Marvelous Middle Grade Monday-Skink No Surrender by Carl Hiaasen

It's Marvelous Middle Grade Monday and I am back with a great read I would love for you to check out. It's for those in grade five, maybe even grade four depending on the student and knowing what they like to read, what they can handle (some in my previous school definitely could). Heads up, though, this one is not out until September 23, 2014. Was going to wait to tell you about it, but...just kind of loving it and wanting to spread the word now.

With all that said, let us begin!

Classic Malley—to avoid being shipped off to boarding school, she takes off with some guy she met online. Poor Richard—he knows his cousin’s in trouble before she does. Wild Skink—he’s a ragged, one-eyed ex-governor of Florida, and enough of a renegade to think he can track Malley down. With Richard riding shotgun, the unlikely pair scour the state, undaunted by blinding storms, crazed pigs, flying bullets, and giant gators.  (From Goodreads)

Relevant, real, compelling, scarily accurate in that what happens in the story could and does happen. All told with a great blend of humour and downright serious. Plus,  the reader will relate to because of Richard's voice is bang on believable--he is a "typical" 21st century kid. Most importantly there is not even a whiff of didacticism. The author is telling a story not teaching a lesson. Kids would pick up on that and be putting the book down otherwise. And Skink, what can I say about Skink? There is no one like him. From Goodreads:

Carl Hiaasen first introduced readers to Skink more than twenty-five years ago in Double Whammy, and he quickly became Hiaasen’s most iconic and beloved character, appearing in six novels to date. Both teens and adults will be thrilled to catch sight of the elusive “captain” as he finds hilariously satisfying ways to stop internet predators, turtle-egg poachers, and lowlife litterbugs in their tracks. With Skink at the wheel, the search for a missing girl is both nail-bitingly tense and laugh-out-loud funny.

And there is no one like Carl Hiaasen. I think one of the best parts of my job is walking with a young patron or student through the aisles, stopping at the H's and asking have you read any of this author's books? When I hear no...let the booktalks begin. 

Happy Monday and hope you find yourself lots of good marvelous middle grades as you read your way through MMGM!