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The True Blue Scouts of Sugar Man Swamp
Meet Bingo and J’miah, raccoon brothers on a mission to save Sugar Man Swamp in this rollicking tale and National Book Award Finalist from Newbery Honoree Kathi Appelt.
Raccoon brothers Bingo and J’miah are the newest recruits of the Official Sugar Man Swamp Scouts. The opportunity to serve the Sugar Man—the massive creature who delights in delicious sugar cane and magnanimously rules over the swamp—is an honor, and also a big responsibility, since the rest of the swamp critters rely heavily on the intel of these hardworking Scouts.
Twelve-year-old Chap Brayburn is not a member of any such organization. But he loves the swamp something fierce, and he’ll do anything to help protect it.
And help is surely needed, because world-class alligator wrestler Jaeger Stitch wants to turn Sugar Man swamp into an Alligator World Wrestling Arena and Theme Park, and the troubles don’t end there. There is also a gang of wild feral hogs on the march, headed straight toward them all.
The Scouts are ready. All they have to do is wake up the Sugar Man. Problem is, no one’s been able to wake that fellow up in a decade or four…
Raccoon brothers Bingo and J’miah are the newest recruits of the Official Sugar Man Swamp Scouts. The opportunity to serve the Sugar Man—the massive creature who delights in delicious sugar cane and magnanimously rules over the swamp—is an honor, and also a big responsibility, since the rest of the swamp critters rely heavily on the intel of these hardworking Scouts.
Twelve-year-old Chap Brayburn is not a member of any such organization. But he loves the swamp something fierce, and he’ll do anything to help protect it.
And help is surely needed, because world-class alligator wrestler Jaeger Stitch wants to turn Sugar Man swamp into an Alligator World Wrestling Arena and Theme Park, and the troubles don’t end there. There is also a gang of wild feral hogs on the march, headed straight toward them all.
The Scouts are ready. All they have to do is wake up the Sugar Man. Problem is, no one’s been able to wake that fellow up in a decade or four…
336 pages, Kindle Edition
First published July 23, 2013
102 people are currently reading
4131 people want to read
About the author
Kathi Appelt
55 books551 followersLives in College Station, TX with husband Ken and four adorable cats.
Two sons, both musicians.
Serves on the faculty at Vermont College of Fine Arts in the MFA in Writing for Children and Young Adults Program.
Two sons, both musicians.
Serves on the faculty at Vermont College of Fine Arts in the MFA in Writing for Children and Young Adults Program.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 688 reviews
November 8, 2013
This book. This book, this book, this book. Friends, I have been wrestling with it since last spring, and I still don't know what the heck to do with it.
All of my discerning Goodreads friends love it. Monica Edinger loves it. Lisa Von Drasek loves it. It's on the National Book Award shortlist.
As for me? I picked it up last March or so, got thirty pages in, and promptly threw it over the cubicle wall at Sam. The folksy voice of the intrusive narrator was just nails on a chalkboard to me. Sam agreed.
But time went by, and people weren't liking it any less, so I figured I'd better put it on my list of semi-finalists and give the old girl another chance. This time I alternated between the book and the audiobook, which is read by Lyle Lovett - a great favorite of mine. I thought it might help me appreciate the charms of The True Blue Scouts.
Now, sports fans, I am an easy sell where audiobooks are concerned. The fact is, I just like to sit down and have somebody read me a story, and I hardly care what it is. My daughter is like that too, but more so.
Even so, several chapters into True Blue Scouts - chapters of raccoonish fretting about the perils of climbing a pine tree - she turned to me and said, "Why doesn't he just climb the tree already?!"
Exactly.
In the end, I was forced to admit that this is probably a very good book, but Ella's question really gets at the heart of what bothers me about it. As Sam put it, "The pacing is leisurely, full of odd digressions and interludes that don't go anywhere, but the tone of the book is insistent, even alarmist, which made me feel rather like the novel was crying wolf at me for most of its duration." I didn't feel like that was as much of a liability here as it was in Keeper, but it did grate on me. Climb the tree already, Bingo. Get to the point.
I have other quibbles too - would a twelve-year-old boy really think that coffee would literally put hair on his chest? - but they're just that. Quibbles. Objectively, True Blue Scouts has a lot of distinguished features. The setting is magnificently realized, the style is both distinguished and individually distinct, and the characters (within the rules of their tall tale framework) are quite vivid. Any problems I have with it come down to a matter of taste. I'm afraid I'm just not cut out for sugar pies.
All of my discerning Goodreads friends love it. Monica Edinger loves it. Lisa Von Drasek loves it. It's on the National Book Award shortlist.
As for me? I picked it up last March or so, got thirty pages in, and promptly threw it over the cubicle wall at Sam. The folksy voice of the intrusive narrator was just nails on a chalkboard to me. Sam agreed.
But time went by, and people weren't liking it any less, so I figured I'd better put it on my list of semi-finalists and give the old girl another chance. This time I alternated between the book and the audiobook, which is read by Lyle Lovett - a great favorite of mine. I thought it might help me appreciate the charms of The True Blue Scouts.
Now, sports fans, I am an easy sell where audiobooks are concerned. The fact is, I just like to sit down and have somebody read me a story, and I hardly care what it is. My daughter is like that too, but more so.
Even so, several chapters into True Blue Scouts - chapters of raccoonish fretting about the perils of climbing a pine tree - she turned to me and said, "Why doesn't he just climb the tree already?!"
Exactly.
In the end, I was forced to admit that this is probably a very good book, but Ella's question really gets at the heart of what bothers me about it. As Sam put it, "The pacing is leisurely, full of odd digressions and interludes that don't go anywhere, but the tone of the book is insistent, even alarmist, which made me feel rather like the novel was crying wolf at me for most of its duration." I didn't feel like that was as much of a liability here as it was in Keeper, but it did grate on me. Climb the tree already, Bingo. Get to the point.
