Perijee & Me

June 15, 2016
The shrimplike being washed up near Caitlin's island home has surprising characteristics.Ten-year-old, white, possibly dyslexic narrator Caitlin is a social and academic misfit. Her only friend, Frank, is a would-be fisherman enlisted to take her by boat to and from school. At home, her accomplished parents are too distracted to attend to her. A massive storm before Caitlin's terrible last day of school results in hundreds of dead jellyfish and drops an odd creature, its white, malleable shell covered in strange symbols, into the marshes. Recognizing it as something special, Caitlin saves it from dehydration. As the creature learns to talk, it latches on to Caitlin's explanation (perigee) of a photograph of the full moon in her astrobiologist father's book. Unfortunately Perijee's outsized self-defense mechanism brings about a minor apocalypse, flooding villages and towns and forcing most of the country's population into refugee camps. Caitlin's awkwardness is sometimes cringeworthy, but her warmhearted loyalty to Perijee makes her bravely seek to rescue him from those who want to destroy him (nearly everyone). A sinister cult of little old ladies figures in the climax, along with Frank the fisherman and another resourceful girl with a knack for thievery. Montgomery's jam-packed narrative doesn't slow for an instant in this exaggeratedly comic drama. While there are just a few thoughtful moments, there are several irresistibly funny ones. Humor carries the day in this British import. (Science fiction. 8-11)

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July 1, 2016

Gr 3-6-Caitlin lives on Middle Island with only her mother for company. Her father's book tours and speaking engagements keep him away for months at a time. After an invitation to her classmates to visit her home for a summer party turns into a disaster, Caitlin sees a very lonely summer ahead. But everything changes when she finds an unusual creature on the beach that seems to be able to mimic whatever it sees and grows at an incredibly rapid pace. She desperately hopes the creature, whom she names Perijee, will help her reconnect with her father. Unfortunately, her father seems more interested in Perijee than in his daughter. Things go from bad to worse when Caitlin's mother calls the police. Perijee grows into a monster that starts rampaging across the country as Caitlin desperately searches for a way to save her friend. Things take a turn for the really strange when Caitlin goes to a government camp to find Perijee. Along the way she runs into a girl who has stolen a cow, and finds a castle sacked by a cult that worships the monster. Through it all, Caitlin maintains her loyalty to Perijee. While the story starts out rather serious in tone, it quickly morphs, going from one oddball occurrence to the next. While the nonsensical nature of the tale won't appeal to everyone, the bond between Caitlin and Perijee carries the day. VERDICT A cute read for kids who like a strong dose of absurdity.-Heidi Grange, Summit Elementary School, Smithfield, UT

Copyright 2016 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

July 1, 2016
Grades 4-6 Lonely Caitlin dreads the end of school. But when it comes, she discovers a strange, shrimplike creature on the shore near her home. Quickly growing and morphing its form to mimic what it sees, the small stranger bonds with Caitlin, who calls him Perijee and protects him as she would a little brother. A crisis comes when authorities learn of his presence. Frightened by attacking soldiers, Perigee becomes enormous and leaves. When rumors of alien invasion spread panic throughout the country, Caitlin begins a quest to save Perigee, now a small figure protruding from the head of an ever-growing monster and unable to escape. Readers interested in alien creatures will find Perijee intriguing, particularly in the early chapters. The rescue and adventure scenes, set against a broad, sketchy background of societal turmoil, seem a bit unreal. More involving and convincing are the more tightly focused scenes featuring plucky Caitlin and the few characters she counts as friends. Elements of humor and an attractive jacket add to this chapter book's undeniable appeal.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2016, American Library Association.)