Perijee and Me

Gr 3–6—Caitlin lives on Middle Island with only her mother for company. Her father's book tours and speaking engagements keep him away for months at a time. After an invitation to her classmates to visit her home for a summer party turns into a disaster, Caitlin sees a very lonely summer ahead. But everything changes when she finds an unusual creature on the beach that seems to be able to mimic whatever it sees and grows at an incredibly rapid pace. She desperately hopes the creature, whom she names Perijee, will help her reconnect with her father. Unfortunately, her father seems more interested in Perijee than in his daughter. Things go from bad to worse when Caitlin's mother calls the police. Perijee grows into a monster that starts rampaging across the country as Caitlin desperately searches for a way to save her friend. Things take a turn for the really strange when Caitlin goes to a government camp to find Perijee. Along the way she runs into a girl who has stolen a cow, and finds a castle sacked by a cult that worships the monster. Through it all, Caitlin maintains her loyalty to Perijee. While the story starts out rather serious in tone, it quickly morphs, going from one oddball occurrence to the next. While the nonsensical nature of the tale won't appeal to everyone, the bond between Caitlin and Perijee carries the day.