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A Legendary Alston Boys Adventure #1
The Last Last-Day-of-Summer
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.
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.
Audible Audio
First published April 2, 2019
230 people are currently reading
3323 people want to read
About the author
Lamar Giles
32 books617 followersLamar "L. R." Giles writes books for teens and adults. FAKE ID, his debut Young Adult Thriller, will be published by HarperCollins in 2014. He is represented by Jamie Weiss Chilton of the Andrea Brown Literary Agency and resides in Chesapeake, VA with his wife.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 308 reviews
August 20, 2021
I'd recommend this more for actual kids (y'know, the intended audience) than adults, but it was a very pleasant and positive story about cousins saving their town not-at-all-single-handedly. I had picked this up thinking it was a Groundhog's Day type concept (like 11 Birthdays) but it's actually the entire town stuck in time, and most people literally frozen in place because time has gone awry.
I would read more set in this weird-but-ordinary town. Maybe a follow-up adventure for the Epic twin sisters and their killer robot?
I would read more set in this weird-but-ordinary town. Maybe a follow-up adventure for the Epic twin sisters and their killer robot?
April 18, 2019
The book was a short fun read where cousins Otto and Sheed, the legendary Alston boys who have saved the town many a time with their heroics, came across Mr. Flux and his magic camera which literally stopped time. The boys had to work double time to get to the bottom of this mystery and free the people who were frozen in time.
My first book by Lamar Giles, it was exciting in some parts, the characters Otto and Sheed were well etched. They were enthusiastic and bright. There were a few illustrations which quickened the pace and provided imagery to the words. The rest of the characters were sweet and different, and there was love between them. The boys were well liked.
My niggles would be, the writing felt flat at times, the journal entries were fun but didn't give a smoothness to the prose. The plot too could have been more cohesive.
Overall it was one of those quick reads which would definitely excite kids with its quirkiness.
My first book by Lamar Giles, it was exciting in some parts, the characters Otto and Sheed were well etched. They were enthusiastic and bright. There were a few illustrations which quickened the pace and provided imagery to the words. The rest of the characters were sweet and different, and there was love between them. The boys were well liked.
My niggles would be, the writing felt flat at times, the journal entries were fun but didn't give a smoothness to the prose. The plot too could have been more cohesive.
Overall it was one of those quick reads which would definitely excite kids with its quirkiness.
November 6, 2022
4.5 stars rounded up
The Last Last-Day-0f-Summer is a funny, rompy middle grade novel following two cousins wishing summer would just keep going. But when they unexpectedly get their wish, their entire town freezes and strange people and creatures begin to appear. They must find a way to unfreeze their town so that summer doesn't last forever.
I read this one to my kids (ages 6 and 8) before bed and they really enjoyed it. It's fast-paced and action packed with very solid humor, and growth arcs for characters as well. Themes include friendship, loyalty, and believing in yourself. Note that there is a plot point where someone from the future reveals that one of the cousins dies young of an illness and that isn't resolved in this book, though I suspect it will come up later in the series. Overall a great time and one I would definitely recommend! I received a copy of this book for review from the publisher, all opinions are my own.
The Last Last-Day-0f-Summer is a funny, rompy middle grade novel following two cousins wishing summer would just keep going. But when they unexpectedly get their wish, their entire town freezes and strange people and creatures begin to appear. They must find a way to unfreeze their town so that summer doesn't last forever.
I read this one to my kids (ages 6 and 8) before bed and they really enjoyed it. It's fast-paced and action packed with very solid humor, and growth arcs for characters as well. Themes include friendship, loyalty, and believing in yourself. Note that there is a plot point where someone from the future reveals that one of the cousins dies young of an illness and that isn't resolved in this book, though I suspect it will come up later in the series. Overall a great time and one I would definitely recommend! I received a copy of this book for review from the publisher, all opinions are my own.
July 14, 2019
We often say we need diverse books, and that diversity is necessary not only in racial representation but also in variety of stories we tell. And to this end we have the adventures of Sheed and Otto in The Last Day of Summer.
REVIEW👉🏿Sheed and Otto are amateur sleuths in their small town and each time they help solve a town mystery they are awarded a key to the city. And in this latest challenge, time has been manipulated to the point to where it has been frozen leaving the town in flux. The cousin team has their greatest challenge ahead of them, to restore time and put it back in its proper place.
They will have to enlist their neighborhood rivals, the epic Ellison twins, bright science-centered young girls, who by the way currently have one more city key than Otto and Sheed. So the zaniness of restoring time is replete with all kinds of references to time, providing sneaky inspiration for young readers.