I have other quibbles too - would a twelve-year-old boy really think that coffee would literally put hair on his chest? - but they're just that. Quibbles. Objectively, True Blue Scouts has a lot of distinguished features. The setting is magnificently realized, the style is both distinguished and individually distinct, and the characters (within the rules of their tall tale framework) are quite vivid. Any problems I have with it come down to a matter of taste. I'm afraid I'm just not cut out for sugar pies.
August 22, 2013
I'm not going to finish this one. I found it disjointed, slightly amusing and not that interesting. As a librarian, I read these books always with the intended audience in mind. To be honest, I'm not sure what kind of kid would enjoy this. The book uses some pretty advanced vocabulary but also feels sort of babyish. Weird. A MASS of characters abound and I think it would be hard for a child to pull all the threads in. The real problem is that it just isn't a very compelling tale. Bleh.
August 3, 2013
Wow! Newbery Honor or not this will be on my next year's class reading list. I see so much potential for metacognition and reading, writing, and research that I think teachers will love this. I hope kid's do as well. And that from only half way. I've had to read a couple of chapters aloud to the dog just to see how it feels, sounds as a read aloud. I think this will be fun for discussion and although it was predictable, I liked that. I'm sure I missed many of the cultural references and humorous nods but that just means that the book will have more to offer in subsquent reads. ;l
It made me want to take up bird watching. I loved the use of lists which made me think of so many of my favorites - Bud, not Buddy, Rules, So B. It...
I loved the use of language as in "Her smell buds were in oder exaltation. Her taste buds were dancing atop her tongue. Every cell in her porcine body was in a state of sucrose rapture." p. 255
It made me want to take up bird watching. I loved the use of lists which made me think of so many of my favorites - Bud, not Buddy, Rules, So B. It...
I loved the use of language as in "Her smell buds were in oder exaltation. Her taste buds were dancing atop her tongue. Every cell in her porcine body was in a state of sucrose rapture." p. 255
March 13, 2023
Raccoons have been the official scouts of Sugar Man Swamp for eons (and that’s a really long time). Brothers Bingo and J’miah aren’t just ordinary swamp scouts. No, no, no! They’re Information Officers, a highly specialized branch of the Scout system. On the rooftop of Information Headquarters (which happens to look an awful lot like a 1949 DeSoto Sportsman) on the banks of the Bayou Tourterelle, our brave scouts keep vigil over their beloved swamp and try their very best to make their parents proud and to respectfully serve the Sugar Man. Not far from Information Headquarters is twelve-year-old Chap Brayburn. Mourning the recent loss of his beloved grandfather, Chap is now the man of the house and uncomfortably in the crosshairs of one Sonny Boy Beaucoup, owner of Sugar Man Swamp. Sonny Boy wants to build a wrestling arena and theme park right smack dab in the middle of the swamp! No, no, no! Before long, the scouts and Chap find themselves in a race against time to save the swamp and everything they hold dear.
I loved Kathi Appelt’s Newbery Honor book The Underneath and was delighted that this book had the same warmth, charm, and appeal. Packed with plenty of action and adventure, young readers will relish this story filled with pirates, feral hogs, a giant rattlesnake, and a hairy giant as tall as a tree with hands as wide as palmettos. The short chapters, numerous say-out-loud sounds (how fun is it to pretend to be a snake by mimicking its rattle with a “chichichichichi” or to sssssssspeak like a ssssssssnake), and humorous side comments make this a ready-made bedtime story. Readers will thrill in the antics of Bingo and J’miah while parents will appreciate the valuable moral lessons repeated throughout the book. Although there is a bit of thievery in our story, can you really blame two hungry scouts when such delicious sugar pies are involved? No, no, no!
The True Blue Scouts of Sugar Man Swamp is about family, loyalty, and bravery. But at its core, this book is a love letter to Mother Nature and reminds us that no matter how slimy, scary, slippery, scaly, scummy, or scratchy some creatures, objects, or places might be, they each play an invaluable role in an ecosystem that is extremely complex, amazingly fragile, and so very precious and irreplaceable. As Chap’s grandfather, Audie, always told him, “Nosotros somos paisanos. We are fellow countrymen. We come from the same soil.” We could all benefit by following the Official Sugar Man Swamp Scout Orders: Keep your eyes open; Keep your ears to the ground; Keep your nose in the air; Be true and faithful to each other; In short, be good.
I loved Kathi Appelt’s Newbery Honor book The Underneath and was delighted that this book had the same warmth, charm, and appeal. Packed with plenty of action and adventure, young readers will relish this story filled with pirates, feral hogs, a giant rattlesnake, and a hairy giant as tall as a tree with hands as wide as palmettos. The short chapters, numerous say-out-loud sounds (how fun is it to pretend to be a snake by mimicking its rattle with a “chichichichichi” or to sssssssspeak like a ssssssssnake), and humorous side comments make this a ready-made bedtime story. Readers will thrill in the antics of Bingo and J’miah while parents will appreciate the valuable moral lessons repeated throughout the book. Although there is a bit of thievery in our story, can you really blame two hungry scouts when such delicious sugar pies are involved? No, no, no!
The True Blue Scouts of Sugar Man Swamp is about family, loyalty, and bravery. But at its core, this book is a love letter to Mother Nature and reminds us that no matter how slimy, scary, slippery, scaly, scummy, or scratchy some creatures, objects, or places might be, they each play an invaluable role in an ecosystem that is extremely complex, amazingly fragile, and so very precious and irreplaceable. As Chap’s grandfather, Audie, always told him, “Nosotros somos paisanos. We are fellow countrymen. We come from the same soil.” We could all benefit by following the Official Sugar Man Swamp Scout Orders: Keep your eyes open; Keep your ears to the ground; Keep your nose in the air; Be true and faithful to each other; In short, be good.
