Nessie Quest

by Melissa Savage

Three friends head off on an adventure to find the Loch Ness Monster.

Ada Ru finally thought her parents were going to agree to a Fitzhugh family vacation in Disney World the summer before sixth grade, until her father announces he's taking a teaching position in Scotland, and moving the family there for the entire summer.

Ada Ru is anything but happy. She doesn't like their new home, she hates haggis, and she certainly doesn't like the idea that she will be away from her best friend all summer. To top it all off, there is said to be a monster in the lake near their house!

That's when she meets Dax, fellow American visiting for the summer, and Hamish Bean Timmy (Hammy Bean for short), captain of the Nessie Quest Monster Chaser boat tour. Hammy Bean knows everything there is to know about the fabled Loch Ness Monster and Scotland. But as the three unlikely friends embark on an epic adventure to spot the lake monster, they end up discovering more than they ever could have imagined.

Genres: Middle Grade, Realistic Fiction, Childrens, Scotland, Mystery, Juvenile, Friendship

352 pages, Hardcover

First published January 14, 2020

Reviews

[Samantha · Rating 2 out of 5]

I’ll start by saying that despite my huge disappointment with this book, I want to stress that it did have one important and exceptionally well-rendered element: The character of Hammy Bean and how he and the other characters navigate the issue of his blindness. I know this is a personal issue for the author relating to her own mother’s blindness and I thought she handled the topic well here.

Unfortunately, that’s where the positives end. The basic plot is fine. Nothing overwhelmingly good but also not problematic. The writing and the characters, however...yikes and double yikes.

My biggest takeaway from this book was that it was almost unreadably obnoxious, particularly in the dialogue and to a lesser extent, in the narrator’s inner monologue. The author clearly thinks she is something of a comedian. She does land a few, but the majority of the time she misses badly and because the attempts to be cute and humorous are near constant, it becomes stunningly irritating rather quickly.

Our main character clearly means well and seems like a nice girl, but the way she’s written doesn’t make her very likable. Her fear of water, hatred of vegetables, and insecurity about her friendships were no doubt intended to make her seem relatable, but she mostly came off as whiny and lame.

Interesting semi-autobiographical casting by the author in the mother’s role. Unfortunately, it’s a problematic portrayal as well. As the child of a therapist myself, I picture my own mother cringing with disgust at the psychobabble portrayal of the Feelings Journal and the grossly patronizing way this woman talks to her daughter. And the father’s constant spouting off of unfunny nicknames was so grating that it almost made me put the book down for that reason alone.

All the credit in the world for the successful incorporation of a blind character into a complex narrative role, but otherwise, this is a dud with cringe-worthy dialogue.

*I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.*

[Sam Kuntz · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nessie Quest is about a young girl named Ada Ru and her summer trip to Loch Ness. The reason she is spending her summer in Scotland is because her father got a job teaching photography at a college.

When she first gets there she is very angry and disappointed that she will not be spending time with her best friend, someone we never meet, but always seems to have a presence named Brittony B.

During her first week there, she meets one of my favorite characters named Quigley Dunbar The III. He does not appear in this book a lot, but when he does he is quite funny. (Also, his name is fun to say.)

Over time, Ada Ru makes a few friends, one named Hammy Bean and another named Dax Grady.

Hammy Bean is a member of the Nessie Quest. The Nessie Quest is an unofficial race to be the first group of people or solitary person to find solid data that Nessie exists.

One thing that I find strange is that Ada Ru seemed to have no clue about Nessie. I thought Nessie was something that everyone knew about.

I have been reading a lot of books about cryptozoology, and they are usually about several different cryptids. I liked this one because it focused solely on Nessie.

I did not like how Ada Ru behaved toward her friends. She always seemed to be making fun of them or just being rude in general.

I enjoyed how much Scotland speech was used in this. It took a little bit to get used to it, but I enjoyed reading phrases like "haud yer weesht."

I also love the character named Mamo Honey. She seemed to be very nice and strong.

All in all, I enjoyed reading this book. I thought the writing style was fun and elegant. I would recommend this to anybody who enjoys cryptids.

-Sam Kuntz.

[Lindsay Crawford · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a good one. Sweet and ended with a good point about the power of words. Also, this book has a character named Hamish Bean Tibby, Hammy bean for short, and that is 100% enough of a reason to read this book.

[Laura · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a tough one to review, because Ru is such a brat at the beginning of the book that I almost coulnd't read it.