All this is written in a fast paced madcap type of way, designed to catch and hold the attention of young readers. Some of the situations may seem to go over the head of a young audience, but you want kids to be challenged a bit through reading.The fun and craziness of this book will keep the pages turning as I believe most children will stay curious enough to see how it all ends, and that cover, yes! Thanks to Netgalley for an advanced DRC.
REVIEW👉🏿Sheed and Otto are amateur sleuths in their small town and each time they help solve a town mystery they are awarded a key to the city. And in this latest challenge, time has been manipulated to the point to where it has been frozen leaving the town in flux. The cousin team has their greatest challenge ahead of them, to restore time and put it back in its proper place.
They will have to enlist their neighborhood rivals, the epic Ellison twins, bright science-centered young girls, who by the way currently have one more city key than Otto and Sheed. So the zaniness of restoring time is replete with all kinds of references to time, providing sneaky inspiration for young readers.
All this is written in a fast paced madcap type of way, designed to catch and hold the attention of young readers. Some of the situations may seem to go over the head of a young audience, but you want kids to be challenged a bit through reading.The fun and craziness of this book will keep the pages turning as I believe most children will stay curious enough to see how it all ends, and that cover, yes! Thanks to Netgalley for an advanced DRC.
December 27, 2020
3.5 stars Weird things happen in Logan County; time travel, supernatural creatures, futuristic gadgets, etc. In this first in what looks to become a series, cousins Otto and Sheed freeze time. Now what? As they meet an assortment of characters, who they can trust will make all the difference if the Legendary Alston Boys are to save the day.
Young sci fi fans and those looking for futuristc time travel stories that are not about reliving events of the past will want to give this one a try. #WeNeedDiverseBooks #poc #BlackScienceFiction
Young sci fi fans and those looking for futuristc time travel stories that are not about reliving events of the past will want to give this one a try. #WeNeedDiverseBooks #poc #BlackScienceFiction
August 7, 2021
This MG fantasy adventure is brilliantly wacky and hilarious, full of wildly imaginative fun, and also perfectly grounded by real heart. (At two different points, I teared up! I LOVED it.) I read this one out loud to both my 12-year-old and my 8-year-old, they both loved it too, and when we finished, they both insisted we need to get Book 2 ASAP. They love the Legendary Alston Boys, and so do I! (And all the other wonderful characters too. I'm hoping for more of the Epic Ellison sisters in the next book, because their scenes in this book were FABULOUS.)
June 4, 2019
What a fun book! Let me count the ways: 1) robots; 2) time travel; 3) mysterious evil person; 4) giant platypus-like creatures; 5) flying cars; 6) giant fly paper; 7) monsters trapped in mirrors; 8) frozen time; etc. etc. So much is going on in this book that makes it so engaging. Take all of this and pair it with a cousin team who solve mysteries in their slightly-off county that now have the fate of everyone they know and love on their shoulders, and you have a book that is going to be a favorite!
I also would love to talk about the theme! However, I cannot talk about the theme. (I know–a tease!) The theme is part of the big reveal at the end. But I want to vaguely say that it is a theme that so many kids need to hear and we, as adults, need to talk to them about. (Though–even with this important theme, the book’s main pull is its just pure, fun adventures!)
Full review: http://www.unleashingreaders.com/?p=1...
I also would love to talk about the theme! However, I cannot talk about the theme. (I know–a tease!) The theme is part of the big reveal at the end. But I want to vaguely say that it is a theme that so many kids need to hear and we, as adults, need to talk to them about. (Though–even with this important theme, the book’s main pull is its just pure, fun adventures!)
Full review: http://www.unleashingreaders.com/?p=1...
May 2, 2019
Unfortunately, this has ended up in my "tried to read and just couldn't finish it" category. I read the first 100 pages hoping it would catch my interest and it just never picked up for me. It feels like this book is part of a series and I picked up the middle book. It keeps referring to all of these things and adventures the boys have had which probably would have provided a more solid foundation to build on. Instead I just felt a little lost and was constantly trying to figure out what was going on and why the entire setting for the book was so strange. And the plot line is just as disjointed. It is a fantasy book that just isn't done right and therefore makes all the fantasy/magical elements just seem weird and unrelated and unconnected.
June 28, 2019
It's the last day of summer in the rather strange town of Fry in equally strange Logan County, Virginia and Otto (Octavius) Alston is up early and wants to make the most of it. Maybe even have such an awesome adventure solving a big enough problem that the mayor would award the Legendary Alston Boys a third key to the city, especially now that he's just learned that the Epic Ellisons - twins Wiki and Leen - just received their third key. Unfortunately, his cousin Sheed (Rasheed) Alston isn't quite as enthusiastic.