September 30, 2013
I'm sure Kathi Appelt is an excellent storyteller, but I just can't see it. While I enjoy her themes and plot elements, something about her folksy-cutesy narrative voice--and the way it shapes her unveiling of the plot--just grates on me to no end; her south Texas charm makes this Midwestern boy feel like an alien Yankee as far removed from her appeal as possible, and I have a hard time seeing past my annoyance with the surface telling to appreciate the underlying story. Still, I found this one much more palatable than
The Underneath
(with which this shares many similarities), Lyle Lovett's animated audiobook narration helped me imagine it was his tale and not hers, and her voice only occasionally intruded on a story I otherwise enjoyed. It wasn't my favorite, but I'll happily recommend it to others.
At heart, this book is an ode to the swamps of southeast Texas and those who dwell there. It weaves together many strands--a host of the plants and creatures who thrive there, both friendly and invasive; generations of humans, both friendly and invasive; commerce and industry; and the myths and legends of the swamp--into a climactic convergence that both is outlandish and makes perfect sense.
At heart, this book is an ode to the swamps of southeast Texas and those who dwell there. It weaves together many strands--a host of the plants and creatures who thrive there, both friendly and invasive; generations of humans, both friendly and invasive; commerce and industry; and the myths and legends of the swamp--into a climactic convergence that both is outlandish and makes perfect sense.
June 23, 2013
After the darker tone of the author's previous two novels, this one is quite light while still feeling very much an Appelt with her signature folky and entertaining third person omniscient storyteller. It is the tale of a swamp in peril of being paved over by a couple of nefarious meanies who made me think of Carl Hiaasen's, of a son and mother with a small cane sugar pie business threatened by those aforementioned meanies, some charming raccoon bros with quite an appreciation for art, snakes (one is mystical --- a far relative perhaps to the one in The Underneath?), a tall tale-larger-than-life (truly) figure, and some quite outrageous hogs -- just to get started. An over-the-top improbable, full of wild contrivances, absurd, and great fun read indeed.
Hope the publisher plans to have some of those sugar cane pies around when the book comes out. I'm craving one of them something fierce!
Hope the publisher plans to have some of those sugar cane pies around when the book comes out. I'm craving one of them something fierce!
June 21, 2013
Richie's Picks: THE TRUE BLUE SCOUTS OF SUGAR MAN SWAMP by Kathi Appelt, Atheneum, July 2013, 384p., ISBN: 978-1-4424-2105-9
"Now the night was bright and the stars threw light
On Billy and Davy dancin' in the moonlight"
-- Bruce Springsteen, "Spirit in the Night"
"In that bright new moment of the night, Bingo had one thing on his mind, one singular sensation: climb.
"J'miah had one thing on his mind too: prevent Bingo from meeting the same fate as Great Uncle Banjo. It was an unsettling thought, one that made him imagine two different options. The first option was to climb up after Bingo. With a shiver, he quickly erased that thought out of his mind.
"But the second option was almost as bad: to stand at the bottom of the tree and catch Bingo if he fell. That gave J'miah a vision of two flattened raccoons. Rather like a stack of stripy pancakes, without the butter and syrup.
"Then it occurred to him that he had a third option. He would just pull his invisible thinking cap so far over his eyes that he would not be able to see Bingo's death-defying climb at all. That way, if his brother fell, J'miah would be spared the horror of witnessing it, and also would not be forced to try to save him. Although he had to admit that it was a somewhat cowardly option, it seemed like the most reasonable course of action.
"Sadly, none of J'miah's thoughts slowed Bingo down."
Excuse me. I'm going to head off on a tangent here for a minute.
These days, I'm living communally with a bunch of young folks, most of whom are spending chunks of the summer attending various music-filled "tribal gatherings" around California and beyond. In a weaker moment yesterday, I got talked into going online and buying a ticket for a four-day "tribal gathering" happening over a weekend a ways up north of here. This is a new one for me. I'm not sure what to expect, but the website tells me that "In the embrace of a majestic redwood forest we celebrate our culture through dance, art, nature and the unyielding gift of the human spirit." Okay, then. All righty.
I asked my young housemates what I'll need to pack, and I scribbled down a list of what they advised. Then, a bit later, I got a text from one of my housemates further advising me that I might consider bringing along some books and offering story times over the weekend. A couple of minutes later, this was followed by another text suggesting that I paint a "StoryTime with Richie" sign and "put whatever time you want to read at...wherever you want in the forest."
So now I'm understanding that I am to become part of creating this celebration. That's cool. But my next thought is: Well, what's something amazing that I can bring to read, something that will astound a mixed audience of young kids and grown-up kids who are celebrating nature and the human spirit amidst a majestic redwood forest?
And it must have been my golden day yesterday, because just like clockwork, the UPS guy shows up at that very moment with an advance copy of THE TRUE BLUE SCOUTS OF SUGAR MAN SWAMP which (having spent all today reading it) is so darn good that I'm now totally psyched about painting a StoryTime sign and getting to sit there in the majestic redwoods reading this one aloud all weekend to whatever kids, critters, and random spirits happen to feel like coming by and listening.
Here's why THE TRUE BLUE SCOUTS OF SUGAR MAN SWAMP has made me a happy camper and now becomes my favorite book of this year:
It is LMAO funny. There is smart humor and goofy humor and physical humor and hyperbole and hysterical twists and turns of phrase.
It is filled with great language, words like aught, denizen, procyonid, falderal, Alouicious, extant, peccaries, ruminations, milieu, cryptid, and certitude.
It is a noisy book, crafted with a wealth of onomatopoeia that is both powerfully descriptive and really entertaining.
There are pirates and rowdy sea chanteys and canebrake rattlesnakes (Crotalus horridus giganticus) and lullabies.
There are three really important, somewhat interrelated, environmental issues.
There is a wonderful twelve year-old boy character, Chaparral Brayburn, who has to deal both with the bad guys and with those raucous raccoon brothers.
