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Me and Marvin Gardens
Obe Devlin has problems. His family's farmland has been taken over by developers. His best friend Tommy abandoned him for the development kids. And he keeps getting nosebleeds, because of that thing he doesn't like to talk about. So Obe hangs out at the creek by his house, in the last wild patch left, picking up litter and looking for animal tracks.
One day, he sees a creature that looks kind of like a large dog, or maybe a small boar. And as he watches it, he realizes it eats plastic. Only plastic. Water bottles, shopping bags... No one has ever seen a creature like this before, because there's never been a creature like this before. The animal--Marvin Gardens--soon becomes Obe's best friend and biggest secret. But to keep him safe from the developers and Tommy and his friends, Obe must make a decision that might change everything.
In her most personal novel yet, Printz Honor Award winner Amy Sarig King tells the story of a friendship that could actually save the world.
One day, he sees a creature that looks kind of like a large dog, or maybe a small boar. And as he watches it, he realizes it eats plastic. Only plastic. Water bottles, shopping bags... No one has ever seen a creature like this before, because there's never been a creature like this before. The animal--Marvin Gardens--soon becomes Obe's best friend and biggest secret. But to keep him safe from the developers and Tommy and his friends, Obe must make a decision that might change everything.
In her most personal novel yet, Printz Honor Award winner Amy Sarig King tells the story of a friendship that could actually save the world.
256 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 31, 2017
89 people are currently reading
2845 people want to read
About the author
Amy Sarig King
5 books193 followersA.S. King writes middle grade fiction under the name Amy Sarig King.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 483 reviews
February 21, 2017
A. S. King never disappoints me.
December 22, 2016
A renowned YA author’s middle grades debut that reminds us to cherish our environment, our history, and consider our impact for future generations. Expect this book to pop up again in Newbery 2018 discussions.
If you know this author’s YA titles (written as A.S. King), you’ll immediately identify the qualities that are central to most of her books: we have a protagonist who is dealing with social ostracism in peer group and at home; we have parents who are a little evil; we have a absurdist concept that lands in this otherwise realistic narrative like a spaceship landing in the middle of a cornfield.
Sixth grader Obe Devlin is watching his family’s ancestral land turn into housing developments. He can’t roam freely any more and it’s cramping his style. Meanwhile, former friend Tommy has turned against him, has made other friends at school, and now calls Obe a hippie for Obe’s creek-wading, trash-collecting habits.
One day Obe comes across a strange dog-like, pig-like creature who eats plastic and is responsive to Obe’s entreaties, whom he names Marvin Gardens. Obe and this creature develop a friendship, a friendship that’s imperiled when Obe realizes that Marvin’s scat carries some of the same qualities as toxic waste.
There’s a lot to love here: King’s style is fresh, wry, and rebellious. Middle grades can be a lot more complacent (as a genre) than YA, and King clearly wants to take your typical boy-and-dog narrative and toss that on its head. Good. Middle grades needs this churning.
There are also a lot of lovely connections to make to the world around us. Some of them are overt and totally the stuff of middle grades standard fare, like the school’s daily pollution facts during Earth month and the heroic science teacher Ms. G. Middle grades wouldn't be middle grades if we didn't have teacher-heroes. Others are more subtle and lend themselves to closer examination like a YA title, like the extended connection to Monopoly (every chapter begins with an illustration of one of the game’s character pieces) and Obe’s development. Obe's defensive strategy to Monopoly parallels his defensive strategy to protecting his neighborhood from increasing sprawl.
Let me be clear for a moment that Obe is not some sort of didactic pseudo-hero who serves as a vehicle for lessons about the environment. King is too good for that. Instead, he’s just a kid who sees himself in the world. He thinks about how the Susquehanna eventually leads out to the Atlantic Ocean. He and his friend go hunting for rocks and she tells him how old the rocks are. Here is a character who seems, if anything, spiritually connected to where he is in place and time, and part of his interest in the environment stems from this more fundamental interest in where he is.
There were a few plot points that dangled here a little too much without deep resolution and a few things about this book that I’ll want to explore in future writing and blogging.
I received an ARC and my review is based on an uncorrected copy.
If you know this author’s YA titles (written as A.S. King), you’ll immediately identify the qualities that are central to most of her books: we have a protagonist who is dealing with social ostracism in peer group and at home; we have parents who are a little evil; we have a absurdist concept that lands in this otherwise realistic narrative like a spaceship landing in the middle of a cornfield.
Sixth grader Obe Devlin is watching his family’s ancestral land turn into housing developments. He can’t roam freely any more and it’s cramping his style. Meanwhile, former friend Tommy has turned against him, has made other friends at school, and now calls Obe a hippie for Obe’s creek-wading, trash-collecting habits.
One day Obe comes across a strange dog-like, pig-like creature who eats plastic and is responsive to Obe’s entreaties, whom he names Marvin Gardens. Obe and this creature develop a friendship, a friendship that’s imperiled when Obe realizes that Marvin’s scat carries some of the same qualities as toxic waste.
There’s a lot to love here: King’s style is fresh, wry, and rebellious. Middle grades can be a lot more complacent (as a genre) than YA, and King clearly wants to take your typical boy-and-dog narrative and toss that on its head. Good. Middle grades needs this churning.
There are also a lot of lovely connections to make to the world around us. Some of them are overt and totally the stuff of middle grades standard fare, like the school’s daily pollution facts during Earth month and the heroic science teacher Ms. G. Middle grades wouldn't be middle grades if we didn't have teacher-heroes. Others are more subtle and lend themselves to closer examination like a YA title, like the extended connection to Monopoly (every chapter begins with an illustration of one of the game’s character pieces) and Obe’s development. Obe's defensive strategy to Monopoly parallels his defensive strategy to protecting his neighborhood from increasing sprawl.
Let me be clear for a moment that Obe is not some sort of didactic pseudo-hero who serves as a vehicle for lessons about the environment. King is too good for that. Instead, he’s just a kid who sees himself in the world. He thinks about how the Susquehanna eventually leads out to the Atlantic Ocean. He and his friend go hunting for rocks and she tells him how old the rocks are. Here is a character who seems, if anything, spiritually connected to where he is in place and time, and part of his interest in the environment stems from this more fundamental interest in where he is.
There were a few plot points that dangled here a little too much without deep resolution and a few things about this book that I’ll want to explore in future writing and blogging.
I received an ARC and my review is based on an uncorrected copy.
July 8, 2018
2.5 stars
I have to admit, I'm a bit disappointed with King's debut middle grade novel. King is one of my favorite YA authors so I was curious to see the similarities & differences the new genre would bring to her writing. King is well known for the lovely magical realism she gives to each of her books & MARVIN GARDENS is no exception. Yes, it's not realistic that Obe discovers a new animal species that eats plastic & has burning orange scat. But here is where the aspect lies- it's not supposed to be realistic. It's supposed to be a small pebble in the grand scheme of the book's theme.