While hanging around the hillside that overlooks the town Fry, as Otto furiously makes notes about possible adventures, tall thin man wearing a stovepipe hat suddenly approaches asking if they are the Legendary Alston Boys of Logan County. Introducing himself as Mr. Flux, he has a gift for Otto and Sheed - an big, heavy, old fashioned camera and insists they take a picture of the spectacular view of Fry. No sooner does Otto take the picture, but a blinding flash of light produces a man from the sky, knocking Mr. Flux out and asking "Did it work? Is this the right day?" and tells the boys to take the camera and run.
Which they do - right on home to Grandma's house, where they find everything is frozen, including Grandma, and though she is standing at the stove cooking, there are none of her good cooking smells wafting through the house. Figuring they have found their problem to solve, they manage to unfreeze their bikes and head in to town, noticing that everyone and everything is also frozen in the last position of what they were doing, just like Grandma. They stock up supplies they might need at the hardware store, but just as they leave, there's a loud commotion on the street. It's a large crowd of strange-looking people stampeding by, followed by a giant furry creature with legs as big as an elephant's.
Back out on the street, Otto and Sheed hear someone moaning. It tuns out to be two shiny stylists named Golden Hour, A.M. and Golden Hour, P.M., who are actually agents of time called Clock Watchers. The boys follow them to the high school library, where they find a gathering of people all involved in time, including Father Time. It seems that time is frozen and they need to discover why and how to undo it and get it moving again. Along the way, the Legendary Alston Boys get help from a superhero named TimeStar (the same guy who came out of the sky and knocked Mr. Flux out, who, if you haven't already guessed, is the villain in this novel), Father Time, the Golden Hour twins, Petey from the hardware store, and yes, even their rivals, the Ellison Twins.
The Last Last-Day-of-Summer is a very zany, very quirky book. I'm not a big fan of this kind of science fiction, but I did find it entertaining, and I loved Otto and Sheed. I was also glad there were illustrations to help visualize some of the odd characters Giles has included, even though his descriptions were sufficient on their own. I quite liked that fact that this isn't Otto and Sheed's first problem solving adventure, they have already had a number of exciting and unusual exploits that summer, and have quite a reputation in Logan County for their deductive and investigative skills. All this experience have led the cousins to formulate a list of useful Maneuvers for getting out of sticky situations (see the Appendix for a list of the ones used in this book).
Some of the time-related characters were, I thought, clever and amusing. For example, there's the giant creature called Time Sucks; the indecisive Second Guessers who work with the Minute Men, who handle some of the more tedious time management tasks; Witching Hour, the maker of the magical camera Mr. Flux gives to Otto and Sheed; and of course, Mr. Flux, time trickster extraordinaire. They are all personifications of time related expressions and each plays a part in the story according to the expression they are named after.
The carpe diem approach to the last day of school was a nice touch and the idea of making the most of it will probably resonate with young readers, but there's a nice lessons about being careful what you wish for and about missed opportunities.
The real importance of The Last Last-Day-of-Summer is it shows readers that kids of color, like Otto and Sheed, can be heroic main characters in books, that they are smart and that they can have wonderful imaginative adventures. This is one of the first books published by Kwame Alexander's imprint Versify and it certainly does live up to their goal of publishing books that "engage, entertain, and empower young people." I've already read a few books published by Versify and can't wait to see what the future will bring from this imprint. Who knows, maybe even some more adventures for Otto and Sheed.
This book is recommended for readers age 9+
While hanging around the hillside that overlooks the town Fry, as Otto furiously makes notes about possible adventures, tall thin man wearing a stovepipe hat suddenly approaches asking if they are the Legendary Alston Boys of Logan County. Introducing himself as Mr. Flux, he has a gift for Otto and Sheed - an big, heavy, old fashioned camera and insists they take a picture of the spectacular view of Fry. No sooner does Otto take the picture, but a blinding flash of light produces a man from the sky, knocking Mr. Flux out and asking "Did it work? Is this the right day?" and tells the boys to take the camera and run.
Which they do - right on home to Grandma's house, where they find everything is frozen, including Grandma, and though she is standing at the stove cooking, there are none of her good cooking smells wafting through the house. Figuring they have found their problem to solve, they manage to unfreeze their bikes and head in to town, noticing that everyone and everything is also frozen in the last position of what they were doing, just like Grandma. They stock up supplies they might need at the hardware store, but just as they leave, there's a loud commotion on the street. It's a large crowd of strange-looking people stampeding by, followed by a giant furry creature with legs as big as an elephant's.
Back out on the street, Otto and Sheed hear someone moaning. It tuns out to be two shiny stylists named Golden Hour, A.M. and Golden Hour, P.M., who are actually agents of time called Clock Watchers. The boys follow them to the high school library, where they find a gathering of people all involved in time, including Father Time. It seems that time is frozen and they need to discover why and how to undo it and get it moving again. Along the way, the Legendary Alston Boys get help from a superhero named TimeStar (the same guy who came out of the sky and knocked Mr. Flux out, who, if you haven't already guessed, is the villain in this novel), Father Time, the Golden Hour twins, Petey from the hardware store, and yes, even their rivals, the Ellison Twins.
