07/19/2021
Carl Chesterfield loves his parents, his home of Pittsburgh, and the city’s 400 bridges—which the men on his father’s side have engineered for generations—but his shyness prevents him from speaking up much at home or at school. Since “few places remain for new bridges to be built,” Carl’s engineer father is stuck repairing them—lately, at a bizarrely high rate. Seeking “a new noble profession,” Carl’s dad spontaneously mortgages the family’s home to buy a rusty food truck and a spot of land under a bridge. While Carl’s ever-arguing parents navigate this decision’s financial fallout, Carl begins to notice that the increasing bridge damage looks to be the work of steel-hungry monsters. When confident principal’s son Teddy and vivacious Bee team up with shy Carl, forming the Midnight Brigade, they meet Frank, a 25-foot-tall troll with a mysterious past involving bridge protection. Together, the four work to save Pittsburgh’s bridges and the food truck’s future. Carl’s parents are realistically flawed, and his mix of feelings around their constant fighting ring true as a candid third-person narrative follows the presumed-white characters through Borba’s whimsical, sincere debut. Final art not seen by PW . Ages 8–12. Agent: Janine Kamouh, WME. (Sept.)
* "Tongue-in-cheek frolic ."—Booklist, starred humorous novel features a likable cast of middle school kids and their families...spot art greatly enhances the text, bringing the setting and characters' emotions to life... An unusual story about forging new bonds."—Kirkus Reviews realistically flawed, and his mix of feelings around their constant fighting ring true...through Borba’s whimsical, sincere debut ."—Publishers Weekly delightful, mysterious adventure !” —Jonathan Auxier, NYT bestselling author of The Night Gardener delightful, deeply felt, entirely original debut. You'll remember these characters and their stories long after you close the book, and you'll never look at a bridge the same way again. I'll be sending in my application to join the Midnight Brigade right away!"—Jarrett Lerner, creator of the Enginerds series
"...dramatic and amusing...[a] cheering read for children ages 8-12. In Mr. Borba's milieu, children admire and respect their parents, parents admire and respect their children, and trolls give good advice."
—WSJ
Kiff VandenHeuvel's enthusiastic delivery heightens this middle-grade coming-of-age adventure. When Philadelphia's bridges appear to be under attack from monsters, three young friends band together, forming The Midnight Brigade to investigate. Carl, Teddy, and Bee are inherently impacted by their parents' vocations and choices; they are the children of a new restaurateur, a dentist, a food critic, and a school principal. In Borba's funny, mysterious story, beings of all ages and species are given dimension, motives, and refreshing humanity. VandenHeuvel's bold portrayals add depth and further endear Borba's characters to listeners. With deft pacing, VandenHeuvel illuminates the heart and humor in this profound story of growth, friendship, and fighting for what matters most. K.S.B. © AudioFile 2021, Portland, Maine
DECEMBER 2021 - AudioFile
Kiff VandenHeuvel's enthusiastic delivery heightens this middle-grade coming-of-age adventure. When Philadelphia's bridges appear to be under attack from monsters, three young friends band together, forming The Midnight Brigade to investigate. Carl, Teddy, and Bee are inherently impacted by their parents' vocations and choices; they are the children of a new restaurateur, a dentist, a food critic, and a school principal. In Borba's funny, mysterious story, beings of all ages and species are given dimension, motives, and refreshing humanity. VandenHeuvel's bold portrayals add depth and further endear Borba's characters to listeners. With deft pacing, VandenHeuvel illuminates the heart and humor in this profound story of growth, friendship, and fighting for what matters most. K.S.B. © AudioFile 2021, Portland, Maine
DECEMBER 2021 - AudioFile
2021-07-27
Descended from generations of bridge engineers, Carl is avidly interested in the structures. His creatively frustrated father spends his time repairing bridges because there is no room to build new ones—and strangely, more repairs are needed than ever as bridges are being damaged in unusual ways. Friendless Carl spots a cryptic flyer warning people about the damage to bridges, making him wonder whether someone else also believes that monsters are the culprit. Carl’s father finally opens a food truck near an old bridge constructed by Carl’s great-grandfather where, as a proudly average person, he insists on serving average food, which he mistakenly believes will have broad appeal. Carl finally makes a friend in Teddy (flyer creator and school principal’s son), who broaches the monster theory. However, Carl encounters Frank, a troll who lives under the bridge near his father’s food truck, who, rather than eating them, once protected bridges. Bee, another classmate and daughter of Pittsburgh’s foremost restaurant critic, soon joins the boys. This occasionally humorous novel features a likable cast of middle school kids and their families. Frank plays an amusing role in saving the day—after causing much of the trouble. Most main characters read as White; Bee and her mother are East Asian. Photorealistic grayscale spot art greatly enhances the text, bringing the setting and characters' emotions to life.
An unusual story about forging new bonds. (Fantasy. 9-12)
