Pollution and other serious themes dominate this contemplative middle-grade novel. Obe Devlin wishes for the days before the new housing development destroyed the places he loved to play, before his best friend became his enemy, before his family lost their land. Kirby Heyborne narrates with a quiet deliberateness well suited to Obe’s thoughtful personality, but his narration creates an underlying tension that is sometimes warranted, as when Obe is drawn into a turf war with the new kids and when Obe discovers a strange new species of animal that eats plastic—an animal he names Marvin Gardens. Sometimes, however, Heyborne’s dark tone is misplaced. Even enjoyable moments with his sister; his new friend, Annie; or the remarkable Marvin Gardens often feel anxious and fraught. L.T. © AudioFile 2018, Portland, Maine
Me and Marvin Gardens
Narrated by Kirby Heyborne
Amy Sarig KingUnabridged — 5 hours, 59 minutes
Me and Marvin Gardens
Narrated by Kirby Heyborne
Amy Sarig KingUnabridged — 5 hours, 59 minutes
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Overview
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 home, in the last wild patch left, picking up trash and looking for animal tracks.
One day, he sees a creature that looks kind of like a large dog. And as he watches it, he realizes it eats plastic. Only plastic. Water bottles, shopping bags... No one has seen a creature like this before, because there's never been a creature like this before. The animal--Marvin Gardens--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.
Editorial Reviews
…[a] heartfelt middle-grade debut…Obe is self-aware and sensitive, with the portrayal of his interior life unusually nuanced. His concern and uncertainty both drive the plot and are the reason for the story's success: The realness is contained within Obe himself. We believe him, so by extension, we believe his world…A good children's novel always contains opportunities for learning—which is not the same as didactic moralizing, since story takes precedence. Here readers can learn about land use, ecology and plastic; there are also subplots about bullying and consent.
★ 10/24/2016
Obe Devlin, 11, lost his only friend when new kids moved into subdivisions named for the things their homes displaced—Pheasant’s Nest, Oak Trail, the Orchards—on farmland that once belonged to his family. A perceptive narrator, Obe finds solace at the creek that runs through the slice of property his parents still own, which is where he first spots a strange animal whose most notable feature is his diet: plastic litter. Obe, whose father employs a win-at-all-costs strategy during family Monopoly games, names the critter Marvin Gardens but keeps him a secret—which turns out to be an especially wise move once he realizes that the animal produces highly noxious (and possibly toxic) scat. King (Still Life with Tornado) leavens a story replete with brutal environmental facts with a magical friendship between a boy and his “pretty gross pet.” A provocative exploration of human action and interaction on both local and global levels, as well as the interplay between past, present, and future, King’s novel will leave readers pondering how we treat each other and the planet. Ages 8–12. Agent: Michael Bourret, Dystel, Goderich & Bourret. (Jan.)
Praise for Me and Marvin Gardens:A Spring 2017 Kid's Indie Next List selectionA Washington Post Best Book of the YearA New York Public Library Best Book for KidsA Chicago Public Library Best Book of the YearA Texas Bluebonnet Master List selection"A provocative exploration of human action and interaction on both local and global levels, as well as the interplay between past, present, and future, King's novel will leave readers pondering how we treat each other and the planet. " — Publishers Weekly, starred review"A smart, environmentally conscious underdog story with a lot of heart.... The characters are rewardingly complex. Through Obe, King asks the Big Questions alongside the smaller, more personal ones in a way that will likely have readers doing the same." — The Horn Book Magazine, starred review"A coming-of-age novel with a fully developed and authentic protagonist. An emotionally rich read for a wide audience, especially those interested in keeping the planet alive and well for future generations." — School Library Journal, starred review"Mystical, fablelike... just right for a sensitive sixth-grader with a growing self- and world awareness trying to navigate the troubled waters of uncertain friendships and demeaning bullying. A finely wrought, magical coming-of-age tale with a convincing message." — Kirkus Reviews"This is acclaimed YA author King's first foray into middle-grade territory, and it's no surprise that she adeptly handles issues like bullying, compromised friendship, complex family dynamics, and the tedium of homework... Drawing upon the tradition of Carl Hiaasen's Hoot (2002), this eco-focused story will tug at readers' consciences and heartstrings." — Booklist
