The True Blue Scouts of Sugar Man Swamp by Kathi Appelt

Raccoons, gators, rattlesnakes, and the Sugar Man  -- what more could you want in a Texas swamp?  Maybe a greedy developer and some crazy, wild hogs?  Got them.  Maybe a cafe serving up the sweetest sugar pies around? Got it!  And maybe a kid who just wants to keep the story, the swamp and the cafe alive? Got it!

Kathi Appelt has created a rip-roaring, glorious eco-tale reminiscent of a true American folktale.  The True Blue Scouts of Sugar Man Swamp is swampalicious! 

The theme of ecologist/conservationists/preservationist vs. developer is pretty common, but Appelt's story is fresh and woven as intricately as the swamp ecosystem itself. 

Teachers can use this along with a lesson on wetlands. Check out the EPA's Wetlands Reading List for Pre-K through Grade 12.