![]() All of the usual conventions of middle grade books are subverted, ignored, or parodied, with a bit of a wink and a smile. There are more important things than normalcy - like kindness, generosity, good humor, courage and loyalty. ![]() The underlying message of the book, which is rarely made explicit but which informs every element, is that when no one is normal then the whole idea of "normal" is meaningless. It turns out no one and nothing in Topsea is normal, so Davy's quest to be "normal" is doomed before it starts. ![]() Davy is anxious about fitting in and just wants to be normal. Davy and his Mom have moved to a new town to start a new life. The premise, though, is straightforward, which is the best way to set up a bizarro book. And that's what you get here.Īnd it's a singular and unapologetically odd book. By "bizarro" I mean deadpan, tongue in cheek, low key, understated, unpredictable inside/out books. There are silly books, and wacky books, and nutsy books, and, or course, farty and poopy books, but good bizarro is rare. ![]() It's very hard to find a good bizarro middle grade book. ![]()
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