Not As We Know It

Starred review from May 30, 2016
This poignant tale of a boy whose twin brother is facing his own mortality is both heartrending and uplifting. Eleven-year-olds Jamie and Ned find a strange creature—part human, part fish—washed up on the beach of their small British island after a storm. Adventurous Ned, who has cystic fibrosis, is positive that it will bring good luck and insists that they keep it in their already-packed garage full of treasures. Cautious Jamie, however, worries that this creature, whom Ned names Leonard, might foretell something more ominous. As Ned’s condition worsens and he is increasingly drawn to Leonard, Jamie’s misgivings only increase. Avery (My Brother’s Shadow) captures the boundless imagination of childhood and the reckless abandon with which these boys approach caring for a mysterious sea creature, and he doesn’t shy away from the brutality of real life. Through Jamie’s thoughtful narration, readers are treated to a hauntingly beautiful story about brotherly bonds, wrenching grief, and the untethered hope that everything will somehow work out. Ages 9–12.

June 1, 2016
Twins Jamie and Ned have always explored their seaside world together, but now Ned is dying of cystic fibrosis, and Jamie has to learn how to forge ahead without him.During their shared adventures they've collected the flotsam that's washed up on the shore. After a storm, the white English boys find in the seaweed a strange creature Ned names Leonard (after Star Trek's Dr. McCoy), bring the injured animal home, and hide it in a tub in the garage. They quickly realize it may be a merman. Their grandfather, not knowing their secret, relates stories of mermen taking dying people into the sea, but the yarns are ambiguous. Were the dying people saved by the mermen? Ned, the bolder twin, accepts this uncertainty and bonds with Leonard, recognizing their shared fate. Jamie convinces himself that the merman is there to provide a miracle, yet fearing otherwise, he detests the bond his twin has formed. Tender Granddad's tales provide ample foreshadowing of a tragic end, even though Jamie struggles to prevent it. Ultimately, Ned chooses his own fate, and Jamie is left to cope. In spite of the Kleenex-worthy climax, a gentle, even joyful, conclusion offers a life-affirming message. A character study of the 11-year-olds, cleverly interwoven with Ned's favorite Star Trek plots, contrasts the dying twin's bold attitude against Jamie's cautious reckoning. Engagingly, this short, fine effort set in the early 1980s compassionately whispers a message of hope. (Historical fiction. 11-16)

COPYRIGHT(2016) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

Starred review from June 1, 2016

Gr 4-6-Brothers Ned and Jamie are treasure hunters. Granted, all they find in their tiny fishing village off the coast of England are old fish hooks and forks. Nonetheless, they consider themselves adventurers like the characters on their favorite show, Star Trek. But the boys couldn't be any more different. Ned is the Captain Kirk of the duo, boldly going where no kid has gone before, while Jamie, the narrator, is hesitant and happy to let Ned lead the way. One day they find a mysterious creature suffering and caught in a net. Ned convinces Jamie to bring it home. Jamie is confounded by Ned's affection for this bizarre creature. But when their grandfather tells them mythic tales of mermaids with magical healing powers, Jamie clings to hope. Ned, it is revealed, has cystic fibrosis, which seems to be getting worse, and Jamie is convinced that this creature has come to save his brother. Avery captures Jamie's powerful denial of Ned's illness with heartbreaking precision and deliberate pacing. References made to the film E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial are rather apt allusions to this story of a mute creature teaching powerful lessons of acceptance. The vivid island setting and the grandfather's evocative stories make this book a true original. VERDICT A heartrending but ultimately uplifting adventure novel for readers ready for a good cry.-Anna Murphy, Berkeley Carroll School Library, Brooklyn

Copyright 2016 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

August 1, 2016
Grades 5-7 After a storm, 11-year-old twins Jamie and Ned search the beach for treasure and find a strange fish-man creature, washed up and ill. They carry it home and hide it in the garage. Though wasting away from cystic fibrosis, adventurous Ned calls the shots, as he always has: they will care for it secretly and then return it to the sea. Things aren't so straightforward for Jamie, who knows that his brother is slowly dying and, seeing him drawn to the creature, comes to fear that it's a merman who means to carry Ned away into the sea forever. The striking jacket illustration conveys an atmosphere of creepiness but not the sense of impending death at the novel's core. While Ned may be bold and fearless, it's tentative, conflicted Jamie who narrates the story, which becomes more compelling as it builds toward the inevitable climax. Grandad's tales of the sea, as well as references to Ned's beloved Star Trek, are woven through the story, creating vivid patterns within a narrative that is clearly written and emotionally resonant.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2016, American Library Association.)