There is an amazing development of interconnections between a sixteenth century conquistador, a bunch of evil hogs, and a rusted-out, somewhat magical car.
"His instinct was to head for the hills, but are there any hills in the swamp? We think you can answer that question all by yourself. Poor Leroy was stuck."
This one left me as wired as a great rock concert. I've preordered my finished copy. Now I'm wanting to know where I can get one of the tour tee shirts.
Richie Partington, MLIS
Richie's Picks http://richiespicks.com
BudNotBuddy@aol.com
Moderator http://groups.yahoo.com/group/middle_... http://slisweb.sjsu.edu/people/facult...
"Now the night was bright and the stars threw light
On Billy and Davy dancin' in the moonlight"
-- Bruce Springsteen, "Spirit in the Night"
"In that bright new moment of the night, Bingo had one thing on his mind, one singular sensation: climb.
"J'miah had one thing on his mind too: prevent Bingo from meeting the same fate as Great Uncle Banjo. It was an unsettling thought, one that made him imagine two different options. The first option was to climb up after Bingo. With a shiver, he quickly erased that thought out of his mind.
"But the second option was almost as bad: to stand at the bottom of the tree and catch Bingo if he fell. That gave J'miah a vision of two flattened raccoons. Rather like a stack of stripy pancakes, without the butter and syrup.
"Then it occurred to him that he had a third option. He would just pull his invisible thinking cap so far over his eyes that he would not be able to see Bingo's death-defying climb at all. That way, if his brother fell, J'miah would be spared the horror of witnessing it, and also would not be forced to try to save him. Although he had to admit that it was a somewhat cowardly option, it seemed like the most reasonable course of action.
"Sadly, none of J'miah's thoughts slowed Bingo down."
Excuse me. I'm going to head off on a tangent here for a minute.
These days, I'm living communally with a bunch of young folks, most of whom are spending chunks of the summer attending various music-filled "tribal gatherings" around California and beyond. In a weaker moment yesterday, I got talked into going online and buying a ticket for a four-day "tribal gathering" happening over a weekend a ways up north of here. This is a new one for me. I'm not sure what to expect, but the website tells me that "In the embrace of a majestic redwood forest we celebrate our culture through dance, art, nature and the unyielding gift of the human spirit." Okay, then. All righty.
I asked my young housemates what I'll need to pack, and I scribbled down a list of what they advised. Then, a bit later, I got a text from one of my housemates further advising me that I might consider bringing along some books and offering story times over the weekend. A couple of minutes later, this was followed by another text suggesting that I paint a "StoryTime with Richie" sign and "put whatever time you want to read at...wherever you want in the forest."
So now I'm understanding that I am to become part of creating this celebration. That's cool. But my next thought is: Well, what's something amazing that I can bring to read, something that will astound a mixed audience of young kids and grown-up kids who are celebrating nature and the human spirit amidst a majestic redwood forest?
And it must have been my golden day yesterday, because just like clockwork, the UPS guy shows up at that very moment with an advance copy of THE TRUE BLUE SCOUTS OF SUGAR MAN SWAMP which (having spent all today reading it) is so darn good that I'm now totally psyched about painting a StoryTime sign and getting to sit there in the majestic redwoods reading this one aloud all weekend to whatever kids, critters, and random spirits happen to feel like coming by and listening.
Here's why THE TRUE BLUE SCOUTS OF SUGAR MAN SWAMP has made me a happy camper and now becomes my favorite book of this year:
It is LMAO funny. There is smart humor and goofy humor and physical humor and hyperbole and hysterical twists and turns of phrase.
It is filled with great language, words like aught, denizen, procyonid, falderal, Alouicious, extant, peccaries, ruminations, milieu, cryptid, and certitude.
It is a noisy book, crafted with a wealth of onomatopoeia that is both powerfully descriptive and really entertaining.
There are pirates and rowdy sea chanteys and canebrake rattlesnakes (Crotalus horridus giganticus) and lullabies.
There are three really important, somewhat interrelated, environmental issues.
There is a wonderful twelve year-old boy character, Chaparral Brayburn, who has to deal both with the bad guys and with those raucous raccoon brothers.
There is an amazing development of interconnections between a sixteenth century conquistador, a bunch of evil hogs, and a rusted-out, somewhat magical car.
"His instinct was to head for the hills, but are there any hills in the swamp? We think you can answer that question all by yourself. Poor Leroy was stuck."
This one left me as wired as a great rock concert. I've preordered my finished copy. Now I'm wanting to know where I can get one of the tour tee shirts.
Richie Partington, MLIS
Richie's Picks http://richiespicks.com
BudNotBuddy@aol.com
Moderator http://groups.yahoo.com/group/middle_... http://slisweb.sjsu.edu/people/facult...
September 8, 2013
I LOVED the audio of this book, narrated by Lyle Lovett. It's so charming, poignant, and funny. Lyle Lovett's voice was just perfect for the story. I've got a student reading it right now, and I can't wait to hear what she thinks. I don't know if the actual reading of it will be as good as the audio, but I hope so! Twelve-year-old Chap is missing his grandpa something awful, and he loves the swamp. Bingo and J-miah are raccoon brothers and new scouts of the Sugar Man Swamp, keeping watch from Chap's grandpa's missing Desoto, reporting intel. Alligator wrestler Jaeger Stitch is trying to turn the swamp into an Alligator World Wrestling Arena and Theme Park, and if that's not enough to worry you, there is a gang of wild hogs on the way, intent on destroying everything! It's up to the Sugar Man to save the day, but no one has seen him in decades, and he's awfully hard to wake up. The characters and setting are unforgettable; I'm looking forward to recommending this to my Mock Newbery Club! A good pairing for this book would be Carl Hiassen's CHOMP.
