School Library Journal Review
Gr 3-7-In this third and final book of the series, Toby, age six; baby Penny; Kim, age 12; Kimo, age 12; and Pippa, age nine, all are left homeless after Kimo's father steals their boat. The children have learned that grown-ups foil most everything and are good for nothing. Their parents refuse to parent, leaving their own children homeless with only one another to rely on. When Kim learns of a ruined castle, she gets the idea to make this their new home, but the castle may be haunted. With stunning clarity and deep resolve, the children set out to make their lives better and vanquish their fears. They have an endearing chant: "'cause we're Fitzgerald-Trouts. We don't give up and we don't give in. We eat chocolate radishes and chicken skin!" They live on an island of enchantment filled with lush moss, dazzling orchids, and bromeliads. They bathe in waterfalls, eat wild fruit, and cook on hot volcanic stone while mynah birds chirp overhead. Gatlin's illustrations are artfully done. VERDICT Readers will be tickled by the industrious Fitzgerald-Trouts' good humor and independence while they encounter challenge after challenge. Can be read as a standalone but is recommended for purchase as part of the series.-Lisa Gieskes, Richland County Public Library, Columbia, SC © Copyright 2019. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Horn Book Review
In this third adventure of the self-reliant, lateral-thinking, adults-free Fitzgerald-Trout family (Look Out for the Fitzgerald-Trouts, rev. 7/16; Knock About with the Fitzgerald-Trouts, rev. 5/17), the five children find themselves living back in their small green car and facing some interpersonal challenges. Theyre a tight-knit, supportive group, but now theyre all just a bit older, and the wider world is calling. Kim has decided to get serious at school. Kimo has taken up pole-vaulting. Pippa has a mysterious private woodworking project going. Even baby Penny is starting to become more independent. Only Toby and his telepathic fish Goldie seem to be holding true to F-T ways. The overarching question is: Can they maintain their family solidarity and still develop as individuals? This serious question, however, never weighs down a rollicking, vertiginous plot that includes treasure-seeking, a hidden castle, kidnapping, the threat of wizzleroaches (flying insects), and yet another gothically wicked adult. Spalding has a keen eye for the major pleasures of life, such as mud, limousines, giraffes, world records, and molding cheese wax into big red lips. A new illustrator for this entry gives us a fresh take on the spirited Fitzgerald-Trouts, their wackily diverse community of friends, and their inviting tropical-island home. sarah ellis July/Aug p.137(c) Copyright 2019. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