★ 12/01/2016
Gr 3–7—Eleven-year-old Obe Devlin lives in the Pennsylvania farmhouse his family built 100 years ago. Unfortunately, his great-great-grandfather mortgaged more and more of the acreage that surrounded the house to pay for his alcohol addiction. On the small portion of land on which the house sits runs a creek surrounded by a wild area. In the habit of picking up trash from the creek, Obe comes across what he is sure is a new species of animal—a creature with a snout like a boar's, a body and tail like a dog's (yet with no fur or hair), and slimy algaelike skin. Marvin Gardens, Obe's name for the creature because of his dad's love of the board game Monopoly, eats only plastic. Obe soon discovers his new friend's poop may be toxic to the land on which new homes are being constructed. Intermingled with the obvious environmental message are the topics of betrayal and bullying, gender expectations, consent, and true friendship. King writes from personal experience, crafting a coming-of-age novel with a fully developed and authentic protagonist. VERDICT An emotionally rich read for a wide audience, especially those interested in keeping the planet alive and well for future generations.—D. Maria LaRocco, Cuyahoga Public Library, Strongsville, OH
Pollution and other serious themes dominate this contemplative middle-grade novel. Obe Devlin wishes for the days before the new housing development destroyed the places he loved to play, before his best friend became his enemy, before his family lost their land. Kirby Heyborne narrates with a quiet deliberateness well suited to Obe’s thoughtful personality, but his narration creates an underlying tension that is sometimes warranted, as when Obe is drawn into a turf war with the new kids and when Obe discovers a strange new species of animal that eats plastic—an animal he names Marvin Gardens. Sometimes, however, Heyborne’s dark tone is misplaced. Even enjoyable moments with his sister; his new friend, Annie; or the remarkable Marvin Gardens often feel anxious and fraught. L.T. © AudioFile 2018, Portland, Maine
2016-09-19
King, who writes as A.S. King for teens, offers a mystical, fablelike tale for a younger audience.Obe (rhymes with lobe) has grown up on the only remaining creekside sliver of the century-plusold Devlin family farm, most of which his great-grandfather lost to his drinking habit 100 years before, a tale thats sketched in brief chapters that alternate with the white boys story. Alone by the creek, he discovers a remarkable creature, beagle-sized, hooved, and winsome. He calls it Marvin Gardens. Marvins most remarkable trait is what he eatsonly plastic. Since his best friend betrayed him months ago, Obe has mostly been on his own, and he keeps his discovery secret, although the subdivision thats being developed around the creek imperils Marvins safety. Its only after the animal is spotted by others, then shot with a paintball, that Obe confides in a trusted and kindly teacher. Although the environmental theme is pounded home with a somewhat heavy hand, the gently nuanced fantastical elements gain a neat believability as related in Obes genial, observant, and sweetly introspective narrative voice. Its just right for a sensitive sixth-grader with a growing self- and world awareness trying to navigate the troubled waters of uncertain friendships and demeaning bullying. A finely wrought, magical coming-of-age tale with a convincing message. (Fantasy. 9-14)
Product Details
| BN ID: | 2940171791452 |
|---|---|
| Publisher: | Penguin Random House |
| Publication date: | 01/23/2018 |
| Edition description: | Unabridged |
| Age Range: | 8 - 11 Years |
Read an Excerpt
From Me and Marvin Gardens:The track was part hoof and part paw. It was part dog and part pig. It made no sense, this track. I looked for others and when there were no others, I figured someone must have been playing a joke on me.CREWAHARKKKLTKELTH!The noise made the hair on my arms and legs stand straight up. I thought it was Tommy and his friends because I didn't believe stories about ghosts — not even the one about spirits who were angry at the developers for growing houses instead of crops. But it wasn't Tommy.The animal was five feet from me, half in the creek, half on the bank.It was definitely not a dog.It was definitely not any animal I ever read about.It was munching on a plastic water bottle with its huge teeth. The sound was worse than bulldozers. CREWAHARKKKLTKELTH!The animal wasn't scared of me. It just sat there munching. Then, with its paw/hoof, it shoved the rest of the bottle into its mouth and swallowed.
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