The Boy Who Swam With Piranhas
Candlewick Press · Paperback · February 24, 2015
“A buoyant, delightfully Almond-ine coming-of-age novel about fish, fate, and family; moonlight, madness, and myth; runts, “Rackanruwin” and, finally, redemption.” — Kirkus Reviews (starred review) When Stanley Potts’s guardian, Uncle Ernie, develops an unhealthy obsession with fish, Stan has no choice but to strike out on his own.
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- Who it’s for
- A wry, visually playful coming-of-age tale where fish, fate, and family share the same churning waters.
- Themes
- Coming of age, Family, Choosing one’s destiny
- Genres
- Fish Stories, Action & Adventure, Magic & Fantasy
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Start with this bookAbout this book
“A buoyant, delightfully Almond-ine coming-of-age novel about fish, fate, and family; moonlight, madness, and myth; runts, “Rackanruwin” and, finally, redemption.” — Kirkus Reviews (starred review) When Stanley Potts’s guardian, Uncle Ernie, develops an unhealthy obsession with fish, Stan has no choice but to strike out on his own.
Continue reading
Far from the life he knows, he’s welcomed by a carnival of eccentric characters, including the legendary Pancho Pirelli, the man who swims with piranhas. Will Stan, too, be bold enough to dive into the churning waters and choose his destiny? Full of wry wordplay and visual whimsy, David Almond’s quirky tale is richly matched by Oliver Jeffers’s black-and-white illustrations.
Whimsy With Teeth
A wry, visually playful coming-of-age tale where fish, fate, and family share the same churning waters.
Come here for
- Eccentric carnival characters and the curious legend of a man who swims with piranhas
- Almond’s wry wordplay, paired with Oliver Jeffers’s black-and-white illustrations
Expect
- A quirky tale of striking out on your own and choosing your destiny
- Moonlit myth and comic oddity, with a thread of redemption
Where it sits
| Magic & Fantasy | 35% |
|---|---|
| Action & Adventure | 30% |
| Fish Stories | 28% |
Percentages are BookFrontier’s reading of the book.
Publisher categories
- Fish Stories
- Circus Stories
- Runaway Stories
- Authors
- David Almond
- Publisher
- Candlewick Press
- Published
- February 24, 2015
- Format
- Paperback
- Theme
- Coming of age · Family · Choosing one’s destiny
- Reading lane
- Fish Stories