Wallace’s books are a motif that develops The Value of Reading. Nearly every child in town (other than Josh) has read them, and the mystery genre helps to shape Dink’s awareness of events throughout his investigation into Wallace’s apparent kidnapping. The books make Dink feel like a detective, they offer clues (e.g., The Poisoned Pond mentions Wallace’s castle in Maine, while The Mystery in the Museum suggests inquiring into the victim’s life), and they help the children solve the mystery in which they have found themselves.

Wallace’s novels also serve as a connecting point between Wallis Wallace and Dink and his friends, representing the way books help children access worlds beyond their own. It is significant in this respect that the titles of Wallace’s novels closely resemble Roy’s own, principally through their use of alliteration. This parallel invites readers of The Absent Author into a similar relationship with writers and with reading.

The letters that Dink and Mavis have received from Wallis Wallace contain important details about the author that prompt Dink and his friends to uncover the nature of the author’s disappearance. In part, the letters symbolize the author’s