This is where I had a bit of a problem. MARVIN GARDENS has an agenda- it is filled with environmental facts & makes sure the reader is very aware of the impact humans make for our home. This isn't necessarily a bad thing- it's crucial for people to know this, especially young readers, but these facts are listed multiple times, not for any particular reason other than shoving it in the reader's face- as if we could forget. (Well. 😐) But then you would think after reading all of these things, seeing how much it affects Obe, that more would be done other than him picking up trash by the creek & knowing how important it is to recycle. Basically I just feel the message gets destroyed by not following through (e.g. hosting a school drive), but that's just a personal qualm.
There are other important themes here such as: sibling relationships, parent-child relationships, teacher-student relationships, bullying, etc. But I think so much time was spent on the other stuff that none of these things really got to play out, except for perhaps the relationship between Obe & Annie. Annie was such a sweet character, I was really glad that they had each other.
I do want to mention the brief toxic masculinity that is discussed here. Obe's father (a complete idiot in my eyes) tells Obe that he needs to "man up" aka cannot be brave, daring or fierce. Obe internally challenges these beliefs & decides that he can, indeed, be all of these things. It's overshadowed by Marvin's arc but the spark is there & it's so important.
While the writing & story is compelling (as all other King's works are), there isn't much happening. Flashbacks are used, but they still didn't add much to be gained. The majority of the book is slow & then rushes to tie everything together (including "telling" Obe's future). I admire the book's willingness to start a conversation of the very real & alarming impact we are making today & how that will affect future generations, but overall this was a miss for me. Naturally, I look forward to reading King's next book.
I have to admit, I'm a bit disappointed with King's debut middle grade novel. King is one of my favorite YA authors so I was curious to see the similarities & differences the new genre would bring to her writing. King is well known for the lovely magical realism she gives to each of her books & MARVIN GARDENS is no exception. Yes, it's not realistic that Obe discovers a new animal species that eats plastic & has burning orange scat. But here is where the aspect lies- it's not supposed to be realistic. It's supposed to be a small pebble in the grand scheme of the book's theme.
This is where I had a bit of a problem. MARVIN GARDENS has an agenda- it is filled with environmental facts & makes sure the reader is very aware of the impact humans make for our home. This isn't necessarily a bad thing- it's crucial for people to know this, especially young readers, but these facts are listed multiple times, not for any particular reason other than shoving it in the reader's face- as if we could forget. (Well. 😐) But then you would think after reading all of these things, seeing how much it affects Obe, that more would be done other than him picking up trash by the creek & knowing how important it is to recycle. Basically I just feel the message gets destroyed by not following through (e.g. hosting a school drive), but that's just a personal qualm.
There are other important themes here such as: sibling relationships, parent-child relationships, teacher-student relationships, bullying, etc. But I think so much time was spent on the other stuff that none of these things really got to play out, except for perhaps the relationship between Obe & Annie. Annie was such a sweet character, I was really glad that they had each other.
I do want to mention the brief toxic masculinity that is discussed here. Obe's father (a complete idiot in my eyes) tells Obe that he needs to "man up" aka cannot be brave, daring or fierce. Obe internally challenges these beliefs & decides that he can, indeed, be all of these things. It's overshadowed by Marvin's arc but the spark is there & it's so important.
While the writing & story is compelling (as all other King's works are), there isn't much happening. Flashbacks are used, but they still didn't add much to be gained. The majority of the book is slow & then rushes to tie everything together (including "telling" Obe's future). I admire the book's willingness to start a conversation of the very real & alarming impact we are making today & how that will affect future generations, but overall this was a miss for me. Naturally, I look forward to reading King's next book.
March 6, 2017
Enjoyable odd little book about a sixth grader, concerned with the planet and all the litter that accumulates in his family's creek, who finds a strange animal that eats plastic. Could this be the solution to the world's landfill problems? But who to tell, and what will happen to the animal? Added to that, our young protagonist has a strained situation with former friends, a mean math teacher, and his own family, plus the stress of watching what was his family's land get sold off for a cheap new housing development.
I liked this, it was quirky and fun, but also stressful. At times it got a little too stressful. It worried me, as a mom, that this young boy was being bullied, was dealing with some heavy-duty stuff, and he really couldn't go to his parents because they were so caught up in their own drama. The dad, in particular, was just a jackass. He wasn't abusive or anything, just a big jerk, so his children couldn't confide in him, and that bothered me. There was a lot going on here, and while it wasn't all wrapped up in a neat little fairy tale bow (though the ending was satisfactory) I do think some of the threads resolved too quickly.
But I did love (even though they were awful) the pollution and climate change facts, and the concern for the environment. That was nicely done, in a way that I think will engage kids.
I liked this, it was quirky and fun, but also stressful. At times it got a little too stressful. It worried me, as a mom, that this young boy was being bullied, was dealing with some heavy-duty stuff, and he really couldn't go to his parents because they were so caught up in their own drama. The dad, in particular, was just a jackass. He wasn't abusive or anything, just a big jerk, so his children couldn't confide in him, and that bothered me. There was a lot going on here, and while it wasn't all wrapped up in a neat little fairy tale bow (though the ending was satisfactory) I do think some of the threads resolved too quickly.
But I did love (even though they were awful) the pollution and climate change facts, and the concern for the environment. That was nicely done, in a way that I think will engage kids.
April 9, 2017
This one needs to be in list form to highlight my love for it (and I will probably be adding to and revising this the more I think about this book!):
1) perfect way to approach environmental issues with the middle grade audience! Fans of "Hoot" by Carl Hiassen will love this, or fans of this story will love "Hoot" depending on their age/reading history.
2) excellent portrayal of how some kids handle bullying, and I loved how strong Obe and Annie were in the face of it. Not immune, but it did not break them
3) the author's note makes clear how near and dear this issue of clearing farm land for development is to the author's heart. That makes it even more special for the reader.
4) Obe's parents are so imperfect and authentic, especially his mom's regret over her lack of education and his dad's love for Monopoly.
5) Marvin Gardens is the best animal character I have read in quite awhile, a feat most incredible given that he is a completely invented animal! King describes him so well that I wouldn't be surprised at all if I my kids found a MG living down by my own creek.
More to come as I ponder. Highly recommend for grades 4-6 or as a read aloud for grade 3 and up. Would love to see this title on lists such as the Global Read Aloud due to the importance and urgency of the environmental issues.
1) perfect way to approach environmental issues with the middle grade audience! Fans of "Hoot" by Carl Hiassen will love this, or fans of this story will love "Hoot" depending on their age/reading history.
2) excellent portrayal of how some kids handle bullying, and I loved how strong Obe and Annie were in the face of it. Not immune, but it did not break them
3) the author's note makes clear how near and dear this issue of clearing farm land for development is to the author's heart. That makes it even more special for the reader.
