He’s a fierce warrior in his own mind, but what happens when this pampered house cat faces a real monster?
Sashimi, by Caldecott Medalist and National Book Award winner Dan Santat, is a compelling new graphic novel series perfect for middle-grade readers. The story introduces us to Sashimi, a young fishboy who has come ashore searching for a place to belong. To fit in, he disguises himself as a human and enrolls in the local elementary school, reflecting the classic “new-kid” experience. His quest for friendship becomes much more complicated when he discovers the entire town is on the hunt for the mysterious “Beast of Barnacle Bay”—a creature that sounds suspiciously like him. With help from a new friend and a surprisingly resourceful class goldfish named Kevin, Sashimi must keep his true identity a secret while trying to find his community.
This book is a ghreat tool for engaging reluctant readers and students developing their English skills. As a graphic novel, the narrative is carried by Santat’s expressive illustrations, allowing students to track complex emotions and plot points visually, providing a strong scaffold for comprehension. The text itself consists of simple, dialogue-driven sentences that mirror natural speech and are easy to follow. While the story explores mature themes of feeling like an outsider and the search for acceptance, it does so with accessible vocabulary and plenty of age-appropriate humor, including playful fish puns. Praised by Dav Pilkey and having earned six starred reviews, Sashimi cleverly bridges the gap between high-interest themes and low-readability text, making it a great choice for any classroom library.
