Parents' Guide to

Whales on Stilts!

By Kate Pavao, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 8+

A fun and fantastic fish tale.

Book M.T. Anderson Science Fiction 2005
Whales on Stilts! Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this book.

Community Reviews

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age 7+

Based on 1 parent review

demaion
demaion Adult
September 15, 2011
age 7+

One of the most creative, fun books to be read aloud

Excellent story about friends. Superb story to read aloud. All of MT Anderson's books in this series are fantastic reads for pre-teens to senior citizens.

This title has:

Educational value
Great messages
Great role models
See all 1 parent review

What's the Story?

Lily discovers that her dad's boss (a human/whale hybrid) is building stilts for whales so they can invade the land. She works with her two best friends to devise a plan to save the day.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say: (1 ):
Kids say: Not yet rated

The plot here is fairly thin, but the characters and humorous details will appeal to kids (and parents and sophisticated readers, too). Lily's two friends, for example, are famous: Katie lives in a haunted neighborhood and faces off against zombies and werewolves, while Jasper is a "Boy Technonaut." Both have inspired their own series of books and have fan clubs. Fictional ads for their series' appear among the book's wonderful illustrations.

Readers will laugh out loud at the outlandish plot, Lily's clueless father (who doesn't guess his hooded boss's nature, even after watching him pour brine over his head), and the author's clever asides. It's the silliness that will sell this book. But the book really does have a heart, too: Lily, who "people didn't know was interesting," learns that she really is something special, and the friends work together, standing up for each other to the end.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about the unique writing style. What genre would you put this in: science fiction, adventure, humor, coming-of-age? The author talks directly to the reader at times. Does that bother you or do you like it?

Book Details

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