Fourth Grade Journey

A Fourth Grade Teacher's Journey Through the World of Books

Saturday, July 20, 2019

Nessie Quest by Melissa Savage

How I Heard About It:  One of my favorite middle-grade novels is Lemons by Melissa Savage.  I have used it both as a class read aloud and a "Breakfast with Books" book club selection.  I was thrilled when Melissa sent me an ARC of her upcoming novel Nessie Quest.  This book will be shared with my #bookexpedition group on Twitter.  


What It Is About - FIVE Things You Need to Know:  
1.  *Where would every kid like to spend their summer vacation?  Disney World of course.  That is certainly what Ada Ru is hoping for.  

2.  *Instead her parents inform her the family will be spending the summer in Scotland where her father will take a teaching position and so they can visit family relatives.  

3.  *Ada is not thrilled about this prospect and makes it clear to her parents she would rather be going to see Mickey and Minnie.  

4.  *Once in Scotland, Ada Ru meets Hammy Bean and Dax.  The combination of the three children leads to an adventure of a lifetime.  

5.  *Hammy Bean is on a mission/race to find the Loch Ness Monster and brings Ada Ru and Dax along for the ride, and dive, into the waters of Scotland.  


What I Thought Of It - Five Observations/Reflections:
1.  *I was thrilled to receive this advanced copy in the mail and got to reading right away.  

2.  *The plot was engaging, thrilling, and full of fun and adventure.  

3.  *One element that I enjoyed most was the "voice" and humor of Ada Ru.  Melissa Savage did a tremendous job of bringing this character to live.  I was literally laughing out loud on several occasions.  

4.  *I so enjoyed the relationship between Hammy Bean, Dax, and Adu Ru.  They each brought such a special gift into their friendships.  

5.  *The reading experience was enjoyable because there were several tie-ins to the story in Lemons.  This is an adventure story, but also has many wonderful and deep life-lessons.  


Who Should Read It:    A wonderful novel to be used with third, fourth, and fifth graders.  I would recommend reading Lemons first.  This is NOT a sequel, but definitely follows AFTER the events in Lemons.  The story would be incredible to use either as a class read aloud and/or a book club selection.  I also think the novel could be put in the hands of a sixth grader and/or a middle-school reader.  Happy Reading!  


Rating:   5 STARS out of 5 Stars!



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