Here her parents were going to take her to Scotland for the Summer, and all she wanted to do was go to Disneyland. And then proceeded to bitch about it for at least the first third of the book.

But, on the other hand, we have the character of Hamish, the Ron of Ru's Harriet Potter (as she envisions her version of what is happening while she is in Scotland). He is smart, he is funny, and he is searching for Nessie, the Loch Ness Monster. Oh, and he is also blind.

When asked if he has seen the monster, before Ru realizes he is blind, he says that no, he hasn't, but he has heard her.

Once we get Hamish in the story, it takes off. And that might be because Melissa Savage says, in her back pages, that she was basing him a little bit on her mother, who went blind when Melissa was young.

So, if you can get past Ru, and get to Hamish, you will probably enjoy this good middle grade story.

Thanks to Netgalley for making this book available for an honest review.

[clara [inactive account] · Rating 2 out of 5]

that's me after dnf-ing this book at 57%.

why? because it looks to me like Melissa Savage has written the same book not once, not twice, but a THIRD FRICKIN' TIME!

i loved Lemons, her first book, and wasn't able to finish The Truth About Matians (not by choice, because i was overwhelmed by library fines. it was meh, from what i could tell). but Lemons was amazing! so naturally i was excited to read her new book, no matter how disgusting the cover may be.

but it turned out to be a less-good, less-interesting version of Lemons set in Scotland and featuring an obsessive amount of jelly beans.

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[Chelsea Baute · Rating 4 out of 5]

My class enjoyed this book. Not a great read aloud though. The accents are too tough.

[Brittney Lyon · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was cute…

For me I really took to the idea of the family moving to Scotland for the summer because of Ada Ru’s fathers job. I even liked her reluctance and being awful that they weren’t going to Disney World haha I was the same as a kid. Arriving to Scotland and the description of where they were staying I was fully immersed. Ada Ru’s attitude starts to change about their summer location once she meets Dax and Hammy Bean and embark on a great adventure that fills their summertime. Multiple moments I felt the story dragging at the second half. I really enjoyed the authors note at the end.

[D'Arcy · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars. Read this with my 10-year-old daughter. She loved it but I thought it was just ok. I loved the character of Hamish Bean Tibby and enjoyed reading voices aloud in a bad Scottish accent. However, I found Ada Ru (the main character) to be really unlikable. I hated the way she talked to her parents and treated others. She gets better as the book goes on with the influence of Hammy Bean, which I guess is the point. It's a cute story and made us both want to visit Scotland once we can travel safely again.

[Dubby.J · Rating 3 out of 5]

It had a good story to it, but I feel like it was missing something.

[A · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book :)

I liked the way it was written 😍

[Tarissa · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a grand adventure novel for kids. I really mean it -- GRRRRAAAAAAAAND! (Please read that exclamation in your best Scottish accent.)

I love Hammy Bean -- a blind boy who dreams of spotting the Loch Ness Monster in his Scottish hometown. I love Ada Ru -- and her bright personality and penchant for all the orange possibilities that the world has to offer while she vacations in Scotland over the summer. And add in one more friend, operative nickname Strings -- an American, like Ada Ru. A bonny trio!

Nessie Quest is a fun read. Definitely recommend for tweens (and up).

[Barbara · Rating 3 out of 5]

This one is a 3.5 for me. I appreciate how this author is not shy about delving into unusual topics that may fascinate middle graders--in this case, the Loch Ness Monster. Just as she did in her earlier book, Lemons, she steers carefully around reality and what might be, drawing readers along as they start out the book feeling doubtful about Nessie's existence and then finishing it with a sense of possibility. Maybe there is a Nessie out there. But along the way, readers will be delighted to meet twelve-year-old Ada Ru Fitzhugh, who will remind them of themselves in many ways. When she learns that her family will be spending the summer in a small town in Scotland rather than vacationing in Disney World, she hatches all sorts of plots to prevent this from happening. After all, she can't leave behind her beloved cat or her best friend--she might lose her to someone else--or her position in the Beyonce fan club. Middle graders will relate to her concerns and her reluctance to appreciate anything Scotland has to offer. Of course, as it turns out, the trip provides an opportunity for her to stretch and conquer some of her fears while writing and photographing the area and its inhabitants. Part of the credit for these changes goes to Hammy Bean Tibby, a local boy who is deeply invested in the legend of the Loch Ness Monster and determined to find evidence to support its existence. He enlists the help of Ada Ru and Dax, a budding songwriter and musician, even using walkie talkies and codes to aid his young team in their efforts. But when Ada Ru gets her feelings hurt by a remark he makes about her writing, she hurls careless, hurtful works at her friend, which leads to what could have been a tragedy. There is quite a lot going on in this book, and Ada Ru's distinctive voice will be just as memorable as Hammy Bean, who refuses to let being blind or having been abandoned for his parents keep him from reaching for his goals. Some of the more poignant parts of the book concern his parents having chosen drugs over him, a decision with which some readers will be able to relate. Despite some of these heavy topics, the story never becomes maudlin, instead delivering characters who change even while making mistakes. I loved having some Scottish dialect sprinkled into the conversations to add flavor and authenticity to the story. I'm sure that I won't be the only one looking into booking a trip to Scotland after finishing this book.

