In The Last Last-Day-of-Summer, Otto and Sheed have “A legendary bond that wouldn’t be broken, no matter what came their way.” Bikes, Grandma’s pie, the hardware store–all normal life stuff that makes it so much fun to live in Fry Country. Addictive and action-packed, this story doesn’t slow down until the problem is solved. Being very three dimensional, Otto and Sheed often act like brothers, even though they are actually cousins. They can mess with each other but nobody else better even try. Facing each challenge head on, Otto and Sheed are asking themselves if they are strong enough to fight things like bullies, creatures from the deep dark, loss of family, and even a few personal doubts. Always ready to be heroes, Otto and Sheed are facing the challenges of “today” and get a rare glimpse into the future that makes them determined to be better versions of who they are. Living with Grandma, she shares words of wisdom that they are shocked to realize they have actually learned from. Of course, every story has a problem to be solved and, in this case, that would be Mr. Flux whose naughtiness culminates in a great teaching moment for several characters.
The author, Lamar Giles, has done a beautiful job growing these characters. Dealing with some hard issues like bullies, personal doubt, and the strength to keep trying, the teaching moments are so well blended into the story that they are most often humorous and amusing. Easy to read and with fantastic details, this should be mandatory reading for every middle school kid!
Review of an Advance Reading Copy
This book was sent to Compass Book Ratings for review by Versify
Content Analysis:
Profanity/Language: None
Violence/Gore: Two men fight in a weird bendy way, no details; mention of people who fell in a creek and are never seen again; a teen bully used to call another teen boy mean, hurtful names with life-long consequences; a pre-teen boy was kidnapped by a man but not hurt; a pre-teen boy hits a man in the chest several times because the pre-teen is upset; a pre-teen boy learns about the future death of family members; a pre-teen boy kicks a man in the groin in order to get away; an epic battle between many strange characters: some tipping, shoving, and minor electrical charges.
Sex/Nudity: A pre-teen boy has a crush on a pre-teen girl, he was very shy so nothing happened; a man has a crush on a woman, no emotional or descriptive details; 2 men grow up to marry women from their past.
Mature Subject Matter:
Bullying; possible death of parents; time travel; sibling/cousin rivalry.
Alcohol / Drug Use:
None
