Milo Moss Is Officially Un-Amazing

July 15, 2020
Milo's family is different and wildly eccentric, but until recently he's been cool with that. Milo's best friend, Jesse, is also his nephew. Milo's parents are obsessed with setting a Guinness record, including a usually eager Milo in their adventures but always failing in their attempts. Results of past failures decorate their home, including a toilet-paper tower, outlandish costumes, a huge rubber-band ball, and way more. Now Milo has promised everyone a record, but the failure is even more bizarre than usual, involving insect costumes and food poisoning. He lies, forges a certificate, and starts a whole series of misadventures, betrayals, and strange alliances, causing him to feel that he is the real failure. He and Jesse become estranged, and he forms a very tentative friendship with his archnemesis, Brandon. Eventually they form a shaky triumvirate dedicated to sabotaging future record attempts, ultimately planning and carefully executing an amazing event involving their whole community. It is Milo's tale all the way, narrated with a combination of bravado, self-pity, and self-absorption along with a large amount of middle school angst. But he is also a caring, loving son, brother, uncle, and friend who gradually understands some of their worries and feelings. Readers will root for him all the way. Jesse, presumably biracial, is described as having his father's darker skin while all other characters present White. Hilarious, offbeat, and often moving. (Fiction. 8-12)

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September 1, 2020

Gr 3-7-Encouraged by his supportive parents, Milo is obsessed with getting into The Guinness Book of World Records. His best friend is his nephew Jesse, who is the same age since his older sister and his mom were pregnant at the same time. Jesse is the golden boy in this family, which may be partial motivation for Milo to make his mark on the world. His feud with nemesis Brandon also provides a reason to stand out. The adults here are often clueless while being caring, and the regularity of life is contrasted with the Guinness obsession. Milo is white and middle class; his rapport with family and friends makes for a humorous plot that holds interest in the midst of the daily routine. People change, and that includes Milo. Debut author Allbright has a firm grasp of how seventh graders think and talk. Her ability to turn the mostly mundane into material that has depth while retaining humor is a good sign for things to come. Kids obsessed with something like Guinness World Records may or may not recognize themselves, but they'll surely enjoy watching Milo's journey unfold. The deeper lesson here is that we're all okay just being ourselves, but this message isn't heavy-handed even in the rousing conclusion. VERDICT A fun outing with a somewhat ordinary character who may resemble not just people we know, but ourselves-if we're honest.-Carol A. Edwards, Formerly at Denver P.L.

Copyright 2020 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

September 1, 2020
Grades 4-6 Many are the tales about children with embarrassing parents, but readers are really going to feel for Milo, who gets pulled out of school so often to join his mom and dad in their latest humiliating, fruitless effort to get into the Guinness Book of World Records that he's in danger of being classified as an at-risk student. Forced to resort to desperate measures after his school principal actually agrees to support a try for the most people reading while dressed as farm animals record, he turns to classmate Brandon, who's been harassing him with pranks since second grade, for sabotage help . . . and finds that Brandon is willing but regards him as the bully. He isn't the only member of Allbright's likable cast, driven to reassess their simplistic views of success and failure (not to mention friendship) and let go of past trauma. For added enjoyment, the author tucks all sorts of actual, daffy Guinness records into her nuanced story on the way to a climax that is officially amazing. (Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2020, American Library Association.)