4) Obe's parents are so imperfect and authentic, especially his mom's regret over her lack of education and his dad's love for Monopoly.
5) Marvin Gardens is the best animal character I have read in quite awhile, a feat most incredible given that he is a completely invented animal! King describes him so well that I wouldn't be surprised at all if I my kids found a MG living down by my own creek.
More to come as I ponder. Highly recommend for grades 4-6 or as a read aloud for grade 3 and up. Would love to see this title on lists such as the Global Read Aloud due to the importance and urgency of the environmental issues.
April 28, 2017
Oh, I loved this book!!!! I think it would make a great read aloud, and I'm glad I was reading it on Earth Day and finished it the day after. How perfect! Obe is so tender-hearted, and his discovery and care of a new kind of animal, one who eats plastic, made me so nervous for the both of them all through the story. I loved Obe and Marvin Gardens so much I didn't want anything to happen to them! Thank God for Annie and Ms. G! Stories like this make me want to be a better person. Wonderful!!! Also - a few other observations. I loved the way King handled the kissing incident with Annie. It was a perfect middle-grade-appropriate way to bring up issues about disrespect and sexual harrassment and how it can sometimes be disregarded (and in this book, some of the disregard was from adults - even women). I loved how Obe wanted it addressed. I also saw connections in this book with Peter Brown's The Wild Robot. This is our April staff book club book, and I can't wait to talk about it. I hope A.S. King writes more Middle Grade books. She gave the keynote at this year's OCTELA conference in February and received a standing ovation - she was funny, honest, direct, and inspiring.
March 15, 2018
This book was pretty good overall and I enjoyed reading it. In the beginning, I was not really enjoy this book but towards the end I could not stop reading. Me and Marvin Gardens has a pretty cool idea throughout the book that was cool to see as the story played out. Overall, This book was very good and I would recommend it to most people.
March 4, 2018
This was a good book... it addresses many aspects of life like friendships, loneliness, and new beginnings. I liked how Obe didn't obsess over Tommy and how he found a new friend. I like how his family becomes united towards the end. Overall, it was a very good book.
April 23, 2017
One hundred year ago, 11 year old Obe Devlin's great grandfather drank his 170 acres of land away, leaving his wife and children with only one small house to live in. There is also a small creek running by the house, the Devlin Creek. But now the Devlins are surrounded by three housing developments on what used to be their land before it was used to by booze.
Obe has made it his business to keep the creek free of garbage that people are always tossing into it. And he has lots of time to do that, now that his former best friend Tommy has turned on him and started hanging out with the cool kids who sit in the back of the school bus, making fun of Obe and his bus friend Annie Bell, nicknamed Putrid Annie by the back seat boys. Tommy had also sucker punched Obe in a fight over hanging-out-territory and now Obe suffers from constant nosebleeds.
One day, while he is out picking up trash, Obe comes across an animal unlike any he has ever seen before - not quite dog, not quite pig, with part hoof, part toed , and skin like algae, but strangest of all, it is an animal who eats plastic. The two soon bond and Obe names the animal Marvin Gardens. Could Marvin be the answer to the problems of so much plastic flooding the environment?
Maybe not, though the two develop a warm and cozy relationship, the first thing Obe notices is that Marvin Gardens scat (poop) has a terrible odor and is often the bright colors of the plastic he eats. Obe keeps Marvin’s existence to himself, afraid of what might happen to him if people find out, especially Tommy and his new friends.
Then, when Marvin begins pooping where yet another new housing development is being built, the developers want to get to the bottom of what it is, and Obe realizes something isn’t right about the scat. It appears to be toxic, eating through and ruining the ground around it, as well as melting sneakers, if stepped in, and deck floors, if walked on in scat covered sneakers.
When Obe finds Marvin Gardens has been wounded by a paintball, he knows it is time to get help, and he knows just the person he can safely turn to.
Me and Marvin Gardens is told entirely from Obe’s point of view. He is a sweet, genial, 11 year old, concerned more with the environment than his is with his math homework. He’s having a hard time reconciling himself to the three housing developments that surround his house, built on fields he used to play on with his then best friend Tommy. He’s loyal friend to both Annie and Marvin, cares keeping about the environment, and has never even squealed on Tommy about the nosebleeds, even after Tommy accuses him melting sneakers and decks.
Besides the environment, King has managed to get themes of community, friendship, bullying, responsibility, and the inevitability of change in this charming coming of age novel without sounding preachy or didactic or boring. But King also doesn’t give the reader any easy answers about these things. Yes, she looks at how constant development and toxic waste are encroaching on the natural world, but she leaves it up to the reader to think about what they can do about it.
A word about the game Monopoly. Monopoly plays a real part in Me and Marvin Gardens. Each chapter begins with an illustration of one of the (original) playings pieces - shoe, hat, dog, etc. It is a game about real estate, about buying properties and developing them with houses and hotels, about some players going bankrupt when they land on a developed property and the high rent that can't be paid while others become fat cats collecting those high rents - the more developed the property is, the higher the rent.
Obe’s father is addicted to Monopoly and loves to play monopoly a few times a week with Obe and his older sister Bernadette. Dad is a ruthlessly ambitious player, buying, building and bankrupting Obe and Bernadette each time they play. Obe, on the other hand, prefers to hoard what properties he does buy, keeping them just as they are and never building on them. What is left of Devlin property is Obe’s personal “Monopoly” property, Real life is played out on the game board and the game board plays out real life. Obe's naming a plastic eating animal Marvin Gardens, which is the least expensive Monopoly property seems only natural.
This book is recommended for readers age 9+
This book was borrowed from a friend.
This review was originally posted at Randomly Reading
Obe has made it his business to keep the creek free of garbage that people are always tossing into it. And he has lots of time to do that, now that his former best friend Tommy has turned on him and started hanging out with the cool kids who sit in the back of the school bus, making fun of Obe and his bus friend Annie Bell, nicknamed Putrid Annie by the back seat boys. Tommy had also sucker punched Obe in a fight over hanging-out-territory and now Obe suffers from constant nosebleeds.
One day, while he is out picking up trash, Obe comes across an animal unlike any he has ever seen before - not quite dog, not quite pig, with part hoof, part toed , and skin like algae, but strangest of all, it is an animal who eats plastic. The two soon bond and Obe names the animal Marvin Gardens. Could Marvin be the answer to the problems of so much plastic flooding the environment?
Maybe not, though the two develop a warm and cozy relationship, the first thing Obe notices is that Marvin Gardens scat (poop) has a terrible odor and is often the bright colors of the plastic he eats. Obe keeps Marvin’s existence to himself, afraid of what might happen to him if people find out, especially Tommy and his new friends.
Then, when Marvin begins pooping where yet another new housing development is being built, the developers want to get to the bottom of what it is, and Obe realizes something isn’t right about the scat. It appears to be toxic, eating through and ruining the ground around it, as well as melting sneakers, if stepped in, and deck floors, if walked on in scat covered sneakers.
