Knock About with the Fitzgerald Trouts –

The second book in a Dahl-esque middle-grade series by award-winning poet and screenwriter Esta Spalding, with illustrations by acclaimed artist Sydney Smith.

Welcome to the further adventures of the plucky Fitzgerald-Trout siblings, who live on a tropical island where the grown-ups are useless, but the kids can drive.

In this second installment, the delightfully self-reliant siblings continue their search for a home. This time, their pursuit will bring them face-to-face with a flood, illegal carnivorous plants and the chance to win an extraordinary prize at a carnival. Will they finally find the place they truly belong?

“It’s goofy, sweet, and buoyant with good will, Pippi Longstocking for our more hyperactive times.” – The Horn Book

“If this sounds like the set up for a preposterous tale that incorporates a fantastical plot, quirky characters, and some child-friendly amorality, that’s because Look Out for the Fitzgerald-Trouts is exactly that and more . . . This is plain fun with an edge, after a Dahl-esque fashion.” – Quill & Quire

“Spalding, a poet and screenwriter making her children’s book debut, balances the direness of their situation with over-the-top characters and humor-driven narration. If the story’s magic lies in its Dahl-esque approach to topics like homelessness and parental neglect, its heart lies in the relationship between these four mutually devoted children.” – Publishers Weekly

Juvenile Fiction / Family – Siblings / Social Themes – Homelessness & Poverty / Science & Nature – Environment
Ages 8-12

224 pages | 4.90″ x 7.00″ Paperback