Author: Anna Humphrey
Genre: magical realism/early chapter book
Similar books: Under the Bed Fred by Linda Bailey
Tales from Deckawoo Drive by Kate DiCamillo
Rating:
 |
| maybe a little too weird |
Summary (provided by publisher):
Daniel Misumi has just moved to a new house. It's big and old and far away from his friends and his life before. AND it's haunted . . . or is it?
Megabat was just napping on a papaya one day when he was stuffed in a box and shipped halfway across the world. Now he's living in an old house far from home, feeling sorry for himself and accidentally scaring the people who live there.
Daniel realizes it's not a ghost in his new house. It's a bat. And he can talk. And he's actually kind of cute.
Megabat realizes that not every human wants to whack him with a broom. This one shares his smooshfruit.
Add some buttermelon, juice boxes, a lightsaber and a common enemy and you've got a new friendship in the making!
My opinion: The new kid struggling to find his place plot can be hard to keep fresh, especially for a very young audience. I can't say that it would have ever occurred to me to parallel the new kid with a talking fruit bat. It's a rather odd twist but works surprisingly well, as the desire to help the bat transitions Daniel into a friendship. Now, that doesn't make the plot any less strange. It takes some decidedly bizarre turns. Additionally, there's a conflict, that with the "common enemy" of the description, that felt like a missed opportunity. Characters are fairly flat. Still, it could be a solid choice for kids open to a truly unique experience.
More information: Megabat releases August 7.
Advance Reader Copy provided by NetGalley
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