When Obe finds Marvin Gardens has been wounded by a paintball, he knows it is time to get help, and he knows just the person he can safely turn to.
Me and Marvin Gardens is told entirely from Obe’s point of view. He is a sweet, genial, 11 year old, concerned more with the environment than his is with his math homework. He’s having a hard time reconciling himself to the three housing developments that surround his house, built on fields he used to play on with his then best friend Tommy. He’s loyal friend to both Annie and Marvin, cares keeping about the environment, and has never even squealed on Tommy about the nosebleeds, even after Tommy accuses him melting sneakers and decks.
Besides the environment, King has managed to get themes of community, friendship, bullying, responsibility, and the inevitability of change in this charming coming of age novel without sounding preachy or didactic or boring. But King also doesn’t give the reader any easy answers about these things. Yes, she looks at how constant development and toxic waste are encroaching on the natural world, but she leaves it up to the reader to think about what they can do about it.
A word about the game Monopoly. Monopoly plays a real part in Me and Marvin Gardens. Each chapter begins with an illustration of one of the (original) playings pieces - shoe, hat, dog, etc. It is a game about real estate, about buying properties and developing them with houses and hotels, about some players going bankrupt when they land on a developed property and the high rent that can't be paid while others become fat cats collecting those high rents - the more developed the property is, the higher the rent.
Obe’s father is addicted to Monopoly and loves to play monopoly a few times a week with Obe and his older sister Bernadette. Dad is a ruthlessly ambitious player, buying, building and bankrupting Obe and Bernadette each time they play. Obe, on the other hand, prefers to hoard what properties he does buy, keeping them just as they are and never building on them. What is left of Devlin property is Obe’s personal “Monopoly” property, Real life is played out on the game board and the game board plays out real life. Obe's naming a plastic eating animal Marvin Gardens, which is the least expensive Monopoly property seems only natural.
This book is recommended for readers age 9+
This book was borrowed from a friend.
This review was originally posted at Randomly Reading
November 14, 2017
I love everything that A.S. King (here writing as Amy Sarig King) has written, and this book is no exception. I fell in love with both Obe and Marvin Gardens. I really related to Obe as he reminded me so much of myself at that age, and a little of me as an adult. As a kid I was forever bringing home stray dogs and cats, or a baby bird that fell out of the nest. I would have filled my whole house and yard with them if possible. Obe did everything he could to protect and save Marvin Gardens, and keep him from those who would choose to harm him. He definitely found a place in my heart with his actions. And all his efforts at recycling and picking up all the trash that was constantly left by the river? Well, that's adult me. I pretty much live by the slogan Reduce Reuse Recycle. I really did adore this kid.
I wonder what will happen to Marvin and his recently discovered mate and children, now that Obe has found people who will protect them and keep them safe. Will Obe ever see them again? Obe was happy because of the time, as short as it was, that he got to spend with Marvin, and the knowledge that Dr. Keri was going to follow Marvin and his family as they led their nomadic life on the river. She would follow Marvin and write about him, keeping him safe along the way.
"It was the perfect ending really. One hundred years from now, how many people would come to this part of the river and know that an entire species was discovered right here? One hundred years from now, how many other plastic-eating species would there be? Would everyone recycle? Would people live a different way-a way that helped the planet? Would someone invent a way to clean the air and the water and the soil? A lot can happen in one hundred years. Maybe if everyone realized that we could change the world, we'd learn to live differently."
I wonder what will happen to Marvin and his recently discovered mate and children, now that Obe has found people who will protect them and keep them safe. Will Obe ever see them again? Obe was happy because of the time, as short as it was, that he got to spend with Marvin, and the knowledge that Dr. Keri was going to follow Marvin and his family as they led their nomadic life on the river. She would follow Marvin and write about him, keeping him safe along the way.
"It was the perfect ending really. One hundred years from now, how many people would come to this part of the river and know that an entire species was discovered right here? One hundred years from now, how many other plastic-eating species would there be? Would everyone recycle? Would people live a different way-a way that helped the planet? Would someone invent a way to clean the air and the water and the soil? A lot can happen in one hundred years. Maybe if everyone realized that we could change the world, we'd learn to live differently."
April 14, 2020
IMAGINE a world where a slimy not dog, not pig eats plastic ... oh the joy! The hope! That we should be this lucky! I think that Obe's mom would forgive him if he had brought home Marvin Gardens..
Marvin Gardens and his family! Obe and his family! Teachers, Game Wardens, and others! Family pride, love, friendships, bullying, pizza sandwichs... So, Obe is having a hard time growing up. He seems to be a pretty deep thinker and is concerned with the environment. He has trouble with friends.. finds Marvin... tells adults.. AND THAT IS THE BOOK... nothing really happens and it goes so slow, but I didn't really mind.. I just kept reading and waiting. And then it ended.
Clearly a 3 star read, nothing to complain about... something to think about and a rather good time before it ended.
Happy Reading!
Marvin Gardens and his family! Obe and his family! Teachers, Game Wardens, and others! Family pride, love, friendships, bullying, pizza sandwichs... So, Obe is having a hard time growing up. He seems to be a pretty deep thinker and is concerned with the environment. He has trouble with friends.. finds Marvin... tells adults.. AND THAT IS THE BOOK... nothing really happens and it goes so slow, but I didn't really mind.. I just kept reading and waiting. And then it ended.
Clearly a 3 star read, nothing to complain about... something to think about and a rather good time before it ended.
Happy Reading!
January 6, 2018
This books packs a WHOLE LOT into a wonderful story of friendship: the need for conservation, the perils of overdevelopment, the angst of teenage growing pains, the effects of bullying, the perils of alcohol and the importance of a good education. There is just so much but it is all woven together so well. Obe is a very likable character who is wise beyond his years, although he is not aware of that fact yet, and his sidekick Marvin Gardens is lovable in all his slimy cuteness. The friendship they develop is built on mutual trust and respect. One cannot walk away from this book without wanting to plant a pretty new garden, recycle a few more bottles and, basically, just try to make the Earth a more beautiful place.
February 27, 2017
If you're looking for A.S. King, yes this is the same author, but it's an entirely different feel when she switches to middle grade books. Not that it wasn't good, but it was clear she had an agenda here and there were slip ups here and there where it started to feel a little preachy. I think this would be an excellent choice to read and discuss in a classroom. There's plenty about science and the environment to dig into, but also more universal themes of bullying and friendship and trying to fit in that any middle schooler is bound to relate to.
December 24, 2016
I wish this book existed when I was growing up.
November 13, 2017
An incredible read. Would be a fantastic read aloud or book club book. Loved.
March 12, 2018
This book was pretty good, and it was very interesting! It takes a while to get into, but this was really good... and it’s a Caudill book! 😁
March 2, 2019
Perfect for students who are ecology focused. The main character will win your heart and the message is loud and clear.
