Our last book club meeting of the regular school year was The Last Last Day of Summer by Lamar Giles. Each month, I try to share the notes I use while leading a book club (girls and boys ages 8-10) for our local homeschool support group outside of Atlanta, GA. Over the years, the group has read dozens of books covering all sorts of characters and authors. If you’re interested in learning more, please check out How to Start a Book Club and the ongoing list of our Heritage Book Club Monthly Picks.

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When two adventurous cousins accidentally extend the last day of summer by freezing time, they find the secrets hidden between the unmoving seconds, minutes, and hours are not the endless fun they expected.

In this middle grade fiction book, cousins Otto and Sheed are the local sleuths in their zany Virginia town, masters of unraveling mischief using their unmatched powers of deduction. “And as the summer winds down and the first day of school looms, the boys are craving just a little bit more time for fun, even as they bicker over what kind of fun they want to have. That is, until a mysterious man appears with a camera that literally freezes time. Now, with the help of some very strange people and even stranger creatures, Otto and Sheed will have to put aside their differences to save their town—and each other—before time stops for good.”

This is the first book in the Legendary Alston Boys Adventure trilogy. We listened to the audiobook on a long road-trip, and my kids enjoyed it so much (both the boys and the girls!) that we listened to the second book in the series, The Last Mirror on the Left, on the way back home. The third installment, The Last Chance for Logan County, will be released on October 19, 2021.

One of the things that I appreciated about this book was the balance between not ignoring Black culture (the boys are clearly African American) and not making the whole book about being black. This science-fiction, fantasy, adventure book could have been about any kids, but these kids happen to be Black, and I love that. There’s no racial strife or drama.

“I’ve spent a lot of time talking with kids and their parents as I’ve crisscrossed the country on my writing journey,” says Giles. “Parents are looking for books to ignite a love for reading in their children, and kids are looking for fun books. I swore that if I ever had the chance to put a book full of words I’d written in the hands of a young reader they’d be the kinds of stories that drew them in willingly, entertained them, opened portals that they’d get lost in for hours. Every day I approach the blank page hoping I can write the One Book that makes all the difference in some reader’s life. I hope that The Last Last-Day-Of-Summer is that book for at least a few children.”

Lamar Giles

My only complaint, and it’s a minor one, is that the kids sometimes use words like “idiot” or “stupid.” Not the end of the world because my older kids understand what’s acceptable in our home, but my little guy was also listening in in the car, so it would have been nice if the gratuitous shallow language wasn’t used since he doesn’t hear it elsewhere. Other than that, this book is A-OK with me, and we all thoroughly enjoyed the Last Last Day of Summer book club meeting!

Discussion Questions

I always prepare more questions than we’ll need because I never know how engaged the children will be in the conversation. For this meeting, we had a lot of great discussion with nearly every question I asked. That’s always a good sign!

• What did Otto and Sheed do when they took the photo? What happened to the town?
• What are some of the first clues the boys had that something was not right?
• What was your favorite part of Otto and Sheed’s adventure? What would you have done differently if you were the author?
• Though they are best friends, Otto and Sheed are different in many ways. What are some of the major differences between the two boys, and how do they overcome them?
• Otto and Sheed work together to solve problems. What is a problem in your community that you’d like to team up with friends to solve?
• Describe the boys’ relationship with their grandmother. Are you close to your grandparents? If so, what kinds of things do you enjoy doing with them? If you don’t see yours much or they have passed away, who are some of the adults in your life that you enjoy spending time with?
• How do the boys figure out who Mr. Flux is? Had you already figured it out or were you surprised by the reveal?
• The characters talk a lot about missed opportunities. Do you know what this means? Can you think of a missed opportunity in your life?

This book has been called “The Hardy Boys meets The Phantom Toll Booth.” Listen up as author, Lamar Giles, discusses the book and what he thinks about the comparison. [I played from timestamp 1:15 – 4:05]

• If Lamar Giles walked through the door right now, what would you want to ask him?
• Otto ends up getting help from an unexpected peer! (Her name is Wiki, one of the Epic Ellison Girls) What type of help does Wiki provide. What do you think is the best type of help? Have you ever asked someone for help with a tough task? If so, how did it work out?
• What important information does TimeStar reveal throughout the book? Do you think his involvement helped or hurt the boys’ plans? Why do you say that?
• The boys use a lot of “maneuvers” in the book. What kinds of wisdom have you used to help out when you’ve found yourself in a sticky situation?
• Were you surprised by the ending of the story? Why or why not?
• If you could do anything or go anywhere, how would you like to spend your last, last day of summer?
• Do you plan to read the rest of the series? Why or why not?

Extra: I didn’t end up using this, but this guide from the Milwaukee Public Library may prove helpful for some.

The Last Last Day of Summer Follow-up Gifts

As I do every month, I mailed all of the children two small gifts: a book charm to add to the silver chains they received the first month and a camera themed journal to commemorate the day Sheed and Otto took a photo that froze time. The kids always look forward to receiving their monthly book club gift, and I really do have fun hunting down affordable items that fit the theme.

If you enjoyed these Last Last Day of Summer book club lesson plans, you may enjoy reading about some of our previous meetings:

• Clubhouse Mysteries: The Buried Bones Mystery by Sharon M. Draper
• Ways to Make Sunshine by Renee Watson
• Ansley’s Big Bake Off by Kaityln, Olivia, and Camryn Pitts
• The Toothpaste Millionaire by Jean Merrill
• Justin and the Best Biscuits in the World by Mildred Pitts Walter

You can find me on Instagram at @heritagemomblog. See you there!