What a fun book! Parker is full of sarcasm and wits and there were more than a few laugh out loud moments in this book. I devoured it in one day, and really enjoyed it. Reminiscent of the book and movie Holes, Parker learns that humor can't always get you out of trouble, and maybe that's a good thing. I loved seeing how the other characters in the story made Parker examine himself and his actions more deeply and begin to make some changes for the better. I highly recommend this book to anyone and everyone.

What an adorable magical book. Honestly, every kid should spend some time on a farm to teach them responsibility, to appreciate what they have, & learn what hard work truly is. I felt like Parker needed a good lesson learned & it was with a momma’s heart that I read this book as the lesson was quite extreme. But what a joyous outcome! Very enjoyable read for all ages.

Charming and funny as he is, Parker Kelbrook can't be slick getting out of this teeny situation that transformed his summer life. After being forced by his father to work at the local pool and thinking getting fired on the first day will excuse him of responsibilities, Parker is sent halfway across the country to work on a farm with five other kids of different backgrounds.

Learning to roll up his sleeves and get his hands dirty and bloodied isn't an issue, especially when the lives of his companions are so thrilling and full of life's weight resting upon their shoulders. Parker has to learn how to get along with them, maneuver a place where not everyone thinks he's charming, and also wondering if his dreams are trying to tell him something when floating cows actually end up on rooftops. Who knows if that mystery could be found out of the things growing in the farmlands fields. He'll figure it out one way or another.

This was a solid middle grade read for me. I don't want to say too much about it because it took me two months to even get a review up. At first, I was apprehensive to even give it three stars since it read a bit redundant for me. I ended up really liking all the other characters and rolling my eyes at Parker's antics.

Mind you, I have to actually restart my whole mindset when I delve into MG's or YA's mostly because I have to remind myself: SHAR, IT'S REALLY NOT ALL ABOUT YOU SOMETIMES. Often, putting myself into a character's shoes is hard, especially when I don't like them. That's not to say Parker was the worst person I'd ever read about. I understood after a moment that he'd spent most of his life very privileged where the father he had was so intertwined with his work, it was hard to teach him valuable life lessons which he did learn through hard work and perseverance, managing to meet people and being forced to deal with the 'don't you like me?' agenda.

I think I'll leave that here for right now. The book is on my shelf, but I don't have the energy to sift through it, so you'll probably hear me fangirling about a particular character that reminded me I'm actually a full fledged, almost-twenty-seven-year-old adult who likes older men. Good day.

Thank you to Little Brown Books, the author , NetGalley and TBR Tours and Beyond for the #gifted copy of the book.

My 12 year old daughter and I really enjoyed this magical realism book. It was such a great middle grade book. There was a lot of pre-teen attitude mixed with some humor and a great life lesson.

A surprise-filled and unique coming-of-age story that is both whimsical and wonderful.

"Outside Nowhere" is a warm and whimsical story of a boy’s magical summer on an unusual farm in the Midwest. Parker had lost his mother, and it was just him and his father and their friend and father’s employer, Ms. Birdseye. A bright child, Parker has lost his way since his mother died, and his actions have become thoughtless and somewhat out of control. The adults in his life have tried nudging him in a more promising direction, but his costly prank at the recreation center swimming pool proves the need for stronger tactics, hence, the farm stay.

Parker’s voice is both precocious and witty, and the deadpan dialogue throughout the book had me laughing out loud. Readers of all ages will be surprised by what is revealed about the farm, and the scenes of discovery will delight everyone. However, there are lessons for Parker to learn, and there are moments when harsh reality shows its face.

I recommend OUTSIDE NOWHERE for middle-grade readers, and with its wit and charm, whimsy and magic, even reluctant readers will be tempted by this medium-length chapter book.

Book Review…Outside Nowhere by Adam Borba

Charming and funny, Parker Kelbrook can wriggle out of anything. So when he’s forced to take a job at the local pool, a threat to his beach-filled summer plans he comes up with the perfect prank to get himself fired.

Once Parker’s father catches wind of his latest scheme, he decides enough is enough, and Parker is sent to work on a farm alongside five other kids who aren't his biggest fans. As Parker learns to roll up his sleeves and keep his head down, strange things start happening. And after he awakens one morning to find a dairy cow on the roof of a barn, he suspects that something magical and mysterious is growing in the farm’s fields.

This was a fantastic magic realism story with great writing and full of inspiration! I love the cover! I sat down with Jacks in the afternoon and we were down by 8pm and we loved every minute of it! There were so many times we laughed out loud! The way magic was used in this book was really interesting! A fantastic story! Thank you TBR and Beyond Tours and Adam Borba for sharing this book with me!

I hadn't heard of this one until it popped up for a book tour. I was fascinated by the cover since it has a cow on it! I just have a thing for them, haha. It was nice to get to know this boy and I felt like I could connect to him on some levels. It was a nice middle grade and one I could see sharing with my daughter when she is older.