February 16, 2017
O que falar de mais uma obra escrito por god herself?
Um amorzinho. É um pouco estranho não morrer de chorar no final como nos últimos 3 livros dela, mas terminei de ler com o coraçãozinho aquecido. Acompanhar o Obe, os problemas dele e o apego que ele tem a história da família e antiga terra dela é muito... como explicar? É tipo tomar leite quente antes de dormir. Devo comentar que adorei a parte da história onde a gente vê como desde pequenos meninos são ensinados que meninas são realmente coisas com as quais podem fazer o que quiser. Os adultos veem como algo inocente e até bonitinho, mas como a irmã de Obe bem frisou, é isso que faz com que sejamos objetos sexuais quando chegamos a puberdade. Enfim, é A.S. King 4 kids porque até mesmo aqui ela tem uma mensagem que vai muito além da interpretação literal da história contada. A gente pode ver beleza na destruição e transformar algo ruim em algo bom.
Um amorzinho. É um pouco estranho não morrer de chorar no final como nos últimos 3 livros dela, mas terminei de ler com o coraçãozinho aquecido. Acompanhar o Obe, os problemas dele e o apego que ele tem a história da família e antiga terra dela é muito... como explicar? É tipo tomar leite quente antes de dormir. Devo comentar que adorei a parte da história onde a gente vê como desde pequenos meninos são ensinados que meninas são realmente coisas com as quais podem fazer o que quiser. Os adultos veem como algo inocente e até bonitinho, mas como a irmã de Obe bem frisou, é isso que faz com que sejamos objetos sexuais quando chegamos a puberdade. Enfim, é A.S. King 4 kids porque até mesmo aqui ela tem uma mensagem que vai muito além da interpretação literal da história contada. A gente pode ver beleza na destruição e transformar algo ruim em algo bom.
December 6, 2017
For a while now I have been hearing and reading about how amazing A.S. King is, and I am so glad that I have finally read one of her works and that it is as unique and thought-provoking as expected. I love the hope that permeates this novel, including the hope that this is a story that might one day come true in its own way. I love that Obe is so real and that as a reader I *felt* so much a long with him. And I love that A.S. King wrote this for middle graders. And now, if you'll excuse me, I'd like to go reserve some more books by A.S. King.
Read
February 23, 2017Graded By: Mandy W.
Cover Story: Montell Jordan
BFF Charm: Big Sister
Swoonworthy Scale: 0
Talky Talk: A.S. King, MFs (My Friends)!
Bonus Factors: Environmentalism, Toxic Masculinity, Friendships, Monopoly
Relationship Status: Where Have You Been All My Life?
Read the full book report here.
Cover Story: Montell Jordan
BFF Charm: Big Sister
Swoonworthy Scale: 0
Talky Talk: A.S. King, MFs (My Friends)!
Bonus Factors: Environmentalism, Toxic Masculinity, Friendships, Monopoly
Relationship Status: Where Have You Been All My Life?
Read the full book report here.
March 15, 2017
Can't even tell you how much my daughter and I loved this book. A.S. King is my favorite author anyway, and I was excited to be able to share her first middle-grade offering with Mabel. In short, it was everything I love about A.S. King, just with a younger main character. Obe reminded my of a younger Lucky Linderman.
So so good.
So so good.
March 8, 2017
I am a huge fan of A. S. King, so I couldn't wait to read her middle grade debut.
This book deals with important issues such as taking care of the environment, consent (at a 6th grade level), and relationships.
A must read!
This book deals with important issues such as taking care of the environment, consent (at a 6th grade level), and relationships.
A must read!
May 7, 2018
Really liked this. Reminded me a bit of Fuzzy Mud by Louis Sachar, but without so much suspense. Nature loving sixth grader spends a lot of time by his favorite creek, picking up trash and enjoying the scenery. One day he discovers a strange animal that eats plastic...
August 31, 2018
A beautifully told story about a uniquely special kid who finds a uniquely special animal and how their friendship teaches him about the nature of fear, of taking care of our family and environmental legacies, and that we’re all just kind of weird loners, really.
August 13, 2017
A fine Young Adult book focusing on what is happening to our environment as well as telling about the challenges of growing up being a loner.
April 25, 2019
A boy discovers a new species that eats plastic that may or may not be the solution to pollution. Bullying. Friendships. Coming of age. 5th and up.
June 26, 2021
This story aims to create awareness about the harm humans do to the environment and the vital work of conservation, and yet, it chooses to do so through a fantastical animal whose diet consists solely of eating plastic. Could this animal, who the main character, Obe, names Marvin Gardens, be the answer to the enormous amount of plastic waste created by humanity, be the solution? We will never know as this is left unresolved. The downside of this animal's plastic diet is how toxic its scat is and how it has acidic property, melting shoes and wooden decks. Why, you wonder? We will never know either, as this is left unresolved as well. Creating empathy for the environment through the regurgitation of facts as part of Obe's school's Earth Month Celebration, or through the presence of Marvin, part porcine, part dog, part tapir, good-natured and friendly, will not result in future activists for the preservation of land and species.
Obe's family's land was lost bit by bit to developers thanks to his great grandfather's alcoholism, so creating empathy for land that was developed rather than left for farming, is also a hard sell. But, these are elements I could overlook, suspend disbelief, and possibly somewhat like this story, had the author not been so careless in the handling of bullying and inappropriate touching in the book.
I have read many reviews on Me and Marvin Gardens, and all of them sing the story praises for its environmental theme, but none really delve into the troublesome areas I mentioned above. Since I rarely give a book a one star rating, I would like to further explain my reasons.
Tommy and Obe used to be the best of friends and do everything together. Since the two developments on what used to be Obe's family's land were completed, new kids have come to Obe's school. Tommy decides he wants to be friends with the "development" kids and starts hanging out with them and calling Obe a "Hippie". Obe's family's land still included a creek and a small forest where Tommy and his friends had decided to trespass and play there. Obe is a very conscientious of the damage trash causes to the environment and earns the boys' scorn when he calls them out on throwing their candy wrappers in the creek. Thus the "turf wars" began. Tommy decides that he and Obe will fight for the forest. If Obe won, they had to get off his family's property, if Tommy won, the boys would get the forest and Obe would get the creek. As one of Tommy's friends is explaining the rules before the fight, Tommy "sucker punches" Obe and wins the fight, by lack of sportsmanship and cheating. Obe suffers through six months of constant nosebleeds, which causes everyone irritation, why? I cannot understand how even his parents would be upset when this poor kid has a nosebleed. Finally, Obe has to get a procedure to cauterize the veins that are causing these non-stop nosebleeds.