June 4, 2013
Kathi Appelt has an incredible ability to weave multiple story lines into a single narrative. I enjoyed the light-hearted tone and playful language of this book. I plan to write a complete review for Nerdy Book Club closer to the release date.
August 21, 2013
*Sigh* I'm gonna be *that* person again. The one who just couldn't connect with a book that everyone else loved. With the exception of Charlotte's Web and The One and Only Ivan, animal fantasy and me generally don't mesh well.
February 5, 2014
One Sentence Review: Few authors have "voice" down as perfectly as Ms. Appelt and this lighthearted animal story for younger readers is just the ticket for those of you looking for some sweet Southern bedtime fare.
August 6, 2013
This review from Bookpage sums it all up. The only thing I'd add is how wonderful the audio version is, with Lyle Lovett narrating. He's fantastic!
Gather 'round readers , and welcome to Sugar Man Swamp in the Texas bayou, home of an intriguing menagerie that includes raccoons, rattlesnakes, wildhogs (the Farrow Gang), alligators, possums, an elusive ivory-billed woodpecker and much more. King of this ecosystem is Sugar Man, a cousin of Bigfoot who stays hidden and sleeping, only emerging during a crisis. And indeed, a crisis is afoot, as owner Sonny Boy Beaucoup plans to turn 2,000 acres of the swamp into the Gator World Wrestling Arena and Theme Park, presided over by champion gator wrestler Jaeger Stitch. The swamp needs rescuing, and the heroes are an unlikely trio. There's a pair of raccoons named Bingo and J'miah who serve as Swamp Scouts, watching over the area and warning Sugar Man when necessary. Then there's 12-year-old Chap Brayburn, who has lived here all his life. His mother runs the Paradise Pies Cafe, known for heavenly fried sugar pies made from the swamp's canebrake sugar. Chap's grandfather, who knew the swamp inside and out, has just passed away, leaving Chap to try to fill his shoes as human guardian of this special place. Newbery Honor-winning author Kathi Appelt weaves these characters together in a lovely symphony, giving both animal and human viewpoints in numerous chapters, many of which are quite short. The book is a breezy read, full of excitement, and Appelt's folksy, tall-tale style makes the novel a great choice for a read-aloud. The True Blue Scouts of Sugar Man Swamp is a tour de force filled with thoughtful, admirable characters like Chap and his grandfather, and rollicking goofballs like the raccoon Swamp Scouts, who help save the day despite their tendency to get themselves in trouble. Underneath all the hijinks are real lessons to be learned about how different species live together and interact, about the importance of conservation and about the impact of development on a fragile ecosystem. Readers will feel as though they've had a VIP tour of Sugar Man Swamp--the only thing missing is a taste of that famous fried sugar pie!. Alice Cary. 336pg. BOOKPAGE, c2013.
Gather 'round readers , and welcome to Sugar Man Swamp in the Texas bayou, home of an intriguing menagerie that includes raccoons, rattlesnakes, wildhogs (the Farrow Gang), alligators, possums, an elusive ivory-billed woodpecker and much more. King of this ecosystem is Sugar Man, a cousin of Bigfoot who stays hidden and sleeping, only emerging during a crisis. And indeed, a crisis is afoot, as owner Sonny Boy Beaucoup plans to turn 2,000 acres of the swamp into the Gator World Wrestling Arena and Theme Park, presided over by champion gator wrestler Jaeger Stitch. The swamp needs rescuing, and the heroes are an unlikely trio. There's a pair of raccoons named Bingo and J'miah who serve as Swamp Scouts, watching over the area and warning Sugar Man when necessary. Then there's 12-year-old Chap Brayburn, who has lived here all his life. His mother runs the Paradise Pies Cafe, known for heavenly fried sugar pies made from the swamp's canebrake sugar. Chap's grandfather, who knew the swamp inside and out, has just passed away, leaving Chap to try to fill his shoes as human guardian of this special place. Newbery Honor-winning author Kathi Appelt weaves these characters together in a lovely symphony, giving both animal and human viewpoints in numerous chapters, many of which are quite short. The book is a breezy read, full of excitement, and Appelt's folksy, tall-tale style makes the novel a great choice for a read-aloud. The True Blue Scouts of Sugar Man Swamp is a tour de force filled with thoughtful, admirable characters like Chap and his grandfather, and rollicking goofballs like the raccoon Swamp Scouts, who help save the day despite their tendency to get themselves in trouble. Underneath all the hijinks are real lessons to be learned about how different species live together and interact, about the importance of conservation and about the impact of development on a fragile ecosystem. Readers will feel as though they've had a VIP tour of Sugar Man Swamp--the only thing missing is a taste of that famous fried sugar pie!. Alice Cary. 336pg. BOOKPAGE, c2013.
September 4, 2014
I had some real problems with this book.
All the repetition got real annoying. The coffee was "hot, hot, hot, bitter, bitter, bitter" at least eight times throughout the story. Several characters kept bringing up "A boat-load of cash!" blah blah blah The rattlesnakes all went "Snip snap zip zap" again and again and again and again. I GOT IT! Enough.
The main character is twelve years old and has just lost his beloved grandfather. He's working very hard (theoretically) to help his mom run their business so they won't lose their home in a remote swamp. The author created this sympathetic character, yet seems to delight in making fun of him. He actually thinks the hot and bitter coffee is going to put "hair on his chest" (he checks repeatedly) and when their tool of a landlord demands a "boat-load of cash" in exchange for their property, our boy goes out to find a boat to fill. Seriously? I kept waiting for his mom or even their friend the disc-jockey to remark on the odd literal interpretation, but no one does. It just all felt like he didn't understand basic idioms of English because he was a backwater hick. Nice.
Some chapters would go off on weird tangents or highlight an odd tidbit of information, which surely will be of great importance later on... NOPE. Turns out, not important at all. Just meandering.