[Skylar Garner · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was such a fun read! I loved how it was set in Scotland. Loved hammy bean, he is someone who I would love to be friends with. The plot was really well written and I love how we got to see Ada ru grow. I absolutely loved ALL the characters, I wish I could meet them all in person. Loved how Mellisa savage wrote a story about a fun summer trip searching for Nessie! Definitely recommend, and I am looking forward to more of Mellisa savage’s work!

[Brittany · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was a little bit of everything all wrapped up into one epic extended vacation. Friendship, Adventure, Mystery (possibly not real) Nessie. You will come for the Nessie and stay for the friendships. I selected this book for my Banana Splits Book Club for ages 9-13 and I can't wait to see what they have to say about it!

[Becky B · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ada Ru is prepared to make her persuasive arguments for why the family should go to Disney World at their spring family meeting when her parents sideline her with the announcement that her Dad has a summer position teaching photography at a university and they are going to Scotland for the whole summer. Ada Ru is sure her life is over. She protests all the way there, and when she sees the creepy old building they'll be living in for 3 months she is sure they are doomed to be killed in their sleep by ghosts or vampires or something. But the next day Ada Ru meets some of the locals, finds out about the local legendary lake monster and the quest to prove its existence, and she realizes that this may provide her with perfect story writing inspiration. Soon she finds herself hunting for Nessie proof with Dax, a fellow American there for the summer, and Hammy Bean, a local boy who is determined to be the first to find definitive proof that the Loch Ness Monster is real and he won't let a little thing like blindness get in his way.

There's a little bit of mystery and the hunt for Nessie proof driving this story, but it is mostly propelled along by watching Ada Ru and Hammy Bean grow personally over the summer through their adventures together. Ada Ru starts off the summer with an ATTITUDE! But once she agrees to at least give Scotland a shot and realizes that there's lots of inspiration for her novel and photography all around her, she is much more pleasant to be around and even a bit funny. She (and readers along with her) also gets to learn a ton of Scottish slang from Hammy and other locals by the end of the book, which I enjoyed a lot. Ada Ru learns a lot about the ability of visually impaired people, the power of words, judging people by their covers (one of my favorite characters is the caretaker of the abbey where the family stays who Ada Ru thinks is undead and evil at first sight, but turns out to be a warm and caring woman), being open to the "orange possibilities" of each day and setting, managing relationships through highs and lows, being brave, and a little crush. Ada Ru's mom is a child psychologist, so she gives her some very wise advice in how to handle things along the way. Hammy Bean lives with his grandmother, and you start to learn why and why finding Nessie is so important to him. He has a lot of growth over the summer thanks to Ada Ru and Dax's friendship. The author's mother is blind, and she says in the back that Hammy Bean was inspired by this woman she greatly admires and can do so much despite being blind. I do love seeing all the ways Hammy Bean navigates his world. It is a very respectful and inspiring representation of a visually impaired person. Dax is a more minor character, but he is there for much of Hammy Bean and Ada Ru's adventures. Hammy Bean had a newsletter about cryptozoology he wrote before the others arrived, and Ada Ru inspires him to turn it into a podcast. Dax is always playing his guitar so he is writing the intro music for that most of the book while Ada Ru gathers interviews from around town about Nessie sightings at Hammy Bean's directions; Dax also provides a teensy love interest for Ada Ru and that was handled very well for their ages. Most of all I loved the setting of the book. Melissa Savage makes you feel like you are in a little village beside a loch surrounded by more greens than you can imagine. Highly recommended for those who want to get away to Scotland through the pages of a book, pick up some Scottish slang, and enjoy personal growth stories with a touch of mystery.

