The Cardturner facts for kids
First edition cover
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| Author | Louis Sachar |
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| Country | Portugal |
| Language | English |
| Genre | fiction |
| Publisher | Delacorte Press |
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Publication date
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May 11, 2010 |
| Media type | hardcover, e-book, paperback |
| Pages | 336 |
| ISBN | 978-0-385-73662-6 |
The Cardturner is an exciting novel written by Newbery Medal winner Louis Sachar. It was published by Delacorte Press in May 2010. The story follows a teenager named Alton Richards as he enters the surprising world of duplicate bridge and discovers family secrets.
Contents
Discovering the World of Bridge
The main character is Alton Richards, a 17-year-old nearing the end of his school year. His best friend, Cliff, has started dating Alton's ex-girlfriend, Katie. Alton's mother wants him to get close to her very rich Uncle Lester, hoping he will help the family financially.
Uncle Lester, also known as Trapp, becomes ill and loses his eyesight. Because of this, he needs a "cardturner" to read his cards aloud when he plays duplicate bridge. Alton's mother arranges for him to be Trapp's cardturner for the summer. The previous cardturner was Toni Castenada. She was no longer allowed to help Trapp after she questioned his card choices during a game.
Alton's First Games
Alton takes Uncle Lester to his bridge club. There, Trapp plays with his partner, Gloria, who is about his age. At first, Trapp is critical of Alton. He tells Alton off for not knowing much about bridge and for not sorting the cards correctly. Despite these early challenges, Trapp and Gloria win their game with a high score.
On the way home, Trapp explains to Alton that remembering the cards is important. But knowing how to remember them is even more helpful.
Learning the Game
Alton soon becomes very interested in bridge. He starts learning how to play the game himself. He also picks up on common strategies and moves. His younger sister, Leslie, also shows interest in bridge. However, Alton's friend Cliff is not impressed by the game.
Alton notices how unusual the game can be. When Trapp plays with his other partner, Wallace, they achieve a very rare high score. But they argue a lot afterward. Alton realizes his uncle is an excellent player. Trapp is almost a Grand Life Master, a very high rank in bridge. However, he has not yet won a regional tournament. Gloria warns Alton not to mention this to Trapp.
Alton tries to become friends with Trapp. He learns that Trapp once had a bridge partner named Annabel King. Annabel was also his wife's sister. Alton's parents, however, keep pushing him to talk about Trapp's will. They need money because Alton's father lost his job.
New Friendships and Challenges
One day, Trapp plays against Toni Castenada. Trapp initially dislikes her, even though he used to treat her as his student. Toni makes many mistakes during their game. This causes Trapp to finish in a rare low place. Later, Alton's car breaks down on the way home from Trapp's bridge game. Trapp decides to buy Alton a new car because he knows the car dealership owner well.
Trapp plays with Toni again, and she plays even worse than before. Even Alton notices how poorly she is doing. Later, Toni calls Alton. She asks him to play a game of bridge, realizing he understands the game better than he lets on.
Toni plays a game of bridge with Alton, Leslie, and Cliff. Cliff does not take the game seriously. But he immediately tries to befriend Toni. He takes her to a party that Alton cannot attend. Alton has to take Trapp to a sectional tournament. Alton starts to like Toni romantically. He also begins to wonder about her relationship with Cliff. Trapp and Gloria later win the sectional tournament. Toni calls Alton the next day to ask how it went.
A Mysterious Connection
Toni arranges to play with Alton at the club. They win a grand slam on their first hand, which is a big success. However, they play poorly against most other teams. Then they play against two men who constantly mock Toni and Alton. But Toni makes a special move called a "redouble" on their last hand. This causes her and Alton to win that hand.
Toni later explains that her grandmother, Annabel King, told her to redouble. Toni says she can hear voices. Despite their one big win, Alton and Toni finish last in the game.
Secrets of the Past
Alton takes Trapp to the regional tournament. There, he learns what happened to Annabel King. Many years ago, Annabel was married to a rich senator named Henry King. Annabel was very talented at bridge. This made her husband's lack of skill more obvious. Henry began to forbid Annabel from playing bridge. He tried to control her life.
Annabel later became partners with Trapp. They were usually very successful together. Trapp remembers that Annabel never refused to redouble, even with risky plays. However, when Trapp and Annabel entered a national tournament, Henry had Annabel taken away. She was later placed in a special facility, where she passed away. Trapp and Annabel's sister, Nina, tried to see her and filed lawsuits, but they were unsuccessful.
A Final Game
Trapp starts playing well at the regionals. But one day, he is almost fifteen minutes late. He then scolds Alton for reading the cards too quickly. Later, Trapp makes a mistake. He asks to play the Queen of Clubs, a card he does not have. This mistake does not cause any problems. But Trapp refuses to play for the rest of the day. He tells Alton, who he now knows has been learning the game, that Alton can take his place.
Gloria praises Alton's playing. But Trapp demands to be taken home immediately. He cancels all his bridge games until the national tournament. Trapp later passes away. He leaves Alton's family money for college and to pay off debts.
At Trapp's memorial service, Alton asks Toni to play another game of bridge at the club. They play much better than their first time. As they play, Alton starts to hear Trapp telling him which cards to play. Toni is also frustrated afterward. She says she only played the cards Annabel told her to. Trapp's voice then gives Alton driving directions. When Toni asks where he is going, Alton admits he hears Trapp's voice. They are directed to Trapp's house. There, they find the documents for the upcoming national tournament. Both Alton and Toni agree to play in the tournament for Trapp and Annabel.
Winning Together
Even though Toni has a relationship with Cliff, she starts to show romantic interest in Alton. They play at the national tournament. It feels like Annabel and Trapp are guiding their moves. They perform very well. Both Toni and Alton enjoy the experience of playing together. They eventually win the tournament. Toni kisses Alton out of excitement. Alton ends the book by saying he continues to play bridge. He calls his relationship with Toni "unauthorized information," meaning it's a private secret.
Meet the Characters
Alton Richards: He is the main character of the story. Alton is 17 years old and has no job or money. He often uses funny phrases. At the start of the book, Alton knows nothing about bridge. But he learns to play and becomes a very keen bridge player.
Lester Trapp: Alton's uncle. He loves bridge and is blind, has diabetes, and is very rich. He is a smart man with a mysterious past involving a bridge player named Annabel King.
Toni Castaneda: She was Lester Trapp's cardturner before he let her go. She is described as pretty but shy. When Alton first met her at age 6, he thought she was a bit strange. She later becomes Alton's love interest. Toni seems to hear voices. Her family is also seen as unique. Toni tells Alton that she can hear her dead grandmother, Annabel King. Annabel guides her while playing bridge.
Katie: Alton's girlfriend at the beginning of the book. She ends their relationship. Later, she starts dating Alton's best friend, Cliff. Katie later tells Alton that she thinks Cliff might be cheating on her.
Cliff: Alton's best friend. He is playful and friendly. He dates Katie but later has a short relationship with Toni.
Leslie: Alton's younger sister. She was named after her Uncle Lester. She and Alton have a good relationship. She loves bridge but is not very good at playing. Alton practices bridge with her.
Gloria: Lester's bridge partner. Lester also has another partner named Wallace. But Gloria plays with Lester more often. She knows a lot about Lester's past.