The Last Last-Day-of-Summer is a very zany, very quirky book. I'm not a big fan of this kind of science fiction, but I did find it entertaining, and I loved Otto and Sheed. I was also glad there were illustrations to help visualize some of the odd characters Giles has included, even though his descriptions were sufficient on their own. I quite liked that fact that this isn't Otto and Sheed's first problem solving adventure, they have already had a number of exciting and unusual exploits that summer, and have quite a reputation in Logan County for their deductive and investigative skills. All this experience have led the cousins to formulate a list of useful Maneuvers for getting out of sticky situations (see the Appendix for a list of the ones used in this book).
Some of the time-related characters were, I thought, clever and amusing. For example, there's the giant creature called Time Sucks; the indecisive Second Guessers who work with the Minute Men, who handle some of the more tedious time management tasks; Witching Hour, the maker of the magical camera Mr. Flux gives to Otto and Sheed; and of course, Mr. Flux, time trickster extraordinaire. They are all personifications of time related expressions and each plays a part in the story according to the expression they are named after.
The carpe diem approach to the last day of school was a nice touch and the idea of making the most of it will probably resonate with young readers, but there's a nice lessons about being careful what you wish for and about missed opportunities.
The real importance of The Last Last-Day-of-Summer is it shows readers that kids of color, like Otto and Sheed, can be heroic main characters in books, that they are smart and that they can have wonderful imaginative adventures. This is one of the first books published by Kwame Alexander's imprint Versify and it certainly does live up to their goal of publishing books that "engage, entertain, and empower young people." I've already read a few books published by Versify and can't wait to see what the future will bring from this imprint. Who knows, maybe even some more adventures for Otto and Sheed.
This book is recommended for readers age 9+
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January 26, 2023Meet 11-year-old cousins Otto and Sheed, local sleuths who come to the rescue of their Virginia town time and again. Summer is starting to wind down—and the specter of the first day of school looms—when Mr. Flux uses his magic camera to freeze time. It’s one thing to wish summer would last longer, it’s quite another when time stands still and no one in town can move. You won’t be able to stop yourself from rooting for the Legendary Alston Boys as they use their wits and enlist the help of their rivals in order to save their town once more.
I enjoyed getting to talk with Lamar in What Should I Read Next #186: Finding the book that feels like it was written just for you.
I enjoyed getting to talk with Lamar in What Should I Read Next #186: Finding the book that feels like it was written just for you.
August 6, 2021
I am reminded of Norton Juster's The Phantom Tollbooth, only in this version we get two protagonists who really grow as characters and as friends throughout the story. Cousins and legendary adventurers Otto and Sheed have one last day of Summer vacation. Trying to make that day last as long as possible with one last great adventure turns into a time-stopping nightmare, requiring the boys to use their wits and experience to change things back to normal. I love that this book just drops you into their world and doesn't bog you down with a tired origin story, and despite the fun tone, the story has some serious stakes. Easy to recommend to just about anyone.
April 11, 2019
What I Liked
Otto and Sheed are wonderful to follow along and read about. Their list of maneuvers is hilariously long! The notes Otto keeps in his notebook cracked me up too!
Entry #36: We froze time.
Entry #37: Sheed might be upset.
The whole adventure is very imaginative. I loved all the names for the different time people. There is even some heartwarming stuff in there (which I'm pretty sure is a spoiler, so I'm not going to include it!).
What I Would Have Liked to See
I had an ARC so it was printed before all the (I'm sure) awesome illustrations for the inside. I would have liked to see those.
My Favorite!
"Wiki Ellison ain't so bad." Umm Lamar, when are you going to write the story of the Epic Ellisons?
TL;DR
When cousins Otto and Sheed accidentally freeze time, they must solve the mystery of the time-stealing stranger, the mystery of the time-traveling stranger, and the mystery of how to get more Keys to the City than the Epic Ellison twins, before time is frozen in their town forever (and ever).
Otto and Sheed are wonderful to follow along and read about. Their list of maneuvers is hilariously long! The notes Otto keeps in his notebook cracked me up too!
Entry #36: We froze time.
Entry #37: Sheed might be upset.
The whole adventure is very imaginative. I loved all the names for the different time people. There is even some heartwarming stuff in there (which I'm pretty sure is a spoiler, so I'm not going to include it!).
What I Would Have Liked to See
I had an ARC so it was printed before all the (I'm sure) awesome illustrations for the inside. I would have liked to see those.
