A Million Views

By: Aaron Starmer

Narrated by: Mark Sanderlin

Brewster Gaines just wanted to make a video and get a million views - he didn't count on needing friends to get there. From the author of Spontaneous and the Locker 37 series comes a heartfelt story of friendship, family, and filmmaking.

“A well-rounded, heartfelt tale of creativity and family.”—Kirkus Reviews, starred review

“A Million Views turns its lens on YouTube fame in a way that’s fun, educational, and inspiring.”—Ryan North, New York Times best-selling author of The Unbeatable Squirrel Girl

“A celebration of the creative spirit in all of us!”—Rob Harrell, author of Wink

Brewster Gaines loves everything about making videos. The planning, the filming, the editing, and especially the feeling of watching his YouTube views tick up and up. So what if he doesn’t have friends to film with or parents who are home every night for dinner? He’s got a phone and a tripod and a lofty goal:

A million views.

But when he enlists the acting chops of charismatic new kid Carly for a ten-second video, he gets more than he bargained for. Her intimidating friend Rosa soon steps in with funding to produce an epic fantasy trailer, and before long, their tiny team is adding cast and crew. What started as a simple shoot mutates into a full-fledged movie production, complete with method-acting cosplayers, special effects, and a monster made out of a go-kart. That’s when Brewster realizes that getting to a million views may be harder than he ever imagined . . .

Critic reviews

“Lights, cameras, AND action! A celebration of the creative spirit in all of us! This story has a lot of heart and a ton of fun. It charmed my inner twelve-year-old wannabe filmmaker!”—Rob Harrell, author of Wink

“A Million Views turns its lens on YouTube fame in a way that’s fun, educational, and inspiring. Its relatable characters and super satisfying story make it not just worth a view . . . they make it a hit.”—Ryan North, New York Times best-selling author of The Unbeatable Squirrel Girl

“A well-rounded, heartfelt tale of creativity and family.”—Kirkus Reviews, starred review

"Gentle humor buoys personal growth in this character-driven novel of filmmaking and found family by Starmer."—Publishers Weekly

"Starmer delivers his signature offbeat humor here through quirky secondary characters and quippy narration."—Booklist