Book Review: Oliver and the Seawigs

Premise: When Oliver's parents go missing, along with an entire group of islands, he is determined to find them. But his rescue mission turns out to be a bigger adventure than he could have imagined - mermaids, living islands, and sea monkeys make for a fantastically thrilling time.

Title: Oliver and the Seawigs
Author: Philip Reeve
Illustrator: Sarah McIntyre
Length: 208 pages
Genre: Fantasy
Series or Stand Alone: Stand Alone
Content appropriate for: Grades 3-5
Format: Digital ARC provided by Random House Children's via NetGalley
U.S. Publication Date: July 22, 2014

Three adjectives that describe this book: whimsical, fun, creative

I absolutely LOVED Oliver and the Seawigs. This book is so much fun! It's full of adventure, creativity, and hilarity.

Before I go any further, I insist that you watch the book trailer below. It will give you a good sense of what Oliver and the Seawigs is all about.

Oliver and the Seawigs was published in the UK nearly a year ago and has had nothing but outstanding reviews. I love Philip Reeve's witty humor in the Larklight series, but those are a bit too advanced for my students. So I was excited to see Philip Reeve taking a dip into the middle grades. And when the publisher approved me for an advanced copy I literally squealed.

All that is just to say that I had high expectations for Oliver and the Seawigs. High expectations are dangerous, but in this case the book managed to exceed them.

Oliver and the Seawigs is:
* Fun
* Whimsical
* Adventurous
* Funny
* Creative

This book is perfect for 3rd-5th graders. Check out this blurb from a reviewer on Amazon UK:
"Both my sons, (aged 7 and 9), totally loved this book. They said that it was quite unlike anything that they'd read before, that it kept them guessing about what was going to happen and that it was a little bit crazy and a lot funny!"

And the illustrations?! Sarah McIntyre's work is perfect. The artwork and text create one complete experience. I mean - look how fun that is:

I've pre-ordered a copy of Oliver and the Seawigs for my classroom and I can't wait for the next book from this amazing duo, Cakes in Space.