My Favorite!
"Wiki Ellison ain't so bad." Umm Lamar, when are you going to write the story of the Epic Ellisons?
TL;DR
When cousins Otto and Sheed accidentally freeze time, they must solve the mystery of the time-stealing stranger, the mystery of the time-traveling stranger, and the mystery of how to get more Keys to the City than the Epic Ellison twins, before time is frozen in their town forever (and ever).
June 27, 2020
Enjoyed this quirky read from Lamar Giles. There’s a lot of playfulness in his writing and in the story, and I loved the illustrations and note entries that were paired with the story. There were so many wacky parts of the story, but it totally worked. I hope we get to see Otto and Sheed’s next adventure!
Otto and Sheed are cousins in Logan County...a place known for its weirdness. The cousins are frequently called to save the county from dangers and other wacky things that happen. This story begins on the last day of summer vacation; the boys are greeted by a strange man, Mr. Flux, who freezes time!
Otto and Sheed have to work together to save the county from being frozen forever. They get help from a curious stranger and even get help from their rivals in order to defeat Mr. Flux.
This story takes you through the inventive, funny, and brave ways these boys set out to save time!
Otto and Sheed are cousins in Logan County...a place known for its weirdness. The cousins are frequently called to save the county from dangers and other wacky things that happen. This story begins on the last day of summer vacation; the boys are greeted by a strange man, Mr. Flux, who freezes time!
Otto and Sheed have to work together to save the county from being frozen forever. They get help from a curious stranger and even get help from their rivals in order to defeat Mr. Flux.
This story takes you through the inventive, funny, and brave ways these boys set out to save time!
October 11, 2020
I can't believe that this book wasn't on my radar! This is an nonsensical adventure story that follows two cousins, Otto and Sheed, in their weird town of Fry in Logan County, where strangeness is a way of life. An adventure story, staring two Black boys, grief isn't the center of it, they just get to go about solving mysteries, annihilating magical creatures, and gaining notoriety as the best detectives in the city!! Yes this delivers all of that. I hope that this series goes on for a long time because of the possibilities that are there and the possibilities for a spin-off staring Black girl detectives!
I thoroughly enjoyed myself with this one and I can't wait to read the second in the series! Definitely something to add to your bookshelves.
I thoroughly enjoyed myself with this one and I can't wait to read the second in the series! Definitely something to add to your bookshelves.
February 26, 2019
This book is a pleasure from page one when Sheed and Otto encounter an ACK-ronym!
As billed, it's a bit Phantom Tollbooth, with the anthropomorphized concepts like "A.M" and "P.M," and But it also gets into the heart of boy friendships and jealousy and feeling the need to prove oneself. And has a cartoon feel, a la Powerpuff Girls.
I read an ARC, and excited to see the artwork in the final. And hurray for Black boys having adventures and growth that is not centered around race, trauma, pain, or being anything but a pair of wacky kids in a funky town on an adventure.
As billed, it's a bit Phantom Tollbooth, with the anthropomorphized concepts like "A.M" and "P.M," and But it also gets into the heart of boy friendships and jealousy and feeling the need to prove oneself. And has a cartoon feel, a la Powerpuff Girls.
I read an ARC, and excited to see the artwork in the final. And hurray for Black boys having adventures and growth that is not centered around race, trauma, pain, or being anything but a pair of wacky kids in a funky town on an adventure.
November 22, 2018
What a fantastic, fantastical story! So many twists and turns in this time-travel adventure led by cousins Otto and Sheed, who use their unique talents to try and save the day when time goes haywire in their town. The boys are lovable from the very first chapter, and all of the characters (from the grandma to unexpected creatures to a pair of rival twin girls) jump off the page with tons of voice and heart. Kids are going to want to read this one again and again, especially black kids, who'll finally get to see themselves in the pages of a story like this.
August 27, 2019
There are books that you read that you just can’t wait to reread and there are books that you read that you can’t wait to reread to someone.
This one is the latter.
I love this book; it’s an instant classic. I want to read a chapter to a child every night— it’s the perfect adventure story to read someone to sleep with.
I love this book and now I have to buy it and give it to someone so they can love it, too. Thanks Otto and Sheed for taking me on your summer adventure with you.
This one is the latter.
I love this book; it’s an instant classic. I want to read a chapter to a child every night— it’s the perfect adventure story to read someone to sleep with.
I love this book and now I have to buy it and give it to someone so they can love it, too. Thanks Otto and Sheed for taking me on your summer adventure with you.
July 15, 2019
This a was fun read. It reminded me of Norton Juster's The Phantom Tollbooth, but in a way that's truly Giles's own. I liked the realistic friendship between the two cousins. I also liked some surprises near the end that I didn't see coming.
