The Last Last-Day-of-Summer by Lamar Giles (April 2, 2019, Versify, 304 pages, for ages 8 to 12)
Synopsis (from Indiebound): Otto and Sheed are the local sleuths in their zany Virginia town, masters of unraveling mischief using their unmatched powers of deduction. And as the summer winds down and the first day of school looms, the boys are craving just a little bit more time for fun, even as they bicker over what kind of fun they want to have. That is, until a mysterious man appears with a camera that literally freezes time. Now, with the help of some very strange people and even stranger creatures, Otto and Sheed will have to put aside their differences to save their town—and each other—before time stops for good.
Why I recommend it: This is lively, fast-paced and funny, with plenty of kid-like humor. A winning combination. Heck, even I want to live in a town like Fry! There's a Gnarled Forest where trees never have leaves, an Eternal Creek, with no beginning or end, and strangers arrive through shimmering portals. All this is perfectly normal for Fry.
The cousins make a great crime-solving team. Before the story begins, they've already solved several cases like The Laughing Locusts, and The Mystery of the Woman in Teal. Wish we could read about those cases too! But freezing time is a great concept and Lamar Giles has a vivid imagination.
Favorite lines: "(Otto) looped an arm over Sheed's shoulder, hoping his cousin didn't have his usual awkward smile. Their picture had been in the Logan County Gazette a bunch of times, and Sheed always looked like he was trying to suck broccoli from his teeth."
Lamar Giles is a founding member of We Need Diverse Books, and the editor of FRESH INK! Visit his website.
Here's Greg Pattridge's take on The Last Last-Day-of-Summer from March 24, 2019.
For other Marvelous Middle Grade Monday posts, visit Greg's website.
I enjoyed this one, too. Such fun characters and I'm sure we will be seeing them again. Thanks for your thoughts.
ReplyDeleteI know you enjoyed it, Greg! Sorry -- I'd already committed to reviewing this before I saw your review. But it's wonderful for the book to have so much attention!
DeleteGlad you and Greg liked this one so much. I'm featuring Lamar on my blog in early June. I'm going to see if I can find this one. I like the mystery/fantasy mix.
ReplyDeleteYou'd enjoy it, Natalie! And I'll try to remember to look for your feature on Lamar on your blog in June. Thanks for the heads-up!
DeleteWhat a great summer reader -- it sounds fun, dark and a bit quirky!Remember Greg's review too. Will check it out.
ReplyDeleteIt's a lot of fun, Patricia. A bit quirky, sure, but mostly hugely entertaining.
DeleteThis book is getting a lot of buzz. I think it sounds pretty great. I will check it out.
ReplyDeleteIt certainly has been getting a lot of buzz, Rosi. And it's well-deserved.
DeleteI hadn't heard of this book before. Sounds like a fun read! Thanks for sharing. :)
ReplyDelete~Jess
You're welcome, Jess!
Deletethank you for your well written review...
ReplyDeletehave a great day
As I don't read a lot of MG, I hadn't heard of this either but it looks like fun!
ReplyDeleteHi Marcy! Thanks for stopping by. I know you don't read a lot of MG (if any?) but appreciate your thoughts.
DeleteThis book has been on my radar, and your review was just the nudge I needed to pick it up! I want to visit Fry, too!
ReplyDelete