The True Blue Scouts of Sugar Man Swamp
*Starred Review* Swamps provide great fodder for stories, and Newbery Honor Award–winning Appelt uses every inch of the Sugar Man Swamp—and its inhabitants—to tell her engaging tale. At the helm of the complex ecosystem is the Sugar Man, a gigantic, fur-covered cousin to the yeti and bigfoot, who rules benevolently but has been asleep for the past 60 years. He is to be woken, preferably with an offering of sugarcane, only in the case of an emergency. Bingo and J’Miah, two raccoons who live in an abandoned DeSoto car, are the official Sugar Man Swamp scouts, and it’s their job to alert him to impending danger. Meanwhile, on the edge of the Bayou Tourterelle, a 12-year-old boy named Chap has just lost his beloved grandfather, and he and his mother must raise a “whole boatload of cash” making sugar pies to prevent Sonny Boy Beaucoup and an alligator wrestler from developing a theme park on their home turf. On top of all that, there are wild hogs headed straight for the swamp—“rumble, rumble, rumble!” This delicious, richly detailed story is told in 104 short chapters, which swing the plot beautifully from one thread to the next and keep the action moving. Appelt’s omniscient third-person narration exudes folksy, homespun warmth while also feeling fresh and funny. A satisfying romp with plenty of memorable characters to root for—and some to boo. Illustrations to come. Grades 5-8. --Ann Kelley