All the repetition got real annoying. The coffee was "hot, hot, hot, bitter, bitter, bitter" at least eight times throughout the story. Several characters kept bringing up "A boat-load of cash!" blah blah blah The rattlesnakes all went "Snip snap zip zap" again and again and again and again. I GOT IT! Enough.
The main character is twelve years old and has just lost his beloved grandfather. He's working very hard (theoretically) to help his mom run their business so they won't lose their home in a remote swamp. The author created this sympathetic character, yet seems to delight in making fun of him. He actually thinks the hot and bitter coffee is going to put "hair on his chest" (he checks repeatedly) and when their tool of a landlord demands a "boat-load of cash" in exchange for their property, our boy goes out to find a boat to fill. Seriously? I kept waiting for his mom or even their friend the disc-jockey to remark on the odd literal interpretation, but no one does. It just all felt like he didn't understand basic idioms of English because he was a backwater hick. Nice.
Some chapters would go off on weird tangents or highlight an odd tidbit of information, which surely will be of great importance later on... NOPE. Turns out, not important at all. Just meandering.
September 16, 2017
The asides to the reader were interesting... I thought that twee style in juvenile fiction went out of fashion over a century ago except for Kipling's "O Best Beloved." I wouldn't mind if Appelt brought it back... except that sometimes her slang was a little too contemporary. I mean to say "Well, sports fans, ..." is going to go stale pretty darn soon now.
The ending is implausible, even given fully sentient raccoons etc. I wanted to know the mom better. Did we ever learn where the father is? I like the cat, who wishes her humans would learn Catalian. The integration of the supernatural mythological elements is done well.
Appelt can do some wonderful things. I loved The Underneath, for example. And I do recommend you consider reading both. I'll read more by her. But I don't agree with those early readers of this who thought it was worth considering for the Newbery, so I'm sorta relieved it didn't get an Honor.
The ending is implausible, even given fully sentient raccoons etc. I wanted to know the mom better. Did we ever learn where the father is? I like the cat, who wishes her humans would learn Catalian. The integration of the supernatural mythological elements is done well.
Appelt can do some wonderful things. I loved The Underneath, for example. And I do recommend you consider reading both. I'll read more by her. But I don't agree with those early readers of this who thought it was worth considering for the Newbery, so I'm sorta relieved it didn't get an Honor.
July 21, 2013
Not since The One and Only Ivan has a children's book with animals captured my heart the way that this one has. Life is in an uproar in the Sugar Man Swamp because the rumblin is a comin! The true blue raccoon scouts are keeping the peace and trying not to eat too many sweets, the rattlesnakes and possums and other critters are doing what they should be doing and young Chap is trying to become a man. A rumblin starts and all the inhabitants of Sugar Man Swamp are eager to stop it. An alligator wrestling park is coming to the swamp and that is not good but what is worse is a group of really mean sugar cane eating machine hogs is also on their way to destroy the swamp. Can Chap bring enough business to the Paradise Pies Cafe and save the family business? Can our raccoon friends wake the Sugar Man and save the swamp? Can anyone stop the horrible hogs? Fun summer read for all ages!
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September 12, 2019Lyle Lovett’s narration was strangely lacking in dynamics, but it wasn’t enough to throw off this sweet, thoughtful, funny middle-grade novel about a boy, a pair of young raccoons, a rattlesnake named Gertrude, a mythical beast, a stack of sugar pies, and a stampede of feral hogs (yes, really). I love love loved the Sharon Creechesqueness of Appelt’s “Maybe a Fox,” and this wasn’t that, but I can’t wait to read more of her books.
November 3, 2018
This book was great fun. Like the Rocky and Bullwinkle cartoons, there is a story for the kids, and a few tidbits for adults. Highly recommended.
January 5, 2014
Eight years old was one of the best years of my life. I was the oldest of my siblings (authority!) and I had just begun homeschooling. That meant I could read anything I wanted (within the checkout limits at our local library) while my mother taught my little brother the basics. All the same, I loved it when she read aloud to all of us in the mornings, and I couldn't get enough of animal stories. I adored Jim Kjelgaard's Big Red, Wilson Rawls' Where the Red Fern Grows and anything Marguerite Henry. I'd beg and beg for just one more chapter, and it wasn't uncommon for my mother to accede and read until her voice grew hoarse. I know my eight-year-old self would have loved Kathi Appelt's The True Blue Scouts of Sugar Man Swamp.
Raccoon brothers J’miah and Bingo are official Sugar Man Swamp Scouts, and they know their duty: to be alert for trouble and to wake the legendary Sugar Man in case of emergencies. Never mind that no one has seen him for nearly 60 years! Nearby, 12 year-old (human) Chap Brayburn is mourning the death of his beloved grandfather Audie, and trying to figure out how to be the man of the house. When trouble comes to the swamp, J’miah, Bingo and Chap must each use all of their ingenuity and courage to save it, and themselves.
J'miah and Bingo are raccoons, and raccoons are known for mischief. However, these brothers have just been inducted as Official Scouts of the Sugar Man Swamp, and with that appointment comes responsibility. They've got to listen to the Voice of Information, watch out for trouble, and most of all, be true to each other. Their antics are by turns hilarious and heartwarming, and in the end the number of crawdads, dewberries and sugar pies they have eaten amount to an adventure all its own.
Appelt writes human emotion with just as much laughter and verve as the animal action, but with an extra dose of poignancy. Chap's attempts to step into his grandfather's shoes are a little bit funny, a little bit doomed, and all the way sincere. Chap's story could stumble into maudlin or contrived territory, but it doesn't - the author keeps just the right balance. The fantastical element is included in a natural, organic way, so that the book rides somewhere between tall tale and a 'book about talking animals,' and makes you want to (for just a little while) visit the magical place that is the Sugar Man Swamp.
