“Harley’s appealing story shows readers that adults and children can connect in meaningful friendships, and reminds them that conservation can begin in their own backyards.” Kirkus Reviews
Description
When his father takes a new job in Massachusetts, Ben Moroney must leave behind his best friend Tony, a western banded gecko named Lenny, and worst of all, the Arizona desert home he has loved and explored.
Ben’s adjustment to his new environment is not going well until he unexpectedly finds a kindred spirit in his eccentric fifth-grade science teacher, Mrs. Tibbets. She introduces him to the rare and elusive Eastern spadefoot toads that make their home on her rural property. When Ben discovers that Mrs. Tibbets’s land may be sold to developers, he knows he has to do something.
As Ben’s obsession with saving the spadefoot toads’ habitat grows, his schoolwork and his relationships with his family and new friends suffer. But just when it seems things can’t get any worse, Ben finds a way to meet his responsibilities to the people around him and demonstrates the importance of even the smallest efforts to save the earth’s rapidly disappearing habitats.
A beloved exploration of important environmental themes, this appealing middle grade novel comes from renowned storyteller and two-time Grammy Award winner Bill Harley.
Praise
“Harley’s appealing story shows readers that adults and children can connect in meaningful friendships, and reminds them that conservation can begin in their own backyards.” Kirkus Reviews
“The main character is a well-developed, realistic ‘child hero.’” School Library Journal
Details
| Language | English |
|---|---|
| Release Day | Aug 1, 2022 |
| Release Date | August 2, 2022 |
| Release Date Machine | 1659398400 |
| Imprint | Blackstone Publishing |
| Provider | Blackstone Publishing |
| Categories | Children's Books, Growing Up & Facts of Life, Animals & Nature, Science & Technology, Children/YA, Children 8-12, Fiction - All, Fiction - Child |
Author Bio
Bill Harley is a two-time Grammy Award–winning storyteller, musician, and writer who has been writing and performing for kids and families for more than twenty-five years. He is the recipient of Parents’ Choice and ALA awards. He won a 2007 Grammy Award for his children’s storytelling album Blah Blah Blah and a 2009 Grammy Award for his children’s spoken-word album Yes to Running! Bill Harley Live. He lives in Massachusetts.
Narrator Bio
Alex Boyles has been acting pretty much his entire life. He got his BA in theater–acting/directing performance from CSU Long Beach and his MFA in acting performance from Ohio State University. He started narrating audiobooks in 2019 and hasn’t looked back!
Overview
When his father takes a new job in Massachusetts, Ben Moroney must leave behind his best friend Tony, a western banded gecko named Lenny, and worst of all, the Arizona desert home he has loved and explored.
Ben’s adjustment to his new environment is not going well until he unexpectedly finds a kindred spirit in his eccentric fifth-grade science teacher, Mrs. Tibbets. She introduces him to the rare and elusive Eastern spadefoot toads that make their home on her rural property. When Ben discovers that Mrs. Tibbets’s land may be sold to developers, he knows he has to do something.
As Ben’s obsession with saving the spadefoot toads’ habitat grows, his schoolwork and his relationships with his family and new friends suffer. But just when it seems things can’t get any worse, Ben finds a way to meet his responsibilities to the people around him and demonstrates the importance of even the smallest efforts to save the earth’s rapidly disappearing habitats.
A beloved exploration of important environmental themes, this appealing middle grade novel comes from renowned storyteller and two-time Grammy Award winner Bill Harley.
Reviews
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