Casey Lyall

First sentence: The golden rule of shady Elms Retirement Home was listed clearly on the front door: No unaccompanied minors on the premises after six p.m. Which was why I was not using the front door.

Premise/plot: Lemon Peabody, our heroine, has been working on Project Validation for most of her life. Her Grandpa Walt--so says he--had an alien encounter thirty years ago. Few--if any--believe him. In fact, the town has collectively made light sport of his story. It's a 'thing' apparently, to show more paint the faces of garden gnomes green in this town. Lemon's father HATES garden gnomes because of this; he has little appreciation for a daughter who "encourages" and "supports" Grandpa Walt's so-called delusions. Now that he's in a nursing home, he's hoping EVERYONE will forget the whole aliens thing. This seems likely since Walt has Alzheimer's and his memory is touch and go at best. Lemon finds it heartbreaking that she's losing her Grandpa and doing so before she could prove his claims to be the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth. She must find proof that her Grandpa really, truly had an alien encounter....

So it is super convenient that the SECOND narrator (or should that be gnarrator) is a space alien--a cadet, I believe--whose space ship crashes on earth in the very same town, in the very same woods as thirty years ago. Lemon happens, of course, to witness this! Finally, an opportunity to prove to her dad (and others) what she's always believed--her Grandpa is telling the truth.

My thoughts: This is a strange little book. On the one hand, you've got a HEAVY book. Lemon loves, loves, loves her Grandpa. Yes, the book might try to make this one fun and light-hearted by shifting the focus to HOW DELIGHTFUL Grandpa Walt met and befriended a super-cute-adorable-alien (who looks like a garden gnome). But Grandpa's medical condition is real and devastating. As an adult, I can see the dad making some very valid points. Lemon's insistence on breaking all the rules and getting her Grandpa flustered up and having breakdowns because he can't remember things...is problematic. Yes, readers learn the truth. But it could have easily gone the other way (in another genre for another audience). On the other hand, as I mentioned, the gnome-alien-race is SUPER adorable and cute. They all have adorable names. There's nothing threatening or dangerous--just super precious and adorable.

I think age and experience might play a role in if you see this one as hilarious and delightful or heartbreaking. show less

Adorable fluff -- perfect for siblings and anyone who enjoys hamster shenanigans. The art is wonderful. Love the various secret lairs, and the attitude of the Middle and Onlies.

Told like a scary story on an evening with only a flashlight for illumination, the legend of the Vampire Jam Sandwich details what happens when a vampire takes one bite of a jam sandwich. “And of course, you know what a bite from a vampire means,” author Casey Lyall writes. This offbeat picture book will delight readers of any age, but especially middle-grade readers who normally turn up their noses at picture books. (They’ll get the twist ending, whereas their younger sibs will not.) show more Nici Gregory’s edgy illustrations add just the right flavor to this humorous, tongue-in-cheek gem.

In the interest of full disclosure, I received this book from NetGalley, Penguin Random House Canada and Tundra Books in exchange for an honest review. show less

This book is a delight. A hardboiled middle school private investigator, a case involving plenty of drama and corruption, true-to-life conflicts, an endearing boy-girl friendship, and a great big dose of humour. All of the PI lingo was basically my favourite thing ever.

Who among us didn't go through a phase as a kid where they kept surveillance logs and insisted on being called "Gumshoe" by their parents? I would have eaten this book up back then. Now? It's the most fun read I've had in ages.