The Last Last-Day-of-Summer

Lamar Giles — 2019

"The Last Last-Day-of-Summer reminds me that all children deserve to exist in magical spaces where their imaginations and familial bonds will them into heroism. Every single child should have the freedom to be one of The Legendary Alstons. And I, for one, am grateful to Giles, and this brilliant story, for that reminder." —Jason Reynolds, author of Newbery Honoree Long Way Down “The legendary heroes of this legendary book are already legendary when the story begins! From there things can only get legendary-er!” —Tom Angleberger, author of the Origami Yoda series "Lamar Giles has written an instant classic—readers won't want their time with the Legendary Alston Boys of Logan County to end." —Gwenda Bond, author of the Lois Lane series The Hardy Boys meets The Phantom Tollbooth, in the new century! When two adventurous cousins accidentally extend the last day of summer by freezing time, they find the secrets hidden between the unmoving seconds, minutes, and hours are not the endless fun they expected. Otto and Sheed are the local sleuths in their zany Virginia town, masters of unraveling mischief using their unmatched powers of deduction. And as the summer winds down and the first day of school looms, the boys are craving just a little bit more time for fun, even as they bicker over what kind of fun they want to have. That is, until a mysterious man appears with a camera that literally freezes time. Now, with the help of some very strange people and even stranger creatures, Otto and Sheed will have to put aside their differences to save their town—and each other—before time stops for good.

Reviews

Kim Tyo-Dickerson@kimtyodickerson

Mar 1, 2022

Ah, August. The last days of summer. This sci-fi-fantasy caper starring The Legendary Alston Boys, cousins Otto and Sheen, is a brilliant explosion of the wish so many kids make right about now, at the end of summer, "Just one more day!" When a mischievous supernatural being named Mr. Flux arrives in Otto and Sheen's town, a town that has all kinds of unusual phenomena on a good day, and brandishes a time-freezing camera, a simple pic takes on catastrophic power as the world is frozen in time. It's Ground Hog Day, a day that never ends, turned Sci-Fi time-twisting romp. Otto and Sheen have never turned down a challenge to prove their sleuthing creds to their town, they have three city keys to prove it!, but now they are dealing with their friends and relatives literally locked in place, unable to move. Cars are hovering in the air. Mirrors have tentacles. Ginormous, furry Platypus creatures rage through the streets. And there is a stranger in town who might be able to help them, a dude named Timewarp, if they can just find him again. No matter what, it's up to the Alston boys to figure out how to reset time. Giles also manages to tug at the heart-strings throughout and keeps the pages flying with his sharp, witty dialog, cousin-to-cousin banter, and expert pacing. Illustrations are fly and amplify the humor at just the right moments, keeping the characters moving towards solving the time puzzles and discovering what impact the present has on the future. A time-travel, fantastical gem. I am so looking forward to reading the second instalment The Last Mirror on the Left via Edelweiss+ Digital Review Copy!