reviewed from uncorrected egalley*
children's middlegrade fiction (Eliot is 12; themes include: not fitting in/making friends, deciding what to do after discovering one friend's dad beats her). This is not a graphic novel but heavy on the graphic design (lots of concrete/shape poem-like lines). The funny-ish drawings do have some added appeal, but probably would attract adults (who appreciate retro design elements) and Nova Scotia nostalgics more than, say, kids who might prefer another Wimpy readalike. I am familiar with Frank Viva through his picture book, Along a Long Road, but am not sure this chapter book would be distinguished enough to get much attention. ( )

Absolutely beautiful coming-of-age story that makes you feel melancholy in the best possible way. The story itself is lovely -- about a small town on the East Coast -- and the colour scheme perfectly fits with the feeling of longing that the book imparts. And my favourite thing is the way the text and the illustrations interact -- like concrete poetry, but not so often that it becomes distracting. A lovely read. ( )

This tale of adaptation and maturation follows Eliot to a small town in the Maritimes, where, frankly, not much happens. The author allows banal point-making on trendy topics (abuse, bullying) to get in the way of a compelling narrative. The central character is moderately well-drawn, but the rest of the characters are neither deep nor particularly interesting or amusing.

Some will like the clever illustrations and design - it's a little overdone at points in my view, but fits the subject matter of the book rather well.

What a magnificent tale off a boy spending the summer with his great Uncle, learning the values of hard work, good friends, and a real sense of hometown. ( )

This is an illustrated short novel about Eliot, a boy who gets sent from his Canadian home out to a fishing village in Nova Scotia to spend the summer with his great uncle. He thinks he is being sent to the worst place imaginable but instead finds that there are many things that make Point Aconi special. Life isn't perfect there but it becomes the place where Eliot grows up and learns about life. Viva himself spent summers in Point Aconi as a boy and his love for the place and its quirky people really comes through. One warning though, there is an abusive father in the story, which could be a hard topic for some young readers.

http://webereading.com/2017/02/new-ish-releases-kid-power-galore.html ( )