July 17, 2020
I normally do not like science fiction, but this was not over the top, and I really enjoyed the characters!
June 14, 2019
It is the last Monday in August. School is about to start and cousins Otto and Sheed are determined to do something special on this, the last day of summer. Adventure finds them as a photo taken with a camera from a mysterious stranger puts the entire town in a time freeze. These two resourceful tweens set out to make things right with the help of some out of ordinary, not to mention extraordinary, characters they meet along the way.
This story is the weird and clever of Gravity Falls meets Phineas & Ferb. These “Legendary Alston Boys of Logan County” are known for solving the wacky and bizarre all over their strange county. Just that summer they had battled laughing locusts and banshees. In fact, the cousins have been awarded the key to the city twice. They follow the peculiar and unknown with a notebook of clues and list of kooky numbered maneuvers that range from distracting Grandma to Jumping the Creek.
The illustrations in this middle-grade book pull the reader in and keep up with the fast pace of the story. While there is a mystery to solve and plenty of physics busting, time-twisting science fiction- with a touch of fantasy- fun to go around, this is also a story about relationships and choices that people make along the way that could have lasting consequences in the real world. With bikes, robots, and arch-rivals turned allies, this is the perfect summer read and will fit nicely into any 4-7 grade library.
This story is the weird and clever of Gravity Falls meets Phineas & Ferb. These “Legendary Alston Boys of Logan County” are known for solving the wacky and bizarre all over their strange county. Just that summer they had battled laughing locusts and banshees. In fact, the cousins have been awarded the key to the city twice. They follow the peculiar and unknown with a notebook of clues and list of kooky numbered maneuvers that range from distracting Grandma to Jumping the Creek.
The illustrations in this middle-grade book pull the reader in and keep up with the fast pace of the story. While there is a mystery to solve and plenty of physics busting, time-twisting science fiction- with a touch of fantasy- fun to go around, this is also a story about relationships and choices that people make along the way that could have lasting consequences in the real world. With bikes, robots, and arch-rivals turned allies, this is the perfect summer read and will fit nicely into any 4-7 grade library.
July 30, 2020
Rollicking adventure! Time travel! Plucky duo(s!)! Weird setting! There's a freaking map in the front of this book! Ownvoices! Super weird giant monsters! Originality! FUN!
I mean really. This book. So good.
This book was so much FUN To Read. It's about these kids (who apparently already have a reputation in their town) who accidentally (sorta) freeze the town in time. So only they can rescue their community!
One of my favorite bits in this book is about the The Eternal Creek which runs to one side of their town. I won't spoil the coolness, but it's so great!
Oh, and did I mention there are illustrations in this book - created by the great Dapo Adeola?!? Not as many as Pie in the Sky, but more than a few.
Seriously. This book.
Shoo-in for booktalking with elementary-aged kids, though I'm also campaigning for it to be included in the Battle of the Books list for 2020-2021.
Even though the idea of an eternal summer might feel particularly weird this year...
I mean really. This book. So good.
This book was so much FUN To Read. It's about these kids (who apparently already have a reputation in their town) who accidentally (sorta) freeze the town in time. So only they can rescue their community!
One of my favorite bits in this book is about the The Eternal Creek which runs to one side of their town. I won't spoil the coolness, but it's so great!
Oh, and did I mention there are illustrations in this book - created by the great Dapo Adeola?!? Not as many as Pie in the Sky, but more than a few.
Seriously. This book.
Shoo-in for booktalking with elementary-aged kids, though I'm also campaigning for it to be included in the Battle of the Books list for 2020-2021.
Even though the idea of an eternal summer might feel particularly weird this year...
July 13, 2021
This completes Task 9: Read a middle grade mystery of Book Riot's Read Harder Challenge.
The book was a silly, supernatural mystery for younger kids. It's funny, I would have read this in elementary school since I loved Nancy Drew and RL Stine's (before Goosebumps), but not Jr. high. By then, I was on to vampires, serial killers, and other supernatural, murdery stuff.
I liked it. I didn't take too well to Otto's character, but he did eventually learn things. I definitely wanted to know more about the Mirror Antique lady and the Ellison girls. I loved the different clock watchers and trying to guess which one they were based on the description. That part of the story was quite creative. The plot was a bit predictable, but it moved through the story and it definitely kept me interested. I certainly would recommend this story for your Jr. High kids, because it has good lessons in it and it's a nice mystery. I will say that the html version I read had lots of spelling, grammar mistakes an editor should have easily caught.
The book was a silly, supernatural mystery for younger kids. It's funny, I would have read this in elementary school since I loved Nancy Drew and RL Stine's (before Goosebumps), but not Jr. high. By then, I was on to vampires, serial killers, and other supernatural, murdery stuff.
