Endling: The Last
By: Katherine Applegate
My Rating: Four out of Five Stars
Best for: All ages, great for reading aloud.

Can she write Fantasy, too?!

Katherine Applegate, who brought us all the feelings in The One and Only Ivan series and books like Crenshaw and Wishtree, also wrote a fantasy trilogy! What?!

Endling is built on a foundation of Katherine Applegate’s patented formula for stories that touch hearts and trigger emotions. Add to that an exciting adventure story with magic, friendship, and a whole lot of cute, furry characters, and SNAP: you’ve got a story that’s going to delight children and their parents everywhere!

Byx is the last of her kind–the Endling. She looks like a dog, except she has a pouch like a kangaroo, wing flaps like a flying squirrel, opposable thumbs like a monkey, and can walk upright like a human. She also has the ability to tell if someone is lying, which comes in quite handy when you’re surrounded by bad guys! As Byx journeys to discover if there are more like her left in the world, she picks up friends along the way. Together they learn to trust, learn to love, learn to fight, and of course, learn to _______! (Fill in the blank with your favorite Katherine Applegate emotion. It’s in there!)

Independent readers 10 and up will likely be able to handle this one on their own, maybe advanced 8 and up. But the short chapters and simple plot make this a great one to read aloud with you kids!

There is death in this story, particularly the death of Byx’s family, which she witnesses and is described in the book. Other than that, there are no content concerns. Best for all ages!

Happy reading!