A