Tumble & Blue
By:
This is the magic-infused story of a golden gator, two cursed kids, and the choice to take their destinies into their own hands.
ISBN: 9780525428442
JLG Release: Oct 2017
Other Formats Available from JLG
Sensitive Areas:
None
Topics:
Luck
, Blessing and cursing
, Friendship
, Alligators
, Ancestors
, Family life
Awards & Honors
2018 Capitol Choices, Ages Ten to Fourteen
VOYA’s Top Shelf Fiction for Middle School Readers 2017
The New York TimesNotable Children’s Books of 2017, Middle Grade
Praise & Reviews
Starred or favorable reviews have been received from these periodicals:
Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books, Booklist*, The Horn Book Magazine*, Kirkus Reviews*, Publishers Weekly*, School Library Journal*
Horn Book
[STARRED REVIEW]
Way back when, there were strange things done in the Okefenokee Swamp. A plot
was set in motion by two bad people, horse thief Walcott Montgomery and murderer
Almira LaFayette. Their descendants, especially a couple of middle graders,
Blue and Tumble, are doomed to play out the end of this tale of curses, courage,
trickery, [STARRED REVIEW]
Way back when, there were strange things done in the Okefenokee Swamp. A plot
was set in motion by two bad people, horse thief Walcott Montgomery and murderer
Almira LaFayette. Their descendants, especially a couple of middle graders,
Blue and Tumble, are doomed to play out the end of this tale of curses, courage,
trickery, family feuds, and alligators. Blue, abandoned by his father, ends up at
the home of his grandmother. His “fate” is that he seems destined to be a loser for
life since he’s unable to win any fight or game or contest—not even tic-tac-toe.
Tumble, a girl who feels responsible for the death of her brother, is determined to
live by the precepts of a self-help book called How to Hero Every Day. They join
forces to solve the puzzle of the past and neutralize the curse. In a mix of tall tale,
magic realism, comic midgrade mayhem, and sweetness—a mix reminiscent of
Sachar’s Holes (rev. 9/98)—Beasley creates a distinctive, energetic world in which
kindness is a muscular value and quirkiness is organic to the setting. The onomatopoeic
language is a treat. Running on a dirt road: “thuff thuff.” Folding up
a sofa bed: “poppa-poppa-clang-thwooong.” And who could resist a book in which
the word Okefenokee makes regular appearances? sarah ellis
Book Details
ISBN
9780525428442
First Release
October 2017
Genre
Fic
Dewey Classification
F
Trim Size
7" x 5 1/2"
Page Count
400
Accelerated Reader
Level 4.8; Points: 9;
Scholastic Reading Counts
Level 4.2; Points: 15;
Lexile
Level 680L
Format
Print Book
Edition
Hardcover edition
Publisher
Dial
Potentially Sensitive Areas
None
Topics
Luck, Blessing and cursing, Friendship, Alligators, Ancestors, Family life,
