Taylor, Thomas. Festergrimm. Tom Booth, Illus. Legends of Eerie-On-Sea Series; bk. 4. Candlewick/Walker, 04/2023. 324pp. Fiction. Trade $19.99. 978-1-5362-2742-0. Paper $10.99. 978-1-5362-3245-5. GRADES 4 – 8. ADDITIONAL.
Herbie and Violet return in their fourth adventure in Eerie-on-Sea (a small, out of the way town in a nondescript time period), as they continue thwarting the villainous Sebastian Eels and exposing more ancient legends about their town. This time they hope that the adults will finally see his villainy while they also discover more of the town’s history. Sebastian Eels’ intentions regarding a wax museum, a clockwork robot, and a long missing girl slowly become evident (to the kids, not the adults). These two kids work well together as layers of the town’s history are peeled away, with more intriguing details coming to light. Readers will be left wanting future stories, as this ending sets the stage for an explanation of Herbie’s mysterious history.
Joshua Rees—Daly City Public Library