You hope that when kids are being bullied, they will seek help. You know that stories with characters that do this might inspire kids to do the same. That is not the case in this story. For some unexplained reason, Tommy's mother calls Obe's mother and tells her everything Tommy has done to Obe. She also expresses her gratitude for Obe keeping it all quiet. Obe's mom says she isn't happy that he kept it to himself, that he has been taught since Kindergarten what he is supposed to do if he is bullied. She expected him to do what he had been taught, this is a response that could cause Obe to feel guilty when he is the victim. Obe reasons that he was embarrassed because he had been punched, his mom says that's nothing to be ashamed of, and he retorts that she obviously has never suffered through this. Although this might be a valid feeling for many readers, just leaving it at that, "I didn't tell because it was humiliating to be punched" thought process only reinforces that feeling and does nothing for helping a reader see the importance of seeking help, even if he or she feels embarrassed.
Out of the blue, it is suggested that maybe Tommy's friends have been mean to him, he talks to Obe at the creek, and seems to want to be friends again. Obe takes the bait, and the next day Tommy tries sitting next to him on the bus, although that seat is assigned to Obe's new best friend, Annie. Annie is taunted constantly by Tommy and his friends, they call her Putrid Annie, because she once threw up at school. When Annie gets on the bus, Tommy leaves to go to his assigned seat with his friends, but first he kissed Annie "Right on the lips. Or the side of the lips." This earns Tommy the favor of his friends again. Obe is mortified and offers to be a witness for what happened when Annie tells him she is going to report Tommy when they get to school.
This kiss would have been an opportunity to explore what it means to have consent to touch another person, what the person who is violated feels and goes through, and how there are real consequences for this type of behavior, but sadly it failed. Obe is the only one who truly understands how wrong Tommy's behavior was. Tommy gets three days of suspension, that's a consequence right? Butttttttttt, at lunch kids are calling it just a "dumb kiss." Kids didn't think Tommy should've gotten in trouble for what he did to Annie. Someone said Annie "should be flattered because she was putrid." Obe raises his voice to defend Annie with no real impact. Tommy sends Obe a note thanking him for getting him suspended and once again calls him "hippie" and insinuates that one of the boy's had a dad who would shoot Marvin Gardens.
When the kiss incident is discussed at home Obe's mom says "Seems harmless to me." Obe's dad excuses Tommy's behavior by saying he's just a kid and probably wasn't thinking about what he was doing. Bernadette, Obe's sister, shares her indignation at her parents' dismissive attitude about the incident and says it's "Not harmless if it leads to boys thinking they can do stuff to girls without permission." Her parents shutdown the conversation immediately, so they don't show that they've thought about what Bernadette said, or that they have any empathy. A few days later the kissing incident was still being discussed at lunch and Obe observes that "some girls were starting to stick up for Annie" and as news of the list of girls to kiss the boys had made spread, the girls started avoiding them. As days pass Annie tells Obe that she feels that Tommy's suspension was her fault, and that although she still isn't feeling okay about the incident, her parents are over it.
Right after this whole horrible incident happens, Obe goes down memory lane, this happens every few chapters, he will talk about the way things were "One Hundred Years Ago". Here Obe shares how his great-grandmother hid coins for emergencies from her husband, emergencies such as "pay the doctor for accidents [in italics] that happened to her because her husband had a problem [in italics]." This directly correlates with a previous stroll down memory lane where Obe's great-grandfather gives his great-grandmother a bloody nose. Obe shares his views on this "That's how things were in my family one hundred years ago. It may be sad, but it's the truth." Obe doesn't say that he thinks it may be wrong, that his father would never treat his mother this way, or anything remotely similar.
The resolution of the bullying and the kiss come in the form of an apology note Tommy gives to Obe, after their mothers had talked and Obe's mom finds out everything that happened between Obe and Tommy. It reads: "I'm really sorry for punching you and starting the turf war. My mom told me I should thank you for not saying anything about it so I guess thanks. I don't really like these other kids that much. I thought you should know that. And please tell Annie I'm sorry about kissing her." I cannot even begin to wrap my mind around this apology. Tommy doesn't seem to understand the six months of physical damage he caused, the fact that Obe stayed quiet, and that it was a good thing, something to be grateful for, is reinforced. This apology is what Tommy feels is enough to reintroduce himself into Obe's life, quite forcefully, as he invites himself over to Obe's house and insists they do something together.
Other concern-causing events:
Tommy and his boys had made a club house in the forest. Since Tommy insinuated something might happen to Marvin, Obe went to check out this fort. He found a trap set for Marvin that included a stick with a pointed tip to hurt Marvin once he fell in the trap. Now the boys didn't know about Marvin, Tommy was the one who shared the information about this animal, even though he had promised Obe at the creek he wouldn't tell anyone. A big reveal about Tommy's character.
Security starts to tighten and neighbors start to get restless and upset because someone has been vandalizing the neighborhood, the construction equipment, and even hurt Marvin Gardens with paintball guns. It is never clarified if it was Tommy and his group of friends, but throughout one of Tommy's friends, Michael, is mentioned as accidentally shooting his younger brother with a BB gun, the boy still has the BB in his foot, and Michael finds it funny to ask his baby brother to take off his shoe and sock and show it off to kids at school, so who else could be doing this damage?
In the end, Annie is still called "Putrid Annie" and has to endure the boys taunts and threats on the bus: "Rats get trapped! Putrid Annie likes girls! Watch out, I have a BB gun and I know how to use it!". Annie seems unfazed by it all which is a plus. Tommy and the boys never receive consequences for vandalizing the neighborhood or hurting Marvin.
There are quite a few more concerning events in this book, but these are the ones that I find most important to discuss. Will I have this book at our school library? Yes, it is a 2019 Texas Bluebonnet Award Nominee, all nominees have already been purchased, and all of them will be available for checkout. I, however, worry about what readers will glean from Me and Marvin Gardens, this is not a book I will read with them in the library, as it is too long, so I cannot promote conversations about how the situations should have been handled. Is it wrong to have a story that realistically portrays how many bullying, violent, and inappropriate actions result in no real consequence or learning for the wrong doers? At this tender age, I do not feel that these scenarios need to be addressed in what could be considered "realistic" events, even more so in a format that prolongs their exposure for readers so much. At this tender age stories should provide readers with representation, yes, but with hope as well.
Obe's family's land was lost bit by bit to developers thanks to his great grandfather's alcoholism, so creating empathy for land that was developed rather than left for farming, is also a hard sell. But, these are elements I could overlook, suspend disbelief, and possibly somewhat like this story, had the author not been so careless in the handling of bullying and inappropriate touching in the book.
I have read many reviews on Me and Marvin Gardens, and all of them sing the story praises for its environmental theme, but none really delve into the troublesome areas I mentioned above. Since I rarely give a book a one star rating, I would like to further explain my reasons.
