Rockstar Book Tours presents... LOOKING UP by Stephan Pastis - REVIEW + GIVEAWAY!

Thrilled to be hosting a spot on the LOOKING UP by Stephan Pastis Blog Tour hosted by Rockstar Book Tours. Check out my review post, make sure to enter the giveaway, and check out the rest of the tour!

 

Title: LOOKING UP

Author: Stephan Pastis

Pub. Date: October 10, 2023

Publisher: Aladdin

Formats: Hardcover, eBook, Audiobook

Pages: 240

Find it: Goodreads, https://books2read.com/LOOKING-UP

From the New York Times bestselling author of the Timmy Failure series comes a quirky and heartwarming middle grade novel about a girl struggling with loneliness and the curveballs of life—featuring black and white illustrations throughout!

Living alone with her mother in a poorer part of town, Saint—a girl drawn to medieval knights, lost causes, and the protection of birthday piñatas—sees the neighborhood she has always known and loved disappearing around her: old homes being torn down and replaced by fancy condos and coffee shops. But when her favorite creaky old toy store is demolished, she knows she must act.

Enlisting the help of Daniel “Chance” McGibbons, a quiet, round-faced boy who lives across the street (and whose house also faces the wrecking ball), Saint hatches a plan to save what is left of her beloved hometown.

 

PRAISE FOR LOOKING UP

“Will delight readers. The story is generously illustrated with Pastis’ characteristic black-and-white cartoon line drawings … Pastis fills this deceptively simple first-person account with humor, puns, turns, and twists—and the final twist gives this friendship tale its surprising depth. Words and art combine to create a moving story.” – Kirkus Reviews 

 

“Deceptively funny illustrated novel about loneliness and grief …Pastis’s distinctive, heavily lined b&w illustrations effectively convey the protagonists’ depth of emotion via amiable faces composed of two dots for eyes and a curve nose, while prose contains his signature absurd humor, which lightens this meditation on mourning.”– Publishers Weekly 

 

“Readers will rally around Daniel, Saint, and elderly toy store owner Muffins, while seeing the dilemmas faced by Saint’s mom and Daniel’s uncle, who are struggling to make ends meet and care for their children. With this hilarious book and its comical black-and-white illustrations throughout, Pastis once again reaches out to reluctant readers with a multilayered tale of loss, grief, and growing up. With an imaginative ending that will make readers think, there is more than meets the eye in this funny gem.”– School Library Journal

 

“A fabulous chapter book that, to an extent, doubles as an all-age graphic novel too. There’s so much to love about Looking Up that you won’t be sure what your favorite aspect of the book is. The humor fires on all cylinders. The heart of the book sneaks up on readers and provides a story on dealing with the ups and downs of life, as well as the invaluable worth of a great friend. If you’re in middle elementary school or middle school, you will love this book. It provides those ages something to learn, but it’s wrapped alongside so much humor and fun that it will be irresistible to all ages eight and up.” – Daddy Mojo  

 

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

As most 90's kids were advised by a certain desert salesman, DO NOT BE FOOLED BY ITS COMMONPLACE APPEARANCE... FOR IT IS NOT WHAT IS OUTSIDE BY WHAT IS INSIDE THAT COUNTS... although the outside is pretty swell too!

I did not expect this one to pack such powerful punch! Through the eyes of a child, we deal with loneliness, first love or the desire to be loved, feelings of abandonment, the challenges of being a single parent, loss of a loved one, the effects of change, and how it's never wrong to stand up for the little guy, even if the little guy is you. Betcha didn't see most of that coming, now did you? Saint is a unique soul that captures the essence of all of these feelings in her own way, showing readers the importance of looking up no matter the situation presented because looking down at the feet (or in defeat) you'll miss oh so very much. 

A great pick for the target audience, but most definitely older ones too! Another surprise... the elevated language level used, as well as the witty banter, both of which made this story THAT much more of a stand out!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

 

About the author...

Stephan Pastis is the creator of the syndicated comic strip Pearls Before Swine, which appears in over 800 newspapers. He is also the creator of the Timmy Failure book series and the cowriter of the Disney+ movie Timmy Failure: Mistakes Were Made. He lives in Northern California with his wife and two kids. --This text refers to the hardcover edition.

 

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | Goodreads | Amazon

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Giveaway Details:

1 winner will receive a finished copy of LOOKING UP, US ONLY.

Ends October 10^th, midnight EST.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Special thanks to Rockstar Book Tours for the chance to bring this tour to you and to the publisher for the copy for review. (THANKS!) For more information on this title, the author, or the publisher, feel free to click through the links provided above. 