Notes on content: No language issues. No sexual content. (Nope, not even a kiss.) Some kids get in a potentially perilous situation but everyone ends up just fine.

[Karen Gagnon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Prepare to plunge into an adventure to find the legendary Loch Ness Monster (Scotland’s most famous mystery creature). Join friends Adu Ru, Hammy Bean, and Dax as they race to find solid proof of Nessie’s existence. At first, these three individuals weren’t friends, but when you add them together they soon become a force to be reckoned with.
Our story starts when Ada Ru’s parents tell her that they’ll be spending the summer in Fort Augustus, Scotland because her Dad got a job teaching photography at a local college. Ada Ru (who’s been a writer since the day she was born) isn’t at all thrilled about living in Scotland all summer. She loves the security of her predictable life on Tennyson Street (just outside Denver). She would much rather go to Disney World on her summer vacation, not Scotland. But when her Mom asks Ada Ru to make the best of the situation, she rises to the challenge by saying she’s going to write a story while in Scotland.
Ada Ru’s first few days in Scotland aren’t much fun, because she isn’t happy at all. She doesn’t like the apartment where her family will be living for the summer, hates the bloody meat puddings & haggis, she won’t get to hang out with her best friend all summer and worst of all, supposedly there’s a monster in the lake *loch* right near where her family is staying.
Then, she meets Dax (another American kid spending the summer in Scotland) and Hammy Bean (short for Hamish Bean Tibby). Ada Ru discovers that Dax doesn’t go anywhere without his guitar Ol’ Roy and that Hammy Bean is captain of the Nessie Quest boat tour. Ada Ru also learns that Hammy Bean knows everything there is to know about the fabled Loch Ness monster.
Pretty soon, Ada Ru and Dax start working for Hammy Bean on his newspaper the Nessie Juggernaut – which they will soon turn into a podcast. Ada Ru’s job is to get Intel about the other people participating in the race to find evidence of the Loch Ness Monster. Dax’s main job is the musician for the Nessie Juggernaut. Before she knows it, Ada Ru starts to really enjoy herself & begins to have fun living in Scotland.
These three friends have tons of adventures in their quest to find proof of the Loch Ness Monster. Ada Ru also learns some life lessons along the way, mainly about the power of words.
To find out what happens with Ada Ru and her new friends in Scotland, run out and grab a copy of this adventurous book right away.

[Arden Murray · Rating 4 out of 5]

I couldn’t put this book down. Despite the overwhelming urge too every time Ada Ru mentioned the phrase “Feelings Journal”. In the beginning, the main character comes off as incredibly bratty, and makes her opinions on the topic of “Scotland vs. Disneyland” exceedingly clear too the reader. Perhaps, may I add, a little bit too clear. Though, this leaves a lot of room for character development once she meets my personal favorite character, Hammish Bean Tibby. The way they wrote in his blindness without making the other characters treat him differently is really an admirable aspect, and allows for the reader to learn, along with Ada Ru, about the ways blindness affects the lives of Hammy and allows for questions to be asked in a non- weird fashion. Learning that this stems from Savage’s personal experience with her mother’s blindness adds to the story in a meaningful and impactful way. The setting is one I was able to picture clearly, and by the end of the book I’ll admit that I had googled a handful of times “how much do flights to Scotland cost?” Only to be reminded of the pandemic we live in. The only two times I cringed while reading this was the frequent mentioning of Ada’s “feelings journal” (spoiler alert: no twelve year old would willingly EVER be caught dead writing in such a thing) which felt like a rather forced and unrealistic “adults trying to relate to kids” type writing. With that, the only other aspect that felt forced was when Ada was contemplating all the lessons she learned over the summer and decided she will sit with this girl who doesn’t have any friends. It sounds better when I typed it out, but reading it in the book, it just seemed so forced as if they were trying to tie up the ending to quick and shove in the morals. Despite those two instances, the setting, the rest of the book, and the brilliant writing of the character of Hammy Bean makes them easy to overlook. Hammy’s enthusiasm for the Loch Ness monster is enough to captivate any young cryptid hunter, and his unwavering positivity while overcoming challenges (such as blindness, his parents abandonment and drug addiction, being alienated and treated as if he weren’t there) made him very respected in my eyes and my personal favorite character. All in all, I would recommend this book to anybody and everybody, and yet another hit from Savage! :) my rating: 4.5/5

[Kenya Starflight · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read and loved Lemons by this author -- it was a surprisingly good novel about making new friends and dealing with the past while hunting for a legendary cryptid. I had heard that Nessie Quest was very similar, but was still willing to give it a shot. Two kids hunting for the Loch Ness Monster -- how fun was that? Sadly, while this book was fairly cute, it was dragged down by its protagonist.

