Many thanks to Disney Hyperion for providing this book for review. All opinions are mine.
New kid Davy definitely thinks Topsea is strange. His mom keeps saying they'll get used to life in their new town—it's just the way things are on the coast! But after his first day at Topsea School, Davy finds himself wondering: Why is his locker all the way at the bottom of the school swimming pool? Why can't anyone remember his name? (It's Davy!) And why does everyone act like all of this is normal?!
Plus it's not cartoon-y and doesn't use a ton of kiddie graphics. It's just a good storyline and a fun group of characters readers will enjoy from the 1st page all the way til the end.
If I could sum up Fox and Coats new book A FRIENDLY TOWN THAT’S ALMOST ALWAYS BY THE OCEAN! in 3 simple words I would say "Embrace your YOUness"
In A FRIENDLY TOWN THAT’S ALMOST ALWAYS BY THE OCEAN! (Disney-Hyperion; On Sale: April 17, 2018) by Kir Fox (aka Kirsten Hubbard) and M. Shelley Coats (aka Michelle Schusterman), Davy’s fifth grade class uncovers the secrets of their peculiar town in a series of linked tales that pair the whimsy of Sideways Stories from Wayside School with the delightful eeriness of Welcome to Night Vale.
Welcome to Topsea, the strangest place you'll ever visit. In this town, the coves are bottomless and the pier has no end in sight. There's a high tide and a low tide... and a vanishing tide. Dogs are a myth, but mermaids are totally real. And seaweed is the main ingredient in every meal—watch out, it might just start chewing you back!New kid Davy definitely thinks Topsea is strange. His mom keeps saying they'll get used to life in their new town—it's just the way things are on the coast! But after his first day at Topsea School, Davy finds himself wondering: Why is his locker all the way at the bottom of the school swimming pool? Why can't anyone remember his name? (It's Davy!) And why does everyone act like all of this is normal?!
Kir Fox |
What makes this book a great read is that writers Fox and Coats take a typical kid and place him smack dab in the middle where the norm is anything BUT normal and we're along for the ride. I think that's what makes this book fun for middle school readers. The read is fun, a little off kilter and just a touch of oddity that kids in this age group gravitate to.
Shelley Coats |
That being said, what were some of your favorite books as a tween/teen?
Comments
When I was a tween/teen, I read a lot of Judy Blume. I loved her and still do.