to the point that you feel that you know them in real life. Besides the obvious fact that I am a female, I felt that their friendship was very close to the friendships that I had when I was 13. I can also relate to Jeremy when he thinks about the universe and his place within it, because every now and then I still feel a little lost.I would recommend Jeremy Fink and the Meaning of Life to anyone who enjoys reading young adult literature. It is a light and comforting read, but still posses some surprising twists and the obvious mystery of the meaning of life.
    • 4/5
      A month before his birthday, Jeremy receives a wooden box inscribed with the following words: THE MEANING OF LIFE. FOR JEREMY FINK TO OPEN ON HIS 13TH BIRTHDAY. The box is from his father. Jeremy's father died when he was eight. The catch? The box requires four specific keys to open and the keys have been lost. Jeremy's quest to find the keys will lead him all over the city and just might lead him to the meaning of life. This is a warm, thoughtful story and my favorite thing is that it contained a lot of information and facts without feeling didactic or dry. This is a great introduction to philosophy and will certain lead kids (and adults) to think about their own purpose in life. If a few random characters had been left out, the story would have been tighter and the book would have been truly great.
    • 5/5
      When Jeremy Fink gets a wooden box delivered right before his 13th birthday from his father who has been dead for four years, he and his best friend Lizzy go on a quest to find the four keys that will open it. Inside the box???The Meaning of Life!When Jeremy Fink gets a wooden box delivered right before his 13th birthday from his father who has been dead for four years, he and his best friend Lizzy go on a quest to find the four keys that will open it. Inside the box???The Meaning of Life!Touching and humorous, with mystery and suspense as two friends try to unlock the meaning of life.
    • 5/5
      Jeremy Fink's father died long before Jeremy's13th birthday and one month before this birthday he receives a locked box engraved with "The Meaning of Life - do not open until your 13th birthday." Jeremy finds out the box was prepared before his father's early death. The box is locked with 4 keyholes and no keys. The book is the story of Jeremy and his friend Lizzie as they go on a series of adventures to find the keys before his 13th birthday. On the way, they meet many interesting characters.. all with their own "meaning of life." The book has a wonderful surprise ending on Jeremy's thirteenth birthday where you find something wonderful about his dad and his dad's friends. This is a wonderful adventure book with a touching ending.
    • 4/5
      Jeremy Fink and the Meaning of Life is an adventure.Jeremy and Lizzy turn New York City into one big scavenger hunt to find 4 keys that will open a mysterious wooden box left for Jeremy by his deceased father.This is a well crafted adventure that is enjoyable for readers of all ages.
    • 4/5
      Jeremy Fink's dad died in an accident when Jeremy was eight years old. Imagine then, how surprised Jeremy is to get a package from his dad a month before Jeremy turns 13. Inside the package is a locked boxed is inscribed with the words "The Meaning of Life: For Jeremy Fink to Open on His 13th Birthday." Jeremy can't wait to see what is inside - but the four keys needed to open the box are missing. Jeremy and his best friend Lizzy have one month in which to find the keys and learn what life is all about.I loved reading all about Jeremy and Lizzy's search for the lost keys and the incredible people they meet along the way. At first I thought the ending was a little tidy, but on page 285 I found myself covered in goosebumps and tearing up. Guess that means I was able to put my nit-picking aside and really buy into it all. This book does ask some deep questions, but is happy to make you think about them instead of answering them for you - which is great since your answer would be different than any one elses.
    • 3/5
      Jeremy’s father died 5 years ago, and one month before his birthday, Jeremy gets a box in the mail from his father that was engraved ‘For Jeremy Fink to open on this 13th Birthday’. But they’ve lost the keys to the box! So now Jeremy has one month to either figure out what the meaning of life is on his own, or find the 4 keys he needs to open the box. I enjoyed this book a lot more than I thought I would, it was really nice, Jeremy is very shy and he’s really a good kid.