I liked it. I didn't take too well to Otto's character, but he did eventually learn things. I definitely wanted to know more about the Mirror Antique lady and the Ellison girls. I loved the different clock watchers and trying to guess which one they were based on the description. That part of the story was quite creative. The plot was a bit predictable, but it moved through the story and it definitely kept me interested. I certainly would recommend this story for your Jr. High kids, because it has good lessons in it and it's a nice mystery. I will say that the html version I read had lots of spelling, grammar mistakes an editor should have easily caught.
August 7, 2019
I wanted to like this book because many of my 4th/5th grade students were so excited to read it. Unfortunately, a few chapters in it was almost unreadable. Otto and Sheed are likable, adventurous brothers, but there is little to no character development. There is so much action jammed in every page, paragraph, and sentence it feels forced, with no discernible plot to cling to. To me reading this book felt like being stuck in the theater watching a bad kids movie and you really want to leave but you can’t because your kids need a ride home so you sit there and stomach it for 90 minutes. Hopefully kids enjoy it more than I did!
August 8, 2022
Nothing wrong with it really. Just not my thing. like at all. If I wasn't reading it for a reading challenge thing I probably wouldn't have finished it.
I'll probably try at least one more thing from Lamar Giles but not in this series. I've read some short stories of his from anthologies and liked them sooo I don't completely hate his work.
I'll probably try at least one more thing from Lamar Giles but not in this series. I've read some short stories of his from anthologies and liked them sooo I don't completely hate his work.
didn-t-finish
May 13, 2019Too much going on and not enough character development for me to stay engaged in the audio. Perhaps I will give the print version a go in the near future.
December 31, 2022
Otto and Sheed are the Legendary Alston Boys of Logan County, Virginia. They are cousins who team up to solve mysteries, usually of the supernatural variety, in their zany town of Fry. Although this is the first in a series of books, Otto and Sheed already have a number of adventures under their belts, along with a few Keys to the City. Their sleuthing prowess is perhaps only exceeded by their rivals, the Ellison twins, two sisters who are leading the Alston boys in Keys to the City.
In this particular tale, Sheed and Otto are wandering around Fry, looking for something to do on the last day of summer vacation. When they encounter an odd fellow named Mr. Flux, dressed in a suit and a top hat, they allow him to convince them to take a picture of Fry from high atop the tallest hill in the town. A mysterious time traveling man who calls himself TimeStar tries to stop them, but it's too late. The camera turns out to be a magical one which freezes everything it captures. In this case, the entire town of Fry becomes frozen - both objects and living things. As the Alstons wander through town, examining the aftermath, they find that they can unfreeze inanimate objects by touching them; however, they are unable to unfreeze all of their fellow citizens. The people can still talk, but they cannot move.
Just when things seemingly couldn't get any weirder, a giant creature that looks to be part elephant, part platypus comes rumbling through town, chasing a mob of scared "people". However, these are not ordinary people who have somehow managed to stave off being frozen. They are Clock Watchers - beings who are usually invisible to humans and who are responsible for controlling all aspects of time. With time frozen, they suddenly find themselves without jobs to do, and are also now visible to humans.
As Otto and Sheed proceed with their investigation, they learn that Mr. Flux intentionally froze Fry. But what was his motive? And who is TimeStar? Is he really from the future? The Alston Boys must figure all of this out before it is too late and their town is frozen forever.
Again, it is difficult to review and rate a children's book that I am only reading as coach of my daughter's Battle of the Books team. This is obviously not something I would pick up to read on my own. However, even through that lens, I found it to be just ok. I have read better sci-fi/fantasy middle grade fiction that I legitimately did not want to put down. This wasn't that. Even though Mr. Flux was a devious character, there never seemed to be any real peril. Frozen things could be unfrozen, and the prospect of death or injury was never really on the line. There were a few twists along the way, but nothing that you couldn't see coming a mile away.
In this particular tale, Sheed and Otto are wandering around Fry, looking for something to do on the last day of summer vacation. When they encounter an odd fellow named Mr. Flux, dressed in a suit and a top hat, they allow him to convince them to take a picture of Fry from high atop the tallest hill in the town. A mysterious time traveling man who calls himself TimeStar tries to stop them, but it's too late. The camera turns out to be a magical one which freezes everything it captures. In this case, the entire town of Fry becomes frozen - both objects and living things. As the Alstons wander through town, examining the aftermath, they find that they can unfreeze inanimate objects by touching them; however, they are unable to unfreeze all of their fellow citizens. The people can still talk, but they cannot move.
