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beths0103's review against another edition
2.0
*Sigh* I'm gonna be *that* person again. The one who just couldn't connect with a book that everyone else loved. With the exception of Charlotte's Web and The One and Only Ivan, animal fantasy and me generally don't mesh well.
librariandest's review against another edition
4.0
This is a tall tale about a swamp in Texas guarded by a cryptid (look it up, sports fans) called the Sugar Man. As the title suggests, the swamp is looked after by scouts. These scouts are named J'miah and Bingo and they're young raccoons.
Also inhabiting the swamp is a young boy named Chap. Chap's just lost his beloved grandpa and to make matter worse, some greedy folks are trying to shut down his family's pie shop and pave over the swamp so they can build an alligator wrestling arena. (Oh, the pies! Boy did this book make me hungry. I don't even really know what fried sugar pie is, but I want one. I suppose I'd have to go to Texas to get that special canebrake sugar they're made from.)
No one can question Appelt's ability to turn a phrase. My issue with her previous books was that her writing can be too repetitive and a little too proud of itself. Often I felt the words and sentences were beautiful, but didn't serve the story or young readers. Well, I can't really complain about this book. It was fun! It had some of the same appeal for me that last year's [b:Three Times Lucky|11737313|Three Times Lucky|Sheila Turnage|http://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1335476936s/11737313.jpg|16686499] did. Both are a little magical and full of southern charm.
I listened to the audio book, which was narrated by Lyle Lovett. He was a bit stiff in the beginning, but then warmed up to the narrator's voice and was really kicking booty by the end.
Also inhabiting the swamp is a young boy named Chap. Chap's just lost his beloved grandpa and to make matter worse, some greedy folks are trying to shut down his family's pie shop and pave over the swamp so they can build an alligator wrestling arena. (Oh, the pies! Boy did this book make me hungry. I don't even really know what fried sugar pie is, but I want one. I suppose I'd have to go to Texas to get that special canebrake sugar they're made from.)
No one can question Appelt's ability to turn a phrase. My issue with her previous books was that her writing can be too repetitive and a little too proud of itself. Often I felt the words and sentences were beautiful, but didn't serve the story or young readers. Well, I can't really complain about this book. It was fun! It had some of the same appeal for me that last year's [b:Three Times Lucky|11737313|Three Times Lucky|Sheila Turnage|http://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1335476936s/11737313.jpg|16686499] did. Both are a little magical and full of southern charm.
I listened to the audio book, which was narrated by Lyle Lovett. He was a bit stiff in the beginning, but then warmed up to the narrator's voice and was really kicking booty by the end.
the_ghost_penguin_reader's review against another edition
adventurous
informative
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
mhreads's review against another edition
5.0
Read aloud to my 1st grade twins - we all loved it and can’t stop talking about it.
danicamidlil's review against another edition
1.0
I had some real problems with this book.
All the repetition got real annoying. The coffee was "hot, hot, hot, bitter, bitter, bitter" at least eight times throughout the story. Several characters kept bringing up "A boat-load of cash!" blah blah blah The rattlesnakes all went "Snip snap zip zap" again and again and again and again. I GOT IT! Enough.
The main character is twelve years old and has just lost his beloved grandfather. He's working very hard (theoretically) to help his mom run their business so they won't lose their home in a remote swamp. The author created this sympathetic character, yet seems to delight in making fun of him. He actually thinks the hot and bitter coffee is going to put "hair on his chest" (he checks repeatedly) and when their tool of a landlord demands a "boat-load of cash" in exchange for their property, our boy goes out to find a boat to fill. Seriously? I kept waiting for his mom or even their friend the disc-jockey to remark on the odd literal interpretation, but no one does. It just all felt like he didn't understand basic idioms of English because he was a backwater hick. Nice.
Some chapters would go off on weird tangents or highlight an odd tidbit of information, which surely will be of great importance later on... NOPE. Turns out, not important at all. Just meandering.
All the repetition got real annoying. The coffee was "hot, hot, hot, bitter, bitter, bitter" at least eight times throughout the story. Several characters kept bringing up "A boat-load of cash!" blah blah blah The rattlesnakes all went "Snip snap zip zap" again and again and again and again. I GOT IT! Enough.
The main character is twelve years old and has just lost his beloved grandfather. He's working very hard (theoretically) to help his mom run their business so they won't lose their home in a remote swamp. The author created this sympathetic character, yet seems to delight in making fun of him. He actually thinks the hot and bitter coffee is going to put "hair on his chest" (he checks repeatedly) and when their tool of a landlord demands a "boat-load of cash" in exchange for their property, our boy goes out to find a boat to fill. Seriously? I kept waiting for his mom or even their friend the disc-jockey to remark on the odd literal interpretation, but no one does. It just all felt like he didn't understand basic idioms of English because he was a backwater hick. Nice.