Tommy and Obe used to be the best of friends and do everything together. Since the two developments on what used to be Obe's family's land were completed, new kids have come to Obe's school. Tommy decides he wants to be friends with the "development" kids and starts hanging out with them and calling Obe a "Hippie". Obe's family's land still included a creek and a small forest where Tommy and his friends had decided to trespass and play there. Obe is a very conscientious of the damage trash causes to the environment and earns the boys' scorn when he calls them out on throwing their candy wrappers in the creek. Thus the "turf wars" began. Tommy decides that he and Obe will fight for the forest. If Obe won, they had to get off his family's property, if Tommy won, the boys would get the forest and Obe would get the creek. As one of Tommy's friends is explaining the rules before the fight, Tommy "sucker punches" Obe and wins the fight, by lack of sportsmanship and cheating. Obe suffers through six months of constant nosebleeds, which causes everyone irritation, why? I cannot understand how even his parents would be upset when this poor kid has a nosebleed. Finally, Obe has to get a procedure to cauterize the veins that are causing these non-stop nosebleeds.
You hope that when kids are being bullied, they will seek help. You know that stories with characters that do this might inspire kids to do the same. That is not the case in this story. For some unexplained reason, Tommy's mother calls Obe's mother and tells her everything Tommy has done to Obe. She also expresses her gratitude for Obe keeping it all quiet. Obe's mom says she isn't happy that he kept it to himself, that he has been taught since Kindergarten what he is supposed to do if he is bullied. She expected him to do what he had been taught, this is a response that could cause Obe to feel guilty when he is the victim. Obe reasons that he was embarrassed because he had been punched, his mom says that's nothing to be ashamed of, and he retorts that she obviously has never suffered through this. Although this might be a valid feeling for many readers, just leaving it at that, "I didn't tell because it was humiliating to be punched" thought process only reinforces that feeling and does nothing for helping a reader see the importance of seeking help, even if he or she feels embarrassed.
Out of the blue, it is suggested that maybe Tommy's friends have been mean to him, he talks to Obe at the creek, and seems to want to be friends again. Obe takes the bait, and the next day Tommy tries sitting next to him on the bus, although that seat is assigned to Obe's new best friend, Annie. Annie is taunted constantly by Tommy and his friends, they call her Putrid Annie, because she once threw up at school. When Annie gets on the bus, Tommy leaves to go to his assigned seat with his friends, but first he kissed Annie "Right on the lips. Or the side of the lips." This earns Tommy the favor of his friends again. Obe is mortified and offers to be a witness for what happened when Annie tells him she is going to report Tommy when they get to school.
This kiss would have been an opportunity to explore what it means to have consent to touch another person, what the person who is violated feels and goes through, and how there are real consequences for this type of behavior, but sadly it failed. Obe is the only one who truly understands how wrong Tommy's behavior was. Tommy gets three days of suspension, that's a consequence right? Butttttttttt, at lunch kids are calling it just a "dumb kiss." Kids didn't think Tommy should've gotten in trouble for what he did to Annie. Someone said Annie "should be flattered because she was putrid." Obe raises his voice to defend Annie with no real impact. Tommy sends Obe a note thanking him for getting him suspended and once again calls him "hippie" and insinuates that one of the boy's had a dad who would shoot Marvin Gardens.
When the kiss incident is discussed at home Obe's mom says "Seems harmless to me." Obe's dad excuses Tommy's behavior by saying he's just a kid and probably wasn't thinking about what he was doing. Bernadette, Obe's sister, shares her indignation at her parents' dismissive attitude about the incident and says it's "Not harmless if it leads to boys thinking they can do stuff to girls without permission." Her parents shutdown the conversation immediately, so they don't show that they've thought about what Bernadette said, or that they have any empathy. A few days later the kissing incident was still being discussed at lunch and Obe observes that "some girls were starting to stick up for Annie" and as news of the list of girls to kiss the boys had made spread, the girls started avoiding them. As days pass Annie tells Obe that she feels that Tommy's suspension was her fault, and that although she still isn't feeling okay about the incident, her parents are over it.
Right after this whole horrible incident happens, Obe goes down memory lane, this happens every few chapters, he will talk about the way things were "One Hundred Years Ago". Here Obe shares how his great-grandmother hid coins for emergencies from her husband, emergencies such as "pay the doctor for accidents [in italics] that happened to her because her husband had a problem [in italics]." This directly correlates with a previous stroll down memory lane where Obe's great-grandfather gives his great-grandmother a bloody nose. Obe shares his views on this "That's how things were in my family one hundred years ago. It may be sad, but it's the truth." Obe doesn't say that he thinks it may be wrong, that his father would never treat his mother this way, or anything remotely similar.
The resolution of the bullying and the kiss come in the form of an apology note Tommy gives to Obe, after their mothers had talked and Obe's mom finds out everything that happened between Obe and Tommy. It reads: "I'm really sorry for punching you and starting the turf war. My mom told me I should thank you for not saying anything about it so I guess thanks. I don't really like these other kids that much. I thought you should know that. And please tell Annie I'm sorry about kissing her." I cannot even begin to wrap my mind around this apology. Tommy doesn't seem to understand the six months of physical damage he caused, the fact that Obe stayed quiet, and that it was a good thing, something to be grateful for, is reinforced. This apology is what Tommy feels is enough to reintroduce himself into Obe's life, quite forcefully, as he invites himself over to Obe's house and insists they do something together.
Other concern-causing events:
Tommy and his boys had made a club house in the forest. Since Tommy insinuated something might happen to Marvin, Obe went to check out this fort. He found a trap set for Marvin that included a stick with a pointed tip to hurt Marvin once he fell in the trap. Now the boys didn't know about Marvin, Tommy was the one who shared the information about this animal, even though he had promised Obe at the creek he wouldn't tell anyone. A big reveal about Tommy's character.
Security starts to tighten and neighbors start to get restless and upset because someone has been vandalizing the neighborhood, the construction equipment, and even hurt Marvin Gardens with paintball guns. It is never clarified if it was Tommy and his group of friends, but throughout one of Tommy's friends, Michael, is mentioned as accidentally shooting his younger brother with a BB gun, the boy still has the BB in his foot, and Michael finds it funny to ask his baby brother to take off his shoe and sock and show it off to kids at school, so who else could be doing this damage?
In the end, Annie is still called "Putrid Annie" and has to endure the boys taunts and threats on the bus: "Rats get trapped! Putrid Annie likes girls! Watch out, I have a BB gun and I know how to use it!". Annie seems unfazed by it all which is a plus. Tommy and the boys never receive consequences for vandalizing the neighborhood or hurting Marvin.