My favorite passages were those that talked about the flavors of the swamp and Paradise Pies, the tiny bakery that Chap's mother runs. This excerpt from pages 68 and 69 of the hardcover version gives you a little taste of the book:
"The huge coffee urn was full of dark, rich Community Coffee, roasted in Baton Rouge. And even though there wasn’t a drop of coffee in the pies, Grandpa Audie always said, “The chicory in the coffee makes the pies taste better.” He followed that with, “Besides, it puts hair on your chest.”
Right then Chap pulled the neck of his T-shirt out and looked down at his chest. Not a single hair. Didn’t he need a few chest hairs to be a man? With that, he filled Audie’s mug, right up to the brim.
“You might want to put some cream and sugar in that,” his mom said.
Grandpa Audie had never used cream and sugar, had he? “Blacker ’n dirt.” That’s the way he had always drunk it. That was the way Chap would drink it too. He raised his grandpa’s mug to his lips and took a tiny sip. It was hot hot hot. It was bitter bitter bitter. All at once, he understood how coffee would make the pies taste better.
The sweet of the pies would offset the hot and bitter."
The True Blue Scouts is a funny, beautifully written and environmentally friendly tale of familial love and the ways in which a specific spot in nature can become ‘home’ to the heart. J’miah, Bingo and Chap explore the swamp and discover some of its dangerous and wondrous secrets, and each tries to protect it in his own way. I would imagine that it's especially charming when read aloud, so that the animal and human voices really come alive.
Recommended for: fans of Kate DiCamillo, those who enjoy animal stories on the order of Charlotte's Web or The Adventures of a South Pole Pig, and readers ages 8 and up who enjoy their stories with a light fantasy element.
Raccoon brothers J’miah and Bingo are official Sugar Man Swamp Scouts, and they know their duty: to be alert for trouble and to wake the legendary Sugar Man in case of emergencies. Never mind that no one has seen him for nearly 60 years! Nearby, 12 year-old (human) Chap Brayburn is mourning the death of his beloved grandfather Audie, and trying to figure out how to be the man of the house. When trouble comes to the swamp, J’miah, Bingo and Chap must each use all of their ingenuity and courage to save it, and themselves.
J'miah and Bingo are raccoons, and raccoons are known for mischief. However, these brothers have just been inducted as Official Scouts of the Sugar Man Swamp, and with that appointment comes responsibility. They've got to listen to the Voice of Information, watch out for trouble, and most of all, be true to each other. Their antics are by turns hilarious and heartwarming, and in the end the number of crawdads, dewberries and sugar pies they have eaten amount to an adventure all its own.
Appelt writes human emotion with just as much laughter and verve as the animal action, but with an extra dose of poignancy. Chap's attempts to step into his grandfather's shoes are a little bit funny, a little bit doomed, and all the way sincere. Chap's story could stumble into maudlin or contrived territory, but it doesn't - the author keeps just the right balance. The fantastical element is included in a natural, organic way, so that the book rides somewhere between tall tale and a 'book about talking animals,' and makes you want to (for just a little while) visit the magical place that is the Sugar Man Swamp.
My favorite passages were those that talked about the flavors of the swamp and Paradise Pies, the tiny bakery that Chap's mother runs. This excerpt from pages 68 and 69 of the hardcover version gives you a little taste of the book:
"The huge coffee urn was full of dark, rich Community Coffee, roasted in Baton Rouge. And even though there wasn’t a drop of coffee in the pies, Grandpa Audie always said, “The chicory in the coffee makes the pies taste better.” He followed that with, “Besides, it puts hair on your chest.”
Right then Chap pulled the neck of his T-shirt out and looked down at his chest. Not a single hair. Didn’t he need a few chest hairs to be a man? With that, he filled Audie’s mug, right up to the brim.
“You might want to put some cream and sugar in that,” his mom said.
Grandpa Audie had never used cream and sugar, had he? “Blacker ’n dirt.” That’s the way he had always drunk it. That was the way Chap would drink it too. He raised his grandpa’s mug to his lips and took a tiny sip. It was hot hot hot. It was bitter bitter bitter. All at once, he understood how coffee would make the pies taste better.
The sweet of the pies would offset the hot and bitter."
The True Blue Scouts is a funny, beautifully written and environmentally friendly tale of familial love and the ways in which a specific spot in nature can become ‘home’ to the heart. J’miah, Bingo and Chap explore the swamp and discover some of its dangerous and wondrous secrets, and each tries to protect it in his own way. I would imagine that it's especially charming when read aloud, so that the animal and human voices really come alive.
Recommended for: fans of Kate DiCamillo, those who enjoy animal stories on the order of Charlotte's Web or The Adventures of a South Pole Pig, and readers ages 8 and up who enjoy their stories with a light fantasy element.
July 26, 2013
I thought this was an adorable story but I am not sure I agree with some of the readers on Goodreads that it deserves to be a Newberry contender. While I thought the story was cute, if a bit fantastical, I found there was a disconnect between the story, its intended audience and the language used. No foul language, just really big words, some of which even I had to look up. Also, while I enjoy the occasional talking animals I found this to be written kind of tongue in cheeky and sarcastically, which is great for sophisticated readers but maybe not so beloved by the elementary school set. I also can't see this being read and appreciated by many kids over the age of 10 due to the cute talking animals. Mixed emotions on this one but a nice, well written story none the less.
December 18, 2015
The writing is superb. The story is so well-constructed! The reader continually wonders how the cast of widely diverse characters will come together to save the swamp---Chap Braeburn who runs the local pie shop with his mom, his deceased grandpa's lost-in-the-swamp 1949 Desoto which is information headquarters for our raccoon scouts Bingo & J'miah, Sugar Man, the local cryptic, rattlers protecting the precious sugar cane, Sony Boy Beaucoup who is willing to sell off the swamp for an alligator wrestling theme park, and a herd of 19 wild hogs heading to decimate the sugar cane.
