Marvelous Middle Grade Monday - The Boy at the End of the World

Today’s Pick: The Boy at the End of the World  by Greg van Eekhout

Published by Bloomsbury, 2011

Blurb From Amazon:

In a future world, Fisher is the last boy on earth. But evidence suggests there may be a far-away survival bunk with other humans. In order to get there, he'll need to rely on a ragtag team he assembles, including a robot, a mammoth, and a prairie dog with basic English skills. Readers will be riveted as this unlikely team races toward survival.

My Take:

This is a fast-paced book and I read through it in one night. I enjoyed the quest theme and how the author wove in details about fishing, trapping and outdoor survival. The characters in this story have a lot of personality. It was a fun read and a great one for boys.

As a writer, I was interested in how the author included a futuristic theme in a short middle grade novel. The writing style is very simple and direct, but there’s lots of humor, especially from the robot sidekick. I also really admired the author’s imagination! This is a great example of how you could brainstorm to create unexpected obstacles.

 
Favourite Quote:

“Is mistake that brings death and destruction not just to humans, but to all. That is the way of human mistakes.”

Opening Line:

“This is what he knew: His name was Fisher.”

 
Other Info:

Greg van Eekhout lives in San Diego. He wanted to be a cartoonist or comic book artist, but found out he wasn’t so great at drawing so turned to writing. He didn’t start out so great at that either, but he kept practicing until he got better and people wanted to buy his stories.

Some advice to writers on his website: “…if you want to write professionally, develop some good work habits. Try to write at least a little bit every day.”

Other Middle Grade Books Include:

Kid vs. Squid

For more info, visit Greg van Eekhout’s website.

Marvelous Middle Grade Monday was dreamed up by the incredible Shannon Messenger, author of Keeper of the Lost Cities. Visit her blog for an up-to-date list of all the bloggers who are participating and posting about middle grade books today!