Critter Club – Liz and the Sand-Castle Contest

Callie Barkley's Liz and the Sand-Castle Contest is a Critter Club beach story for 5 year olds about a girl who'd much rather build something beautiful than win.

What happens

Santa Vista is in the middle of a heat wave. The Critter Club girls are pet sitting a tank of fish in Ms Sullivan's barn and wishing they could swim with them. Liz is the lucky one. Her family has rented a cottage by the sea for a long weekend.

Liz is an artist. She never goes anywhere without her sketchbook, and she draws a plan before she builds a sand castle. So when she finds a notice flapping on a fence post about a sand castle contest at Luna Beach, she's thrilled.

There's only one problem. A red-headed boy on a bike wants the very last place too. He nearly knocks her over, he won't say hello, and he calls tails before she's finished joking about a coin toss. His name is Tommy, and he's in the plot right next to hers.

Liz sets out to build the Critter Club barn in sand, with a sand Rufus and a little crowd of the animals they've looked after. Then Tommy's bucket lands on sand Rufus. Then something in the shallow water catches her eye. It's a baby octopus, and it isn't swimming!

Who hasn't met a Tommy? Liz keeps trying to think the best of him (maybe he's just shy) even when he makes it really hard. That's a lovely thing for a young reader to watch someone do.

The sentences are short and the chapters move quickly, with a bit of mystery about Tommy and a real worry about the octopus. Liz's family are kind and funny too. Her big brother Stewart teases her about the contest, then walks her down to the sign-up table anyway.

If you've got an animal lover who also likes making things, Liz is a great friend to spend a weekend with. The octopus rescue is handled gently, with a phone call to a vet for advice.

What to read next

If this one goes down well, Marion Takes Charge is back home in Santa Vista. Marion finally gets asked to babysit her little sister Gabby while her parents throw a party, and she's so excited she jumps up and down.