The Last Last-Day-of-Summer by Lamar Giles

The “last day of summer” turns into a literal race against time for two intrepid, legendary sleuths.

The Last Last-Day-of-Summer by Lamar
Giles.  Versify (HMH), 2019, 288 pages

Reading Level: Middle
Grades, ages 10-12

Recommended for: ages 8-14

Octavius (Otto) and his
cousin Rasheed (Sheed) are already legends in their hometown of Fry, Virginia:
mystery-solvin’, adventure-lovin’, hard bike-ridin’sleuths rivaled only by the
Epic Ellison twins.  As another legendary
summer comes to an end, the boys set out to enjoy one last epic day of sunshine
and adventure.  Then a man in a white
suit with a Polaroid camera appears.  He tricks
the boys into taking a picture of their home town . . . and stops time.  Definitely weird, but it can’t be
random.  As Otto, the logical, deliberate
one, observes, “There’s a ton of weirdness in Logan County, but few
coincidences.”  Unfortunately there’s a ton
of consequences if the duo can’t get time unstuck.  They’re going to need help from an unlikely
(and some unworldly) group of allies, including Dusk and Dawn (the Golden Hour
twins), a superhero named Time Star and Father Time himself.  Also the Epic Ellisons. 

Things get pretty wild and wacky, but there are some thoughtful pauses as well as sharp character observation.  What is time? is a question that’s plagued philosophers from . . . well, from the beginning of time, with St. Augustine as a notable example.  The Last Last-Day-of-Summer is no philosophical treatise, but it may stir some wondering along with the laughs and the character development.  Kids who want summer to never end may change their minds.

Cautions: None

Overall Rating: 4 (out of 5)

Worldview/moral value: 3.75Artistic value: 4.25The post The Last Last-Day-of-Summer by Lamar Giles appeared first on Redeemed Reader.