Common Sense Media Review
By Mary Eisenhart
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Quirky fable promotes family, community, teamwork.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 8+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Read
What's the Story?
When the struggling Flowerpetal family moves to the decaying town of Carousel in search of a better life, it sets 12-year-old son Granite (hoping to be known as Gran at his new school) on the path to a fateful meeting with THE LIFTERS, a secret society formed to help keep Carousel's streets and buildings from collapsing. Things have been steadily falling apart since the town's carousel company, once world-famous, shut down. Morale is low, the citizens squabble, and buildings suddenly fall down for no reason. Middle school is pretty grim also. But Gran begins to suspect that the strange, fierce girl in his class, the only one to befriend him (when she's not punching him in the stomach), knows more than most about what's going on -- and may be doing something about it. Also, magic seems to crop up in unexpected places.
Is It Any Good?
Author Dave Eggers delivers a fun read packed with positive messages, mysterious magic, and a couple of determined 12-year-olds pitted against dark forces. En route to the cosmic battle between the town-devouring Hollows and the Lifters trying to stop them, the plot touches on real-life issues including disability, depression, unemployment -- and mortifying scenes at school.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about the carousels in The Lifters. Are there any near you? Have you ever ridden one? Do you like them, or do you think they're too old-fashioned to be any fun?
When you look at something like a carved animal on a merry-go-round, do you ever think about the people who made it, and what they might have been thinking about at the time?
If you found yourself in Gran's situation -- you desperately had to go to the bathroom and your teacher wouldn't let you go -- what would you do? Do you think this would happen in real life, or is it just a story?
Book Details
- Author :
- Genre : Fantasy
- Topics : Adventures , Family Stories ( Siblings ) , Friendship , School ( Middle School )
- Book type : Fiction
- Publisher : Knopf Books for Young Readers
- Publication date : April 24, 2018
- Publisher's recommended age(s) : 8 - 12
- Number of pages : 352
- Available on : Nook, Audiobook (unabridged), Hardback, Apple Books, Kindle
- Last updated : September 30, 2025
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