Nessie Quest

October 1, 2019
A summer on Loch Ness might be a dream vacation to some, but to homebody Ada Ru, it's a nightmare come true. Ada Ru would much prefer to go to Walt Disney World--or, barring that, to stay at home in Denver with her full life. She tries to ignore her mother's challenge to "make the best of things" in Scotland but is gradually drawn into the notorious Nessie Race, putting her writer's instinct to the ultimate test. She befriends Hamish "Hammy" Bean Tibby III, a blind cryptid enthusiast who runs the Nessie Juggernaut newsletter, and Dax Cady, an affably brooding American guitarist. The three kids are determined to be the first to find conclusive evidence of the existence of the elusive Nessie, proving that even a close-knit town like Fort Augustus can hide secrets in its watery depths. Humorously melodramatic, irrepressibly modern Ada Ru perfectly showcases the Old World charm of the Highlands as she comes to love the place and its people. Scots dialect is liberally interspersed throughout, but natural translations render it easily comprehensible. Savage places relationships at the forefront: Family ties, found friendships, and community support give this novel its heart. Darker issues, such as the impact of drug addiction on child-rearing, near-death experiences, and the marginalization of the blind, are tenderly explored alongside the exhilarating fun of the Nessie Race. The cast is white. Nessie may elude us still, but this friendship-driven quest should not do the same. (Fiction. 8-12)

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December 1, 2019

Gr 3-7-If Ada Ru Fitzhugh has to spend the summer away from her best friend, she'd rather be at the Magic Kingdom, not in a tiny Scottish town on Loch Ness, where her father teaches. Ada Ru doesn't like change. She's also worried about losing her best friend, and she fears the ghosts that she believes haunt the ancient abbey where she and her parents are staying, as well as bodies of water. She is intrigued by Dax, an American boy who sits on the stairs of the abbey strumming a guitar. Then she meets Hamish Bean Tibby, who runs the Nessie Quest boat tours with his Gran, who was a famous Nessie hunter. Ada Ru doesn't believe in the Loch Ness Monster. Her patient parents challenge her to investigate, so she sets about interviewing the townsfolk for the truth behind the legend. Eventually, though, she must gather her courage and get on a boat. This adventure charms in every way. The characters are endearingly eccentric. Townsfolk speak in a Scottish dialect that is easily understood and often hilarious, while the atmospheric Loch Ness setting sets a perfect stage. Readers will root for these three oddballs as they form an unlikely friendship and embark on the adventure of a lifetime. Fans of the author's Lemons will delight in a certain cameo appearance. VERDICT Fans of warm, quirky comedies will love this epic adventure and friendship story.-Brenda Kahn, Tenakill Middle School, Closter, NJ

Copyright 2019 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

November 15, 2019
Grades 4-7 Ada Ru is displeased to learn that she will be spending the entire summer in Scotland with her parents. That's three months in drizzly Fort Augustus, on the not-so-bonny banks of Loch Ness, home of a lake monster. Worst. Vacation. Ever. Nevertheless, she quickly falls in with a couple of other kids?Dax, a cute New Yorker with a guitar, and Hamish Hammy Bean, an enthusiastic local who recruits Ada Ru, an aspiring writer, as a reporter for his Nessie newsletter. As she gathers intel on the monster, she finds a lot to love about Scotland and undergoes some necessary personal growth. Savage (Lemons, 2017) keeps her entertaining yarn out of zany waters by tempering it with realistic problems and relatable tween concerns?a first crush, social standing, and, in Hamish's case, absent parents. Hamish is also blind, a fact that Savage initially buries, ensuring it never becomes his defining trait. Ada Ru is motivated, headstrong, and sassy with a big heart, and readers will have a blast exploring Loch Ness with her.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2019, American Library Association.)