There are quite a few more concerning events in this book, but these are the ones that I find most important to discuss. Will I have this book at our school library? Yes, it is a 2019 Texas Bluebonnet Award Nominee, all nominees have already been purchased, and all of them will be available for checkout. I, however, worry about what readers will glean from Me and Marvin Gardens, this is not a book I will read with them in the library, as it is too long, so I cannot promote conversations about how the situations should have been handled. Is it wrong to have a story that realistically portrays how many bullying, violent, and inappropriate actions result in no real consequence or learning for the wrong doers? At this tender age, I do not feel that these scenarios need to be addressed in what could be considered "realistic" events, even more so in a format that prolongs their exposure for readers so much. At this tender age stories should provide readers with representation, yes, but with hope as well.
January 23, 2024
My daughter and I read this together--we picked it at a school book fair. A fun story about a boy who discovers a new kind of animal and how his finding helps him make sense of his own identity, purpose, and relationships.
The book has a very environmentalist tone, which I kind of appreciated. The main themes however were centered much more on "past and future". It was a fun read for me and an insightful one for my daughter. She really enjoyed it and was sad it ended.
The book has a very environmentalist tone, which I kind of appreciated. The main themes however were centered much more on "past and future". It was a fun read for me and an insightful one for my daughter. She really enjoyed it and was sad it ended.
February 21, 2017
I was super curious about how A.S. King would handle a middle grade book--I'm not always big on juvenile fiction, but I should have known I could more than handle hers.
So yeah, this book is weird. It's about a weird kid and a weird animal and how they help each other. It's also about bullying and environmental issues and losing places and people you love and dealing with people who think very differently than you do.
I grew up a lot like Obe, without the pain of my family once having owned but having lost all the land around. My family was one of the first in a new subdivision in Kingwood, Texas (the signs all proclaimed it "the livable forest"). There were a few houses on one side of the street, and on the other side was just miles of woods. My best friends lived next door and one house down in the other direction, and we too buried things under the new houses as they were built (the house between me and Shelby got my set of plastic Halloween witch fingernails-ha!). And during the summers, we'd spend hours just roaming around in the woods. It was really sad watching those woods gradually disappear into new housing developments.
So yeah, I could relate to Obe in this way, and as an adult, I've definitely experienced a probably kind of weird amount of anxiety about plastic and how the choices we make effect the environment. I call myself a hippie all the time, to kind of own it before people can make fun of me for it.
And then also one night at Girl Scout camp in fifth grade several of us saw an animal slip behind a tree that none of us could identify (it seriously looked like an Ewok kinda). The next day the ranger asked us to let him know if we saw anything weird, because there was a strange animal in the woods that he'd been trying to get pictures of for ages, but nobody had been able to get a good look at it, but it would come out at night and drink any Dr. Pepper that people left out. Haha, that guy was probably pulling some kind of prank on us, but I still think about seeing that animal and wonder what it was or how he could have tricked us. So the weird animal part in this book...I mean, who knows, right???
Aaaaaaaaanyway, I basically felt like this book was about me, so naturally I loved it.
So yeah, this book is weird. It's about a weird kid and a weird animal and how they help each other. It's also about bullying and environmental issues and losing places and people you love and dealing with people who think very differently than you do.
I grew up a lot like Obe, without the pain of my family once having owned but having lost all the land around. My family was one of the first in a new subdivision in Kingwood, Texas (the signs all proclaimed it "the livable forest"). There were a few houses on one side of the street, and on the other side was just miles of woods. My best friends lived next door and one house down in the other direction, and we too buried things under the new houses as they were built (the house between me and Shelby got my set of plastic Halloween witch fingernails-ha!). And during the summers, we'd spend hours just roaming around in the woods. It was really sad watching those woods gradually disappear into new housing developments.
So yeah, I could relate to Obe in this way, and as an adult, I've definitely experienced a probably kind of weird amount of anxiety about plastic and how the choices we make effect the environment. I call myself a hippie all the time, to kind of own it before people can make fun of me for it.
And then also one night at Girl Scout camp in fifth grade several of us saw an animal slip behind a tree that none of us could identify (it seriously looked like an Ewok kinda). The next day the ranger asked us to let him know if we saw anything weird, because there was a strange animal in the woods that he'd been trying to get pictures of for ages, but nobody had been able to get a good look at it, but it would come out at night and drink any Dr. Pepper that people left out. Haha, that guy was probably pulling some kind of prank on us, but I still think about seeing that animal and wonder what it was or how he could have tricked us. So the weird animal part in this book...I mean, who knows, right???
Aaaaaaaaanyway, I basically felt like this book was about me, so naturally I loved it.
February 1, 2017
Everything has changed for Obe over the last few years. His family’s farmland has turned into a housing development. His best friend is now friends with the kids living in the new development. He has constant nose bleeds caused by something he doesn’t like to talk about, but it has a lot to do with his ex-friend and the new development. Obe spends a lot of time at the creek on his family’s remaining property, cleaning up the trash left by others. Then he meets an unusual animal. It is an odd mix of pig and dog and it eats plastic. Obe names the animal “Marvin Gardens” and knows that he has to keep it a secret from everyone. But when his ex-friend discovers the animal too, Obe has to decide who to trust and who can help Marvin Gardens survive.
A.S. King is best known as a writer for teens. She has made a lovely transition to middle-grade writing here in a novel of environmentalism and self-acceptance. King wrestles with the problems of middle-grade friendships, the loss of green space, and the question of how one kid can make an impact on climate change or even on his local environment. Throughout, her writing is a call for action, for personal responsibility and for staying true to what is important to you as a person.
Obe is a fascinating protagonist. At first, he seems young and naive, but as the book progresses, one realizes that he is simply interested in the environment, understands deeply changing friendships, stands up for others, and speaks out for the rights of animals and nature. King manages this without giving Obe a major shift or change, rather it is the reader who grows and changes and understands the character in a different way. It’s all thanks to King’s skill as an author, her way of showing adults as fools at times, and her willingness to allow Obe to simply be himself.
A strong book about the environment and a rousing call to be responsible for your own patch of earth, this will be a joy to share aloud in a classroom or with children who love nature and don’t mind a bit of muck on their shoes. Appropriate for ages 9-12.
A.S. King is best known as a writer for teens. She has made a lovely transition to middle-grade writing here in a novel of environmentalism and self-acceptance. King wrestles with the problems of middle-grade friendships, the loss of green space, and the question of how one kid can make an impact on climate change or even on his local environment. Throughout, her writing is a call for action, for personal responsibility and for staying true to what is important to you as a person.
Obe is a fascinating protagonist. At first, he seems young and naive, but as the book progresses, one realizes that he is simply interested in the environment, understands deeply changing friendships, stands up for others, and speaks out for the rights of animals and nature. King manages this without giving Obe a major shift or change, rather it is the reader who grows and changes and understands the character in a different way. It’s all thanks to King’s skill as an author, her way of showing adults as fools at times, and her willingness to allow Obe to simply be himself.
A strong book about the environment and a rousing call to be responsible for your own patch of earth, this will be a joy to share aloud in a classroom or with children who love nature and don’t mind a bit of muck on their shoes. Appropriate for ages 9-12.
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