Marvin Gardens

1/31/2017

Me and Marvin Gardens by Amy Sarig King

"There were people who cared and people who didn't. I was the kind of person who cared...but sometimes I cared too much, if there was such a thing."

Amy Sarig King AKA A.S.King, the author of award-winning books for young adults, makes her foray into the world of books for middle grade readers with Me and Marvin Gardens.
It's a story of land and family, history and pride. But it's also a story of fitting in verses standing alone. It's story of science and environment and believe it or not, the board game Monopoly.

With her considerable storytelling skills King weaves all of these elements together in an engrossing tale, told by eleven-year-old Obe Devlin. He has always been a loner, spending hours at Devlin Creek, picking up trash. One day he encounters an animal never seen before. Obe is fascinated and escapes to the creek whenever possible, spending time with this strange creature. Eventually long absences come to the attention of his family, a classmate, and school personnel. How long can Obe keep his secret? What is the cost of revealing his discovery? What is the cost of remaining silent? So much to consider.
King surprised me. I thought that this story was headed toward a predictable conclusion. I was wrong. The ending is not what I expected. Not at all. However, the outcome is very satisfying.
A thoughtful exploration of social issues