Tour Schedule:

Week One:

9/25/2023	YA Books Central	Excerpt/IG Post
9/25/2023	@hodophile_z	IG Post
9/26/2023	For the Love of KidLit	Excerpt
9/26/2023	Two Chicks on Books	Excerpt/IG Post
9/27/2023	#BRVL Book Review Virginia Lee Blog	Blog Spotlight
9/27/2023	Country Mamas With Kids	Review/IG Post
9/28/2023	Gryffindorbookishnerd	IG Review
9/28/2023	A Blue Box Full of Books	IG Review/LFL Drop Pic/TikTok Post
9/29/2023	@dharashahauthor	IG Post
9/29/2023	avainbookland	IG Review

Week Two:

10/2/2023	Get outside and read	IG Post
10/2/2023	@evergirl200	IG Review
10/3/2023	The Momma Spot	Review
10/3/2023	OneMoreExclamation	Review/IG Post
10/4/2023	FUONLYKNEW	Review
10/4/2023	@pagesforpaige	IG Review
10/5/2023	Satisfaction for Insatiable Readers	Review/IG Post
10/5/2023	@froggyreadteach	IG Review
10/6/2023	@enthuse_reader	IG Review/TikTok Post
10/6/2023	Two Points of Interest	Review

 

 

 

STEPHAN PASTIS’ BOOK TOUR

 Monday, October 9, 2023 at 7:00pm PT

In-store event at Rakestraw Books

3 Railroad Avenue

Danville, CA 94526

 

Wednesday, October 11, 2023 at 7:30pm ET

In-store event at The Bookmark Shoppe

8415 3rd Avenue

Brooklyn, NY 11209

 

Thursday, October 12, 2023 at 6:00pm CT

In-store event at Chicago Comics

3244 N. Clark Street

Chicago, IL 60657

 

Saturday, October 14, 2023 at 12:00pm ET

Off-site event hosted by Source Booksellers

Detroit Public Library

5201 Woodward Avenue

Detroit, MI 48202

 

Sunday, October 15, 2023 at 12:00pm ET

In-store event at Barnes & Noble

4015 Medina Road

Akron, OH 44333

 

Monday, October 16, 2023 at 7:00pm ET

Off-site event hosted by Politics and Prose Bookstore

Takoma Park Community Center

7500 Maple Avenue

Takoma Park, MD 20912

 

Tuesday, October 17, 2023 at 5:30pm ET

In-store event at The Writer’s Block Bookstore

316 N. Park Avenue

Winter Park, FL 32789

 

Thursday, October 19, 2023 at 6:30pm ET

Off-site event hosted by Brave + Kind Bookshop

Atlanta-Fulton Central Library

1 Margaret Mitchell Square

Atlanta, GA 30303

 

Friday, October 20, 2023 at 6:00pm CT

Off-site event hosted by Left Bank Books

St. Louis Public Library – Schlafly Library

225 N. Euclid Avenue

St. Louis, MO 63108

 

Saturday, October 21, 2023 at 6:00pm CT

In-store event at novel.

387 Perkins Extd

Memphis, TN 38117

 

Sunday, October 22, 2023 at 3:00pm CT

In-store event at Garden District Book Shop

2727 Prytania Street, Unit 14

New Orleans, LA 70130

 

Monday, October 23, 2023 at 7:00pm CT

In-store event at Blue Willow Bookshop

14532 Memorial Drive

Houston, TX 77079

 

Tuesday, October 24, 2023 at 6:30pm MT

Off-site event hosted by The Bookies

Teller Elementary School

1150 Garfield Street

Denver, CO 80206

 

Wednesday, October 25, 2023 at 6:30pm MT

In-store event at Changing Hands Bookstore

6428 S. McClintock Drive

Tempe, AZ 85283

 

Friday, October 27, 2023 at 7:00pm PT

In-store event at Mysterious Galaxy Bookstore

3555 Rosencrans Street, Suite 107

San Diego, CA 92110

 

Saturday, October 28, 2023 at 6:30pm PT

In-store event at Barnes & Noble

Creekside Town Center

1256 Galleria Boulevard

Roseville, CA 95678

 

Sunday, October 29, 2023 at 3:00pm PT

In-store event at Powell’s Books at Cedar Hill Crossing

3415 SW Cedar Hills Boulevard

Beaverton, OR 97005

 

Monday, October 30, 2023 at 7:00pm PT

In-store event at Third Place Books

17171 Bothell Way NE #A101

Lake Forest Park, WA 98155

Until next time, remember...if it looks good, READ IT!