May 7, 2024 by Holiday House
E ARC provided by Edelweiss Plus
Jerry and his father have led a peripatetic life, living all over the world. When their most recent move takes them to a boring, cookie cutter, gated community, Fort Phylum, in the middle of nowhere Ohio, he's very confused. The residents all seem a bit quirky, and have all just moved in. They call his father "professor". When Jerry ends up having to babysit new neighbor, Pearl (who has been burying all of her family's possessions in the back yard), her mother tells Jerry not to let her see the moon. When she does, it uncovers the secret of the town. It's a planned community, masterminded by Jerry's father, and includes the were-creatures that he has met in his travels. He wants to help keep everyone safe, but when there is a community gathering, tensions arise between the different types of animals, and the predators, including the mayor (who is a lion) make things deeply uncomfortable for Pearl, who is a were-squirrel. The town hall is wrecked, and for some reason, people don't shed all of their animal qualities even when the sun comes up. The Professor is devastated, since he rescued many of the community members from experimentation and exploitation. Jerry and his new friends try to figure out what is going on even as Falcon Storm descends on the town to try to report on the unusual news. Will he be able to save the day and settle in to his new, not-so-boring community?
E ARC provided by Edelweiss Plus
Jerry and his father have led a peripatetic life, living all over the world. When their most recent move takes them to a boring, cookie cutter, gated community, Fort Phylum, in the middle of nowhere Ohio, he's very confused. The residents all seem a bit quirky, and have all just moved in. They call his father "professor". When Jerry ends up having to babysit new neighbor, Pearl (who has been burying all of her family's possessions in the back yard), her mother tells Jerry not to let her see the moon. When she does, it uncovers the secret of the town. It's a planned community, masterminded by Jerry's father, and includes the were-creatures that he has met in his travels. He wants to help keep everyone safe, but when there is a community gathering, tensions arise between the different types of animals, and the predators, including the mayor (who is a lion) make things deeply uncomfortable for Pearl, who is a were-squirrel. The town hall is wrecked, and for some reason, people don't shed all of their animal qualities even when the sun comes up. The Professor is devastated, since he rescued many of the community members from experimentation and exploitation. Jerry and his new friends try to figure out what is going on even as Falcon Storm descends on the town to try to report on the unusual news. Will he be able to save the day and settle in to his new, not-so-boring community?
Strengths: I loved the format of this one, with Ebbeler's 1950s style drawings strewn about the pages in the most engaging fashion. There is even a "How Not to Get Eaten" handbook excerpted that is particularly delightful. It gives us a great idea of what all of the werepeople look like, and how their human forms and animal forms are alike. Jerry is a resilient character who is thrown into an usual situation but does his best to help his new community. There's an understandable backstory to the creation of Fort Phylum, and the descriptions of it are very amusing. There's plenty of action and adventure, an excellent villain, and a satisfying ending.
Weaknesses: This was a tiny bit young for middle school, although sixth graders will enjoy it immensely.
What I really think: This is a great choice for readers who want a quirky, funny fantasy adventure book like Lubar's Monsterific Tales, Thomas' Malamander, Woodrow's Curse of the Werepenguin, or Krosoczka's Platypus Police Squad, which also has some delightful illustrations.
Weaknesses: This was a tiny bit young for middle school, although sixth graders will enjoy it immensely.
What I really think: This is a great choice for readers who want a quirky, funny fantasy adventure book like Lubar's Monsterific Tales, Thomas' Malamander, Woodrow's Curse of the Werepenguin, or Krosoczka's Platypus Police Squad, which also has some delightful illustrations.
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