Awards

• Short-listed for Golden Sower Award (Intermediate) 2012
• Short-listed for Keystone to Reading Book Award (Intermediate) 2010
• Short-listed for Volunteer State Book Awards (Grades 4-6) 2010

Overview

A classroom favorite! An inspiring story of intergenerational friendship, activism, and how our actions can drastically impact our environment. ""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 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. Green Earth Book Award (Children's Fiction) - Newton Marasco Foundation Teacher's Guide available!

Full Product Details

9781561454594

Table of Contents

Reviews

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. The main character is a well-developed, realistic 'child hero.'

Author Information

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.

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