Just when things seemingly couldn't get any weirder, a giant creature that looks to be part elephant, part platypus comes rumbling through town, chasing a mob of scared "people". However, these are not ordinary people who have somehow managed to stave off being frozen. They are Clock Watchers - beings who are usually invisible to humans and who are responsible for controlling all aspects of time. With time frozen, they suddenly find themselves without jobs to do, and are also now visible to humans.
As Otto and Sheed proceed with their investigation, they learn that Mr. Flux intentionally froze Fry. But what was his motive? And who is TimeStar? Is he really from the future? The Alston Boys must figure all of this out before it is too late and their town is frozen forever.
Again, it is difficult to review and rate a children's book that I am only reading as coach of my daughter's Battle of the Books team. This is obviously not something I would pick up to read on my own. However, even through that lens, I found it to be just ok. I have read better sci-fi/fantasy middle grade fiction that I legitimately did not want to put down. This wasn't that. Even though Mr. Flux was a devious character, there never seemed to be any real peril. Frozen things could be unfrozen, and the prospect of death or injury was never really on the line. There were a few twists along the way, but nothing that you couldn't see coming a mile away.
January 11, 2024
Review for Battle of the Books 2024
289 pages. Black author (he/him), co-founder of WeNeedDiverseBooks. Cousins Otto and Sheed (both he/him and Black) live with their grandmother. MCs in middle school. Tons of weird things happen in Logan County, Otto and Sheed are used to it and legendary at fixing the problems. When they accidently freeze time with an old camera, they have to figure out how to undo it. Time travel, mystery, two Black kids saving the world in a good fun adventure. Also allowed to be vulnerable and cry. I think the time travel in this is more accessible than When You Reach Me, which needs a reader to know A Wrinkle in Time to really appreciate it. Great Battle choice. I understand why it was pushed through last year. It definitely deserves to be considered again.
289 pages. Black author (he/him), co-founder of WeNeedDiverseBooks. Cousins Otto and Sheed (both he/him and Black) live with their grandmother. MCs in middle school. Tons of weird things happen in Logan County, Otto and Sheed are used to it and legendary at fixing the problems. When they accidently freeze time with an old camera, they have to figure out how to undo it. Time travel, mystery, two Black kids saving the world in a good fun adventure. Also allowed to be vulnerable and cry. I think the time travel in this is more accessible than When You Reach Me, which needs a reader to know A Wrinkle in Time to really appreciate it. Great Battle choice. I understand why it was pushed through last year. It definitely deserves to be considered again.
May 9, 2022
2022-23 Elementary School Battle of the Books selection
FUN! I mean, who doesn't love a good story about friendship, robots, time travel, and an evil villain? Seriously, this was a good book. I loved that Otto and Sheed were not only cousins but also friends, that they use logic to try to solve all the weird things going on in Logan County, and that they didn't blink an eye at the idea of time travel.
I kept thinking I'd missed previous books since the author kept writing about the previous cases that The Legendary Alston Boys had solved. But this is the first middle-grade book, so nope, no previous books. However, if the author decides to write a prequel about Otto and Sheed, I will totally be there for it!
FUN! I mean, who doesn't love a good story about friendship, robots, time travel, and an evil villain? Seriously, this was a good book. I loved that Otto and Sheed were not only cousins but also friends, that they use logic to try to solve all the weird things going on in Logan County, and that they didn't blink an eye at the idea of time travel.
I kept thinking I'd missed previous books since the author kept writing about the previous cases that The Legendary Alston Boys had solved. But this is the first middle-grade book, so nope, no previous books. However, if the author decides to write a prequel about Otto and Sheed, I will totally be there for it!
May 23, 2023
It was a really fun read with my 7 year old Son. I really liked the time themed names of characters. It was so lighthearted that I was genuinely surprised by a certain reveal, that it choked me up. (I love middle grade books like that. Like when you put your foot into something) The characters were so entertaining and full of personality. This was a debut into middle grade books for Lamar Giles. I'm so happy to have come across this book from the library and learn about Virginia's 'Weird' Fry County, The 'Legendary' Alston Boys, and 'Epic' Ellison Sisters. I asked my son if he'd like to read more from this author and his words were 'definitely, I wish the library had all the books!'...So I'll have to make a trip to the book store to add these to his bookcase.
March 25, 2022
Cousins Otto and Sheed Alston are heroes- known as the Legendary Alston Boys. On the last day of summer, they decide to have one more adventure (and get one more key to the city) before school starts back. Instead, they accidentally freeze time and have to figure out how to make it start again. Along they way, they make some unlikely allies.
NC EBOB 2022-2023 selection.
This was pretty cute. Loved that the main characters were African American. Despite it being definite sci-fi/fantasy, storyline was believable and well paced.
NC EBOB 2022-2023 selection.
This was pretty cute. Loved that the main characters were African American. Despite it being definite sci-fi/fantasy, storyline was believable and well paced.
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