9780545870764 |
(paperback) |
0545870763 |
9780545870740 |
(hardback) |
9781338216226 |
1338216228 |
9781549053528 |
1549053523 |
Available:*
Library | Material Type | Call Number | Shelf Location | Status | Item Holds |
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Searching... East Library | Children's Book | KING | Children's-J-Fiction | Searching... Unknown | Searching... Unavailable |
Searching... East Library | Children's Book | KING | Children's-J-Fiction | Searching... Unknown | Searching... Unavailable |
Searching... Library 21c | Children's Book | KING | Children's-J-Fiction | Searching... Unknown | Searching... Unavailable |
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Summary
Summary
The first middle-grade novel from YA superstar Amy Sarig (A. S.) King is a boy-meets-animal story like no other. The first middle-grade novel from Amy Sarig (A. S.) King and a boy-meets-animal story like no other! Washington Post Best Book of the YearA New York Public Library Best Book for KidsA Texas Bluebonnet Master List selection Obe Devlin has problems. His family's farmland has been taken over by developers. His best friend Tommy has abandoned him. And he keeps getting nosebleeds, because of that thing he doesn't like to talk about. So Obe hangs out at the nearby creek, in the last wild patch left, picking up trash and looking for animal tracks.One day, he sees a creature that looks kind of like a large dog. And as he watches it, he realizes it eats plastic. Only plastic. Water bottles, shopping bags... No one has seen a creature like this before. The animal--Marvin Gardens--becomes Obe's best friend and biggest secret. But to keep him safe, Obe must make a decision that might change everything.Featuring exclusive bonus content!
Author Notes
Amy Sarig King is the author of the middle grade titles Me and Marvin Gardens , a Washington Post Best Book of the Year, and The Year We Fell From Space , an ALSC Notable Children's Book. She has also published many critically acclaimed young adult novels under the name A. S. King, including Please Ignore Vera Dietz , which was named a Michael L. Printz Honor Book; Ask the Passengers , which won the Los Angeles Times Book Prize; Michael L. Printz Award winner and LA Times Book Prize finalist Dig ; and SW/TCH. After many years farming abroad, she now lives back in southeastern Pennsylvania with her family. Visit her website at www.as-king.com and follow her on Twitter at @AS_King.
Reviews (3)
School Library Journal Review
Gr 3-7-Eleven-year-old Obe Devlin lives in the Pennsylvania farmhouse his family built 100 years ago. Unfortunately, his great-great-grandfather mortgaged more and more of the acreage that surrounded the house to pay for his alcohol addiction. On the small portion of land on which the house sits runs a creek surrounded by a wild area. In the habit of picking up trash from the creek, Obe comes across what he is sure is a new species of animal-a creature with a snout like a boar's, a body and tail like a dog's (yet with no fur or hair), and slimy algaelike skin. Marvin Gardens, Obe's name for the creature because of his dad's love of the board game Monopoly, eats only plastic. Obe soon discovers his new friend's poop may be toxic to the land on which new homes are being constructed. Intermingled with the obvious environmental message are the topics of betrayal and bullying, gender expectations, consent, and true friendship. King writes from personal experience, crafting a coming-of-age novel with a fully developed and authentic protagonist. VERDICT An emotionally rich read for a wide audience, especially those interested in keeping the planet alive and well for future generations.-D. Maria LaRocco, Cuyahoga Public Library, Strongsville, OH © Copyright 2016. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Publisher's Weekly Review
Obe Devlin, 11, lost his only friend when new kids moved into subdivisions named for the things their homes displaced-Pheasant's Nest, Oak Trail, the Orchards-on farmland that once belonged to his family. A perceptive narrator, Obe finds solace at the creek that runs through the slice of property his parents still own, which is where he first spots a strange animal whose most notable feature is his diet: plastic litter. Obe, whose father employs a win-at-all-costs strategy during family Monopoly games, names the critter Marvin Gardens but keeps him a secret-which turns out to be an especially wise move once he realizes that the animal produces highly noxious (and possibly toxic) scat. King (Still Life with Tornado) leavens a story replete with brutal environmental facts with a magical friendship between a boy and his "pretty gross pet." A provocative exploration of human action and interaction on both local and global levels, as well as the interplay between past, present, and future, King's novel will leave readers pondering how we treat each other and the planet. Ages 8-12. Agent: Michael Bourret, Dystel, Goderich & Bourret. (Jan.) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
Booklist Review
Sixth-grader Obe Devlin doesn't run with the popular crowd. He's more concerned with keeping his creek clean, finding rocks for busmate Annie Bell's collection, and not having nosebleeds all over his clothes a consequence of said unpopularity. Housing developments are rapidly, and upsettingly, encroaching on the acres of land that once belonged to the Devlin family, and Obe's one friend chooses to hang with the new kids. On a routine creek visit, Obe discovers a capybaralike animal that only eats plastic, which he names Marvin Gardens. Obe keeps Marvin a secret until neighborhood vandals threaten the creature's safety, prompting Obe to tap into his Devlin fierceness and take a stand. This is acclaimed YA author King's first foray into middle-grade territory, and it's no surprise that she adeptly handles issues like bullying, compromised friendship, complex family dynamics, and the tedium of homework. Obe's connection to the land courses through the book and is firmly rooted in Devlin family history. Drawing upon the tradition of Carl Hiaasen's Hoot (2002), this eco-focused story will tug at readers' consciences and heartstrings.--Smith, Julia Copyright 2016 Booklist