Ada Ru wants to go to Disneyworld this summer... and is outraged when her parents instead reveal that they'll be living in Scotland over the summer. Ada is convinced she'll lose her best friend, that the remodeled abbey they're living in is haunted, and that there's no way she can enjoy the cold, cloudy banks of Loch Ness. But when she meets Hammy Bean, a blind boy obsessed with finding proof of the Loch Ness Monster, and Dax, a cute young man who plays guitar, she wonders if she might not find a way to enjoy the summer after all.

If this book had followed Hammy Bean instead of Ada Ru, I think I might have liked it better. It gives us a colorful look at a small town near the Loch Ness, a fascinating look at the world of Nessie watchers, and a nice arc involving Hammy finding his place in town and proving that his disability doesn't limit him. I enjoyed his journey, his coming to terms with his past, and his hunt for Nessie and the connections it makes for him.

Ada Ru... well, to be kind, she's a much harder protagonist to like. I know she's a teenage girl, but she's incredibly whiny, gripey, and obnoxious. I get that she's unhappy with having her summer upended, but that's no excuse for treating everyone around her like garbage. And the author seems to think Ada is much funnier than she actually is, because not a page goes by without some attempt by her to be witty or toss in a one-liner.

This book would have been much better had it followed Hammy instead of Ada. As it is, there's a decent story here, but the protagonist almost ruins it for me.

[Jao Bautista]

#1bookaweek (24 of 53) Pag wini-wish ko nang kainin na ang lupa ang mga DDS o mga anti-democracy o mga enemies of human rights sa social media, hep hep, alam ko nang I’ve become too worked up from consuming waaaaaay too much politics. (Jao, remember, healthy debate lang dapat. With people who know how to debate.) I like the learning part. And this student is taking a break from my weeks of PolSci books to reset my mind.

Buti na rin that our ad agency book club’s theme for June is ‘Book Your Travel’ covering reading assignment for fiction or non-fiction on exploring or traveling anywhere here on Earth or outside it. Since di tayo maka-travel, idadaan namin sa libro. I wonder what my book mates have chosen?

Ako, the book I’ve chosen is about a 10-year-old Denver girl's summer adventure…set in Scotland…to hunt for the Loch Ness monster…na kakain sa mga DDS…CHAR!

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Week 24 of 53

Nessie Quest
by Melissa Savage

From Amazon:
“Ada Ru finally thought her parents were going to agree to a Fitzhugh family vacation in Disney World the summer before sixth grade, until her father announces he's taking a teaching position in Scotland, and moving the family there for the entire summer.

Ada Ru is anything but happy. She doesn't like their new home, she hates haggis, and she certainly doesn't like the idea that she will be away from her best friend all summer. To top it all off, there is said to be a monster in the lake near their house!

That's when she meets Hamish Bean Timmy, Hammy Bean for short, captain of the Nessie Quest Monster Chaser boat tour. He knows everything there is to know about the fabled Loch Ness Monster and Scotland. But as the two unlikely friends embark on an epic adventure to spot the lake monster, they end up discovering more than they ever could have imagined.”

Read the Goodreads review at the comments section.

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MY NOTES (This section keeps getting updated)
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#1bookaweek
#bookofthemonth
#NessieQuest
#MelissaSavage
#FullyBooked

[Anna · Rating 2 out of 5]

Ada Ru has just finished 6th grade. She dreams of becoming a writer, has just started running her own podcast, loves the Syfy channel and is very up-to-date on vampires, boogeymen, ghosts and things like that.

The story begins just as Ada Ru, our main character, and her parents sit down for a family meeting. She’s expecting them to announce a summer trip to Disney World. Instead, he dad informs her of different plans – Plans that involve the family moving to Scotland for 3 months. Not what Ada Ru had in mind. But she has no say in the matter so off to Scotland she goes.