Some chapters would go off on weird tangents or highlight an odd tidbit of information, which surely will be of great importance later on... NOPE. Turns out, not important at all. Just meandering.
sierra_color's review against another edition
5.0
I really liked this book-- the story is cute, fun, and utterly unique, taking place in a Texas swamp and a little café. The two stories being told were really fun, the racoon brothers were entertaining, and Chap's story was relatable, but, I wish that there had been more to his side of the story!
Don't get me wrong, the racoon brother's story was cute and fun, but Chap was really the heart of the story, and I kept wanting to see more of him while reading the book. I wanna know more about how his grandfather's passing has affected him, and how Chap is dealing with that, I felt that there wasn't enough of him dealing with grief in the book, to be honest. It was mentioned, yes, but never really dived into. What else does Chap miss about his grandad? I honestly wanted more backstory to the human side of this story, the story has heart, yes, but it needed MORE of it, in my opinion.
But, other than that, this is a lovely, well written story, perfect for a cozy summer day, it took me on a wonderful adventure where creatures like the sugar man exist, and where greed doesn't win. I'm giving it five stars because the writing is well done, the story is paced well and again, it's just a fun and quirky story. It's one of those books you can just read and chill out to, you know? I honestly can see myself reading this sometime again in the near future, it's that perfect mix of adventure, mystery, fun, and suspense. All of these characters are so unique-- an alligator wrestler, a café in the middle of the swamp, a cryptid, and a pair of racoon scouts, and a boy dealing with the loss of his grandfather. It's so charming, and oddly cozy, for being set in the middle of a swamp. All in all, it's a lovely read, so go ahead and give it a try!
Don't get me wrong, the racoon brother's story was cute and fun, but Chap was really the heart of the story, and I kept wanting to see more of him while reading the book. I wanna know more about how his grandfather's passing has affected him, and how Chap is dealing with that, I felt that there wasn't enough of him dealing with grief in the book, to be honest. It was mentioned, yes, but never really dived into. What else does Chap miss about his grandad? I honestly wanted more backstory to the human side of this story, the story has heart, yes, but it needed MORE of it, in my opinion.
But, other than that, this is a lovely, well written story, perfect for a cozy summer day, it took me on a wonderful adventure where creatures like the sugar man exist, and where greed doesn't win. I'm giving it five stars because the writing is well done, the story is paced well and again, it's just a fun and quirky story. It's one of those books you can just read and chill out to, you know? I honestly can see myself reading this sometime again in the near future, it's that perfect mix of adventure, mystery, fun, and suspense. All of these characters are so unique-- an alligator wrestler, a café in the middle of the swamp, a cryptid, and a pair of racoon scouts, and a boy dealing with the loss of his grandfather. It's so charming, and oddly cozy, for being set in the middle of a swamp. All in all, it's a lovely read, so go ahead and give it a try!
crystal_reading's review against another edition
5.0
This book was so much fun. I loved the adorable raccoons.
sandraagee's review against another edition
4.0
I've been warry of [a:Kathi Appelt|29011|Kathi Appelt|https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/authors/1213387640p2/29011.jpg] ever since I read [b:The Underneath|2768169|The Underneath|Kathi Appelt|https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1347371015s/2768169.jpg|2793892] (a book whose writing I appreciated, but whose story I did not like even a little bit). I really didn't want to read this book, which I worried would be more of the same.
Boy, am I glad I was wrong.
First of all, The True Blue Scouts of Sugar Man Swamp is funny. Not goofy, rolling in the aisles funny. Much of the humor is tongue in cheek. But it sure has its moments.
But the book is also plenty sweet and the characters are very, very likable. I love all of the different viewpoints and the way that they pull together to tell a really enjoyable story.
Finally, the writing is pretty great. It's got some of the same style characteristics that I appreciated in The Underneath, but I somehow feel that it is better executed. Admittedly, some of that feeling might have to do with my preference for this story's tone. At any rate, this book does stand out for its writing style. Some child readers may not quite appreciate this style, but the ones who do are in for a real treat.
Boy, am I glad I was wrong.
First of all, The True Blue Scouts of Sugar Man Swamp is funny. Not goofy, rolling in the aisles funny. Much of the humor is tongue in cheek. But it sure has its moments.
But the book is also plenty sweet and the characters are very, very likable. I love all of the different viewpoints and the way that they pull together to tell a really enjoyable story.
Finally, the writing is pretty great. It's got some of the same style characteristics that I appreciated in The Underneath, but I somehow feel that it is better executed. Admittedly, some of that feeling might have to do with my preference for this story's tone. At any rate, this book does stand out for its writing style. Some child readers may not quite appreciate this style, but the ones who do are in for a real treat.
the_knitting_librarian's review against another edition
2.0
I would only recommend this to younger aged kids reading on a higher level that like animal stories. There is a lot of unnecessary text in this book and the vocabulary (assuage, ravenous, pirogue to name a few) is advanced for the audience this book is intended for.