The New York Times Book Review - Elizabeth Bird
Built on a foundation of absurdity, coincidence and the occasional rather good one-liner, [To Night Owl From Dogfish] manages the difficult balancing act of using increasingly ridiculous, and often funny, situations to drill home the idea that every close relationship takes hard work, particularly when things start going south. At the same time, the authors attend closely to the perceptions and interpretations of its young characters…
Publishers Weekly
10/29/2018
Peeking at her father’s emails, 12-year-old Californian Bett learns two pieces of upsetting information: her father has fallen in love with a man she’s never met, and the two of them are scheming to send Bett and the man’s 12-year-old daughter, Avery, away to summer camp together. Furious, Bett finds Avery’s email address to break the horrible news. The girls vow not to speak to each other during the summer, but despite their differences (Bett is spontaneous and adventurous; Avery is bookish and fearful), they form a strong bond. When their fathers part ways during a disastrous trip to China, the girls, who had been looking forward to being sisters, are determined to find a way to reunite them. Written entirely in emails and letters, this laugh-out-loud novel showcases the collaborative skills of bestselling authors Sloan (Short) and Wolitzer (Bellzhar). In addition to the two distraught protagonists, the authors create several other unforgettable characters, including Avery’s estranged biological mother and Bett’s feisty grandmother. Featuring a dramatic climax and a host of surprising twists, the novel affirms that families conventional and unconventional are families just the same. Ages 10–up. (Feb.)
From the Publisher
Acclaim for To Night Owl from Dogfish
A New York Time Editor's Choice
A Junior Library Guild 2019 Selection
An Amazon best book of the month for February 2019
#3 on the Indie Next list for spring 2019 for Independent Booksellers
A Publishers Weekly Most Anticipated Children's Book of 2019
"Built on a foundation of absurdity, coincidence and the occasional rather good one-liner, the novel manages the difficult balancing act of using increasingly ridiculous, and often funny, situations to drill home the idea that every close relationship takes hard work, particularly when things start going south." —New York Times
* "This is a convincing and heartwarming look into the experiences of female friendship . . . An imaginative and compelling middle-grade novel depicting modern friendships and modern families." —School Library Journal, starred review
“A sweet and amusing tale that celebrates diversity while reinforcing the power of love and the importance of family.” —Kirkus
“Written entirely in emails and letters, this laugh-out-loud novel showcases the collaborative skills of bestselling authors Sloan (Short) and Wolitzer (Bellzhar) . . . Featuring a dramatic climax and a host of surprising twists, the novel affirms that families conventional and unconventional are families just the same.” —Publishers Weekly
“Even if the target readership eschews email these days, they’ll be hard-pressed not to be laughing out loud at the witty, clever email and letter repartee among the girls, their dads, and the rest of the supporting cast . . . Alternately heartwarming and hilarious.” —Booklist
“The book’s affectionately satirical take on our twelve-year-old heroines and their approaches to life is funny, and the epistolary format is an engaging way into the girls’ personalities and defenses.” —BCCB
“While Bett and Avery’s non-stop comical high jinks prove entertaining, the girls symbolize a broader definition of family and experience real struggles . . . Educators and librarians seeking an interesting novel that promotes diversity and might appeal to reluctant readers will want to add this book to their shelves.” —VOYA
School Library Journal
★ 02/01/2019
Gr 4–6—Sloan and Wolitzer offer a middle-grade novel about friendship and sisterhood. Written in an epistolary format, it is a thoroughly current story told through e-mail exchanges between two 12-year-old girls. Avery Bloom receives an e-mail entitled "You don't know me" from one Bett Devlin, informing her their fathers are in love, and that they have devised a plan for the tweens to meet at a summer camp. Initially reticent, the girls plot to sabotage their fathers' plans until they realize they may have more in common than they had realized. They find in each other a confidant with whom they can share the stresses of adolescence and they form a friendship sustained by humor and vulnerability. This is a convincing and heartwarming look into the experiences of female friendship and is enhanced by the charming and riveting love story between the girls' fathers. While remaining lighthearted, the narrative successfully weaves in important topics like puberty, religion, surrogacy, race, and sexual orientation, reminiscent of Judy Blume's signature style. VERDICT An imaginative and compelling middle-grade novel depicting modern friendships and modern families.—Katherine Hickey, Metropolitan Library System, Oklahoma City
MARCH 2019 - AudioFile
Narrators Imani Parks and Cassandra Morris capture the attitudes of two 12-year-olds who begin an email friendship as their fathers form a relationship. Parks voices the personality of Bett, a self-confident, risk-taking California surfer girl. Morris’s portrayal of Avery is tentative, fearful, and bookish. Both narrators reflect the girls’ awareness that their fathers have been secretly dating. Soon, their discomfort turns to resentment at losing the sole focus of their adoring dads, anger that they are sent off to nerdy summer camp, and, finally, affection for each other. While the aural references to the subject lines of the girls’ emails come off as repetitive, sound effects do help differentiate who is emailing whom. Other narrators from the ensemble vividly represent the fathers and other intriguing characters. S.W. © AudioFile 2019, Portland, Maine