In Scotland, they’re staying at Fort Augustus, an old stone monastery that’s been converted into apartments for visitors to stay in. And Ada Ru is convinced the place is haunted. What’s more, she learns about a strange creature that’s said to be living in the loch nearby – the Loch Ness Monster.
Is the Loch Ness Monster real? Yes? No? Maybe?

She teams up with a local boy and a fellow American to produce a podcast of interviews, eyewitness accounts and anything and everything Nessie related. There might be a little Nessie searching themselves but as their investigation progresses, they uncover more than they expected to.

[Alicia · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a really great middle grade, summer adventure book full of discovery, hope, and friendship. When I saw a book about the Loch Ness monster, I knew I had to read it. I’ve always been a fan of Nessie, and I thought this book would be really cute summer read.
Ada Ru was a good character, even if she was quite annoying at times. Her character development throughout the book was really good. She starts off a 12 year old girl who wants nothing to do with a summer in Scotland but by the end of the book she has found friendship and a new appreciation for her time away.
The supporting characters in this one were really good as well. Hammy Bean Tibby was a delight. He’s so excited to try and find proof of Nessie’s existence, and I really enjoyed his character. Hammy Bean is also blind, and I liked all the mentions of him reading Braille as well as the discussions about how his computer worked and Ada Ru describing scenes or trying to explain what colours look like.
The writing style was easy to follow along with even if at times the Scottish dialect led to some confusion before characters would explain. The pacing worked well for the story, and I was hooked to this one hoping that the Nessie Quest team would get a victory in the race!

[Lisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ada Ru's perfect summer would be spent at Disney World - but this summer, the year between 6th grade and 7th grade is going to be a disaster. Her father will be teaching at a university in Scotland, and the family is moving there - for the whole summer! At first she hates everything, the weather, the food and especially her new home - an apartment in what used to be an Abby. But then she meets 10yo Hammy Bean, the "captain" of a tour boat that takes tourists out onto the Loch looking for Nessie - the Loch Ness Monster. Soon, with another summer transplant - Dax, from New York - Ada Ru and Hammy Bean join the chase to prove to the world the monster exists. But there's a problem, Hammy Bean is Blind.

It was fun to read the dialect aloud - Hammy was such a great character, and I really liked how he was a regular kid who just did things differently because he was blind. I loved Ada Ru's relationship with her Scottish cousin as well as the way she worries about what everyone is doing in Denver without her. A great adventure too, as you can't look for the Loch Ness Monster without going out on the water.

Cross posted to http://kissthebook.blogspot.com

[Balin Drouin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nessie Quest, By Mellisa Savage,


This very interesting story is about a girl named Adelaide Fitzhugh who is very eager to go to Disneyland for vacation, but her parents instead plan a trip to Scotland. The top reason why I chose this book is because I have been to where the book takes place. The Fitzhugh family stayed in a place called St. Benedict’s Abbey.
Ada believes that the abbey is haunted because the caretaker, Euna Begbie looks like a ghost with orange lipstick. She and the 2 friends she meets, Hammy Bean and Dax Cady board a boat called the SS Albatross to find the Loch Ness Monster, Nessie. I loved this book because the people spoke in a Scottish accent and the words were abbreviated and spelled differently to look like how their accent sounds. I know kids that love realistic fiction and are ages 10-16 would enjoy this book because there are moments that involve Social Media. Nessie quest is also about a group of kids in Scotland for vacation, going on extraordinary adventures to discover the secrets of the loch.

[Willow · Rating 4 out of 5]

My daughter and I read this book together for a homeschool unit on UK myths and legends. We both really enjoyed it, and found so much to talk about as we read. My daughter is almost 6, and she got a lot out of the themes: facing one's fears, kindness, and being a good friend. However, I think she would get even more out of it if she was at least 10. There were ideas like crushes, child abandonment, and a discussion of drug addiction that were eye-opening for her, but that I don't think she totally "got". My favorite part of the book was the character Hammy Bean who is blind. I love the way the author has him use all the technologies and tools that a child who is blind might use. I love how the main character is curious about what he uses and asks adults what is okay to ask him about, and then when she does, it's not treated as bad or weird—Hammy Bean is matter-of-fact. I would definitely recommend this book to older elementary children.

[Erica · Rating 4 out of 5]

When Ada Ru's parents tell her that they're moving to Scotland for the whole summer, she is not thrilled. But before long she's swept up in a local mystery. The city is by a lake, and not just any lake: Loch Ness, home of the fabled Loch Ness Monster. Ada Ru teams up with a fellow American transplant and a local Nessie enthusiast nick named Hammy Bean to find definitive proof that the monster exists. What follows is a summer that she'll never forget.