September 8, 2013
A cute story of family, bravery and doing what is right. Short chapters make this a great read-aloud. (3rd-6th)
Audio note: The narration by Lyle Lovett was excellent. His smooth, almost sleepy, voice added much to the Bayou setting.
Audio note: The narration by Lyle Lovett was excellent. His smooth, almost sleepy, voice added much to the Bayou setting.
September 27, 2013
Only Kathi Appelt can make raccoons appealing. This one rolls out oh so slowly, but the language is lovely and the swamp and all its denizens come to life. Lyle Lovett's narration was smooth as sugar but I think I would've preferred the author reading.
February 8, 2019
I got lost in the first few pages. The story was kinda everywhere. I couldn't ever understand who's viewpoint it was.
January 8, 2025
Great vocabulary, great narrator’s voice (both writing style and audiobook), great pacing. I’ll be getting this again for our next family road trip!
October 21, 2015
It was pretty good, but got boring in some parts.
January 7, 2023
*Contains some spoilers*
Mostly, I found this book to be quite charming and endearing.
I mean raccoons are some of the most naturally charismatic and adorable creatures without anthropomorphizing them. So, of course, when you add human dialogue, antics, and a loyal sibling relationship there is much to love. J'Miah was my favorite character because of his conscientious behavior and his love for art. Bingo was fun in many ways, but felt flat and one note to me. Honestly, prior to their pie escapades, the plot was hard for me to stay interested in. I wanted to really love this book, but I think some of the elements were just too cliche or underdeveloped.
Chap's relationship with his grandfather felt very typical honestly, and the emphasis on the "man of the house" topics or manliness was slightly aggravating. I think what I hoped for was that more emotion and depth would be given to Chap's character on WHY he cared so much about being the "man of the house" after his grandfather's death and how he felt he knew how to process the death of someone so influential to him. There could have been no hogs, considering they did not do much for the plot and more development on Chap's vulnerable period between being still very like a child but also growing into young adolescence with semblances of young adulthood.
I did appreciate what I believe to be the message of the book which was the message that we should conserve and respect natural habitats and understand as humans that "we are fellow countrymen" with the other species on earth, equal and not better than. I also enjoyed how Appelt concluded and connected the intermingling storylines. The scene when Chap finds the DeSoto was one of the best in the book. I do wish there had been more scenes with the Sugar Man, since the majority of the book is about his mythos, nevertheless, I understand that the point was more about what he represented than who he was. I am happy that I finished this book, however, I will not be rereading it.
Mostly, I found this book to be quite charming and endearing.
I mean raccoons are some of the most naturally charismatic and adorable creatures without anthropomorphizing them. So, of course, when you add human dialogue, antics, and a loyal sibling relationship there is much to love. J'Miah was my favorite character because of his conscientious behavior and his love for art. Bingo was fun in many ways, but felt flat and one note to me. Honestly, prior to their pie escapades, the plot was hard for me to stay interested in. I wanted to really love this book, but I think some of the elements were just too cliche or underdeveloped.
Chap's relationship with his grandfather felt very typical honestly, and the emphasis on the "man of the house" topics or manliness was slightly aggravating. I think what I hoped for was that more emotion and depth would be given to Chap's character on WHY he cared so much about being the "man of the house" after his grandfather's death and how he felt he knew how to process the death of someone so influential to him. There could have been no hogs, considering they did not do much for the plot and more development on Chap's vulnerable period between being still very like a child but also growing into young adolescence with semblances of young adulthood.
I did appreciate what I believe to be the message of the book which was the message that we should conserve and respect natural habitats and understand as humans that "we are fellow countrymen" with the other species on earth, equal and not better than. I also enjoyed how Appelt concluded and connected the intermingling storylines. The scene when Chap finds the DeSoto was one of the best in the book. I do wish there had been more scenes with the Sugar Man, since the majority of the book is about his mythos, nevertheless, I understand that the point was more about what he represented than who he was. I am happy that I finished this book, however, I will not be rereading it.
November 30, 2025
We first follow two young raccoon brothers, Bingo and J’Miah who have become part of a animal scout group whose mission is to watch and protect the swamp where the legendary figure known as the Sugar Man lives. Later, we meet a boy named Chap who lives with mom, who has a pie shop, near the swamp. Both of these stories will learn that the swamp is in danger from hunger hogs who want the swamp’s sugar cane and a famous alligator wrestler who wants the swampland as the site for a large tourist attraction. The scouts, however believe that the Swamp Man who is in a deep sleep might be able to save their home.
It’s definitely a unique story about saving a home and the environment, with a pair of different protagonists who will save it with some help. The story’s premise is a little similar to Carl Hiaasen’s middle-grade novels and the works of Katherine Applegate, but has its own style such as a more softer and mythical tone. You’ll have a wonderful time with simple but adventurous tale. A- (91%/Excellent)
It’s definitely a unique story about saving a home and the environment, with a pair of different protagonists who will save it with some help. The story’s premise is a little similar to Carl Hiaasen’s middle-grade novels and the works of Katherine Applegate, but has its own style such as a more softer and mythical tone. You’ll have a wonderful time with simple but adventurous tale. A- (91%/Excellent)
April 5, 2021
This book has just the right amount of suspense and fantasy for kids. Appelt’s writing style is so beautiful, and listening to Lyle Lovett narrate the audiobook version made it feel like you were actually in the bayou. There are so many cute and quirky alliterations that help to enhance the characters personalities and mannerisms. Don’t be turned away by the number of chapters in this book, as some are just a few paragraphs long. This would be a great book recommendation to any kid who loves animal stories.
August 4, 2022
This was a read aloud to my 7 and 5 year old. It was an enchanting and imaginative read. It was a bit hard for me to get into initially because there were so many point of views, but as the story progressed it smoothed out and made more sense. It’s a cute read!
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December 2, 2021Great voice, and weaving of lots of characters and threads.
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