BookFilter Review: With a well-earned nod to Edward Eager's classic "Half Magic" and other gentle tales of fantasy, acclaimed authors Wendy Mass and Rebecca Stead team up for this middle-grade story. Eleven year old Livy was only five years old the last time she traveled from the US to visit her grandmother in Australia. So it's no surprise she doesn't seem to remember much of anything about the farm her Gran lives on or the girl she befriended from the local restaurant or the green zombie that has been waiting patiently in her guest room closet all this time because Livy said she'd be right back. What??!! Actually, this friendly -- if understandably miffed -- creature isn't a zombie though neither Bob (that's his name) or Livy is sure exactly what he might be. They piece the puzzle together thanks to a chipped pawn on a chess board, an abandoned well, a big book of fairy tales and a missing boy. The timeless banter of Livy and Bob might have been written one hundred years ago, surely this modest novel's strength. While there's not quite enough that's distinctive or new to turn "Bob" into a classic, it is appealingly low-key and aided by the appealing illustrations of Nicholas Gannon. -- Michael Giltz

I adored this book, as I assumed I would with anything written by Wendy Mass and Rebecca Stead. Absolutely fantastic and I finished it all too soon!!

I would recommend this book to my students- fans of Rebecca Stead already. I know they'll love the story and the style!

This story captured my attention in the first chapter. Bob and Livy are wonderful characters. This book wold be great for the school summer reading lists.

This is one of the sweetest, most imaginative book I've read in years. It could easily be used with younger children, as well as older ones to explore the themes of “real” family, self talk, and the value of imagination and hope.

Is Bob an alien? Is he a zombie? Whatever he is he is green and wearing a chicken suit (old fuzzy pajamas with feathers glued all over him). He has waited in Livy's closet at her grandmother's house in Australia for five years. And Livy does not remember him.

When Livy goes back to visit her grandmother, she doesn't remember too much about her previous trip; she was only five, after all. Her grandmother shows her some of her favorite treasures left behind; a bag of black chess pieces and a green stuffed elephant; but nothing rings a bell. When she is finally alone in her (her mothers old) bedroom, she opens the closet door and discovers a disgruntled Bob waiting for her; but she does not remember him, either. It turns out that most people who see Bob either overlook him (that chicken suit is a really good disguise) or immediately forget about him, including Livy - until Bob hands her a black pawn from the chess board. Things start to come back to Livy then; thoughts about Bob and her previous visit years ago. Livy struggles to remember Bob and their adventures, and Bob struggles to remember who he is and where he came from.

This is such a sweet, fun story! I love that Wendy Mass and Rebecca Stead teamed up and wrote this story. Both have written many of kids favorite books over the last ten years, and this one is sure to please children who love fantasy and adventure. I will definitely carry it in my own school library!

Wonderful fantasy novel about a creature named Bob and his friend, Livy. Livy and Bob share secrets and save each other.

A totally charming story that I can whole-heartedly endorse for kids who like magic realism. Think Crenshaw but 4 feet tall and green. The setting is the drought-stricken outback of Australia where Livy is visiting her grandmother after an absence of five years. Once there, she realizes there is much about that last visit that she can't recall. Discovering a little green character in a chicken suit hiding in the bedroom closet is only the beginning of trying to unravel the mystery of her forgetfulness. Bob is one of the most endearing characters of children's literature in recent years. The few charming illustrations are a nice touch to help the reader envision this unique character.
All the elements of a great story are in place -- a main character who must overcome challenges both within herself and in the world, a tantalizing mystery that is resolved with all the elements aligning, and a pace that is perfect for the audience, with suspense on every page, some from Livy's world and some from the unknown world of Bob. I don't know exactly how Wendy Mass and Rebecca Stead collaborated to create this unique tale, but I'm thinking they have a partnership as unique as Livy's and Bob's.

Literally short and sweet. Livy has returned to visit her grandmother in Australia after five years. She's having trouble remembering when she was five and is shocked to find a small green creature in her bedroom closet who has been waiting for her return--Bob. From the gradual remembering to a search for a lost boy, this is a tender, funny magical story. Bob grows in his understanding too. I loved this one. 3rd+ good for class read aloud

Bob is a fun and whimsical tale of friendship, loyalty, and a green creature in a chicken suit. 10 year old Livy is beginning to struggle with the challenges of growing up. Bob, the magical creature and title character, helps Livy to help herself by holding her to a promise she made to him when she was 5 - to help him find his way back home. A fast-paced story with endearing characters about the bitter-sweet lessons of learning to let go of those we love.

I know that fans of Wendy Mass and Rebecca Stead will want this book as soon as they see those names on the cover. For those who are not fans yet (and they will be), let me tell you about this story. Livy is visiting her grandmother in Australia. She hasn't been there to the family farm since she was five, and she doesn't remember that trip. But her mother has brought Livy and her baby sister Beth Ann to visit Gran and all of Mom's friends. When she goes up to see her bedroom, Livy discovers Bob. Who and what is Bob? Good question. He is the friend that has been waiting in Livy's closet for her return - over 5 years! Bob believes he is a zombie, because that is what Livy called him when she found him during her last visit. But is he? Or is he something else, maybe an invisible friend?

As Livy and Bob become reacquainted (Bob knows that word because he had a dictionary in the closet and he taught himself to read), they each find out what the other has been doing while they were apart. They also try to piece together what Bob is and where he came from. In the background of their story, readers see the bigger landscape of farmland suffering from drought and a town slowly fading away. Even if Livy can help Bob find his way home, who will save Gran's farm and those of the neighbors?

Warm, touching, laugh-out-loud funny at times, and very easy to lose oneself in...this is a story that will probably grace bookshelves next to The Tale of Despereaux and Charlotte's Web.

Have you ever rushed through a book to find out what happens, then feel sad that you may have missed all the deliciously delightful bits in the middle? Bob is worth reading, then re-reading again and again. It is a wonderful fairy tale for all ages, not just for the story and the characters, but for the masterful storytelling and the insights about humanity and friendship and growing up. It’s about being and becoming and forgetting and believing. But you don’t have to keep reading what I have to say about it... read it for yourself and you’ll see what I’m talking about.

I really enjoyed this book! It was a cute story and I think children will relate to it (imaginary friends). The characters were very lovable and the plot moves along at a great pace. It was a quick read and children of all ages will enjoy reading it or having it read out loud to them.

BOB is a darling story, one that will make you laugh, cry, and ultimately cheer. Livy lives in the US, and when she visits her grandmother in Australia for the first time in 5 years, she remembers nothing about her previous trip. She goes to the closet of her mother’s old bedroom and finds BOB, dressed in a chicken costume, just waiting for her. I am so thankful to the publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read such a lovely story as an early reader, in exchange for my fair and honest review.

This is a heartwarming story of what it means to find home. This would be a great read aloud for second and third graders.

#Children’s Fiction #Middle Grade
Writing: 4 Plot: 3.5 Characters: 4

A enchanting children’s book by best selling authors Rebecca Stead and Wendy Mass. Ten-year-old Livy goes back to visit her grandmother in Australia after a five year absence. She has the nagging feeling that something important happened there but absolutely no memory of what it might have been. She was right: once back in her room she discovers a short, green, not-a-zombie waiting for her in her closet. He has been waiting for five years with nothing but a lego set and dictionary for company! Together they work out where he came from and how to get him home while also learning about friendship, loyalty, and family.

Charming, well written, good pacing, grade appropriate.