I loved this story, and not just because it's set in Scotland (although that certainly didn't hurt). There's a great sense of adventure as they embark on their quest and plenty of humor as well. All of the characters are great from the skeptical but loyal Ada Ru, the cool, guitar-playing Dax, and the always optimistic, blind Hammy Bean. (Not to mention Hammy's dog, Mac-Talla.) This is a perfect story of summer adventure and new friendships.

[Robin Pelletier · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book made me miss Scotland; I need to go back. Best part of last summer (other than a magical wedding) was the cabin nestled in the Scottish Highlands which means that most of the landmarks in this book were familiar. I feel like I learned more about Loch Ness though from this book. This would be a beautiful read aloud in middle school: hero’s journey, themes on friendship, the power of words and storytelling. One of the main characters is blind with a seeing eye dog which would lead to many awesome conversations. I already have two ideas for projects with this book: make your own podcast and have a logo for it (passion project) and an essay on how you would describe colors to someone who has never seen colors. There’s also potential for language conversations since there’s a strong Scottish dialect present in the book! Oh the possibilities. If I ever go back to middle school, I would totally use this one in the classroom.

[L.M. · Rating 5 out of 5]

I LOVED this book soooo much!!! The lakeside setting in Scotland, the creative and curious heroine, the brilliant and unbreakable hero, the handsome and talented sidekick, the unlikely and wonderous friendships. I loved it all so much, when I finished I wanted to turn back to page 1 and start all over again. I only wish I could turn back time and hand this book to my 9-year-old self.

As a side note from adult me, one thing I really loved about this book was how brilliantly the author set the scene and tone with practically no descriptions. The dialogue kept things fast-paced and I felt like I was right there on the sidewalks, on the piers, on the water, without a bunch of explanations weighing things down. Well done!

[Susan Findling · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this book as it is on the Battle List for our 4th and 5th graders. It took me a while to get into it as I found it slow moving at first. By the time I finished, I ended up liking it. I enjoyed the characters, the setting and the message the author makes. I especially enjoyed the book's story line - searching for the Loch Ness Monster. I, too, would like to believe that Nessie exists.
The only thing I didn't like about the book was the use of improper grammar. I would have thought that a copy editor would have caught the grammatical errors. It bothers me that children will read this novel, with it's grammatical errors, and think that the grammar is correct.

[Caroline · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ru, or Ada Ru, or Adelaide Ru Fitzhugh if you want to use the long version, is pretty sure that she's finally convinced her parents to take a family vacation to Disney World. Imagine her displeasure when her parents decide to spend the entire summer in Scotland instead. Instead of wandering around EPCOT and the Magic Kingdom, Ada Ru has to wander the banks of Loch Ness eating Scottish delicacies like haggis and black pudding -- yuck! Luckily, she quickly befriends Dax, a cute Brooklynite with a passion for 1970s folk rock, and Hamish "Hammy" Bean, a local Nessie enthusiast who lures Dax and Ada Ru into a hunt for Loch Ness' most elusive resident. As the kids become invested in the famous Nessie Race - the hunt for proof of the sea monster's existence - Ada Ru finds a lot to love about Scotland after all.

As she did with Lemons (2017), Melissa Savage has written a humorous, adventurous, at times wacky, hunt for a cryptid - and has balanced it with some real-world, real-heavy issues. That she is able to write quirky, real-feeling kids going through different challenges, is a real testament to Savage's understanding of children and their relationships. I especially appreciated that though Hammy Bean is blind, it is never his defining characteristic, an intentional choice by the author. Because this book is set in Scotland and many characters use a Scots dialect, I would recommend listening to the audiobook for maximum enjoyment. Whether your young readers believe in Nessie or not, they'll love this book.

[cleo s · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book! The only bad part is that Ada Ru was ANNOYED about going to Scotland. But I guess that is part of the learning aspect of the book. You don't know until you try! I love all the details of this book. I've watched a couple shows about the Loch Ness Monster, but this is a new way to learn. I always thought that Scotland was kind of and off-brand Ireland (Sorry, Scotland!!) but it turns out that it is really cool. One of the best parts of this book is how the Scottish dialect is shown Also, I love the nickname Hammy Beans.