A Field Guide to Getting Lost by Joy McCullough
Release: April 14th 2020
Format: Ebook
Publisher: Atheneum Books for Young Readers
Source: Amazon
Synopsis:
A girl with a passion for science and a boy who dreams of writing fantasy novels must figure out how to get along now that their parents are dating in this lively, endearing novel.
Sutton is having robot problems. Her mini-bot is supposed to be able to get through a maze in under a minute, but she must have gotten something wrong in the coding. Which is frustrating for a science-minded girl like Sutton—almost as frustrating as the fact that her mother probably won’t be home in time for Sutton’s tenth birthday.
Luis spends his days writing thrilling stories about brave kids, but there’s only so much inspiration you can find when you’re stuck inside all day. He’s allergic to bees, afraid of dogs, and has an overprotective mom to boot. So Luis can only dream of daring adventures in the wild.
Sutton and Luis couldn’t be more different from each other. Except now that their parents are dating, these two have to find some common ground. Will they be able to navigate their way down a path they never planned on exploring?
Field Guide to Getting Lost Review:
This was a very fun short middle grade story to read! It is always difficult to adapt to any changes in our routine lives. Hence, I loved how the author tackled the subject of children adapting to their parent’s dating lives.
There characters are unique and well written. Initially I did not like Sutton that much. I thought she was too bossy and close-minded and did not like the idea of change. However, the author progressed the story in such a nice manner. Similar to Luis, we also start to see Sutton open up. Luis is wonderful in his own way. Even though he faces a lot of problems with his allergies, he puts up a brave front and is ready for any adventure. I think Luis is a role model for anyone to inspire to on being brave and overcome their fears.
There are many other things which I appreciated in the story. For instance, I liked the diversity that the author provides in the story. Some of Sutton’s neighbors are Muslim, Chinese and Indian. As an Indian, I loved that the author showcased some of the traditional Indian dishes, and did not stereotype the characters in anyway. On a side note, I also loved Penelope’s adventures and hope the author writes them as companion novels to this book. The author also makes some references and recommendations of other fantasy middle grade novels. I liked how Sutton spoke about robotics with such an enthusiasm to spark interest for the reader on the same.
Even though it is a bit predictable as to how this story would turn out, I enjoyed reading it! I would love to read a follow up book on Sutton and Luis and the challenges they faced if their family moved in. Overall, I this this book was delightful to read!
