internationalkris's review against another edition
4.0
Me and Marvin Gardens is a middle grades book with a big heart. It centers around a caring 6th grade boy named Obe Devlin who discovers a unique new animal in the woods near his creek one day. Marvin is kind of a dog and kind of a pig and kind of a few other things, plus he eats plastic and helps keep the creek clean. Not everything about him is perfect though and Obe begins to worry about how to keep Marvin safe from some neighborhood bullies and how to handle the environmental concerns that have come up with this new species. This book will speak to anyone with an eco-friendly heart.
erykahjoy's review against another edition
5.0
it is no secret that I love A.S. King. her style and voice are the best in YA. her middle grades book is no different. obe is a kid you want to know. it is a hopeful and gentle story that makes me proud to be a middle school librarian. I can't wait for my students to read it.
bookboyfriends33's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.25
airclay3's review against another edition
5.0
Absolutely incredible. I love all books by this author but I must say that this one is my favorite. Thanks so much to Ava for recommending it to me because this is one of my new favorite books. Can I give it 6 stars? I appreciated King including the people that said we didn’t need sustainability/ conservation because sadly those people still exist.
alinaborger's review against another edition
King has woven many of the themes from her YA work into this weird, charming middle grade, and I loved that--I found it compelling to see toxic masculinity and environmental degradation through the eyes of a younger, more vulnerable kid.
The kid himself--Obe--is sweet, sensitive, and smart, but not precious. I think there are a LOT of boys like him in the world, but not very many books about those boys. As a mom to one, I was grateful to see him being a protagonist. He's an uncertain, tentative protagonist, sure, but he's also a protagonist with a real spine (a spine he puts to formidable use in standing up for his friend Annie in one of the most moving sequences in the novel).
And my own kids were wide eyed at there being a book about a family who lived on the last wild patch by the creek in a development of "new spacious homes!"--since that's essentially where we live.
My main critique of the book is that it comes across as a little too didactic, and I think in a large part that's because of the "told" style King chose. Every chapter starts with "There were/was..." and it's clear by the end that the novel is positioned like To Kill A Mockingbird: an older narrator re-inhabiting a childhood space.
That said, I think the didactic component might work quite well for a younger middle grade audience. For example, the "Earth Facts" on the announcements at Obe's school--and his responses to them--will feel very urgent, important, and realistic to lots of kids who read them. My 8yo, for one!
As for the surreal element (Marvin Gardens himself), I'm not sure it worked as well as surrealism typically does in King's novels because ultimately Marvin functioned more like a plot device than anything.
Still, I am glad I read it and plan to recommend it to several readers I know.
The kid himself--Obe--is sweet, sensitive, and smart, but not precious. I think there are a LOT of boys like him in the world, but not very many books about those boys. As a mom to one, I was grateful to see him being a protagonist. He's an uncertain, tentative protagonist, sure, but he's also a protagonist with a real spine (a spine he puts to formidable use in standing up for his friend Annie in one of the most moving sequences in the novel).
And my own kids were wide eyed at there being a book about a family who lived on the last wild patch by the creek in a development of "new spacious homes!"--since that's essentially where we live.
My main critique of the book is that it comes across as a little too didactic, and I think in a large part that's because of the "told" style King chose. Every chapter starts with "There were/was..." and it's clear by the end that the novel is positioned like To Kill A Mockingbird: an older narrator re-inhabiting a childhood space.
That said, I think the didactic component might work quite well for a younger middle grade audience. For example, the "Earth Facts" on the announcements at Obe's school--and his responses to them--will feel very urgent, important, and realistic to lots of kids who read them. My 8yo, for one!
As for the surreal element (Marvin Gardens himself), I'm not sure it worked as well as surrealism typically does in King's novels because ultimately Marvin functioned more like a plot device than anything.
Still, I am glad I read it and plan to recommend it to several readers I know.
sc104906's review against another edition
3.0
Obe (like Obi Wan Kenobi) is earth conscious. His family used to own acres of land, but through flashbacks to his grandparents the reader learns about how it was eventually sold away. Obe still takes on the responsiblity of the land and picks up trash where he can. It pains him that the land is being developed for new homes, especially because he is losing his favorite place to play. While roaming around his house one day, Obe finds a weird squishy, pig-like, intelligent creature that eats plastic. Thinking that Obe has made a great new discovery, he tries to determine the best course of action.
This book was weird and kind of frightening, both from the true scientific facts about the globe and the human interactions with Marvin Gardens, the animal.
This book was weird and kind of frightening, both from the true scientific facts about the globe and the human interactions with Marvin Gardens, the animal.
alliereads's review against another edition
5.0
I absolutely loved this book. I loved the dynamic friendship that was created between the two main characters, even though one was an animal who couldn't talk. This was a great story that was actually about the environment and pollution. It made something complex seem so simple, especially for the minds of children. Can't wait to read more by A.S. King!
cluelessreader's review against another edition
4.0
3.5⭐
This was honestly very refreshing.
*Chef's kiss* for all the genius Chapter Titles. One of the incident here truely made me laugh, it wasn't suppose to be funny but I guess my 20 year old brain took it in a sarcastic manner.
And yeah! The Nose bleeding thing was a little uneasy to read other then that it was very insightful and enjoyable.
This was honestly very refreshing.
*Chef's kiss* for all the genius Chapter Titles. One of the incident here truely made me laugh, it wasn't suppose to be funny but I guess my 20 year old brain took it in a sarcastic manner.
And yeah! The Nose bleeding thing was a little uneasy to read other then that it was very insightful and enjoyable.