True Blue Scouts of Sugar Man Swamp by Kathi Appelt - ADVISABLE

Appelt, Kathi.  The True Blue Scouts of Sugar Man Swamp, 327 pages. Atheneum Books for Young Readers, 2013. $16.99.  Content: G.  Bingo and J’miah are raccoons that have an important job…they are true blue scouts of the Sugar Man Swamp.  Their job is to protect the swamp from their headquarters, a rusty old DeSoto car, where they hear “the voice.”  And if something is wrong, the true blue scouts are to wake the Sugar Man, the protector of the swamp.  And something is definitely wrong, the owner of the swamp, Sonny Boy Beaucamp, wants to tear down the trees build a gator wrestling arena and theme park.  Chap Brayburn’s mom owns the Paradise Café by the swamp and he wants to protect the swamp and a rare bird called the ivory-billed woodpecker that only his grandfather has ever seen.  Chap and the Blue Scouts save the swamp with the help of the Sugar Man and the old Desoto.   Dripping with southern charm and champions to root for, this is an ecological tale that will worm its way into the heart of all conservationists.  The story is told from multiple perspectives and the plot moves quickly. 

EL-ADVISABLE.  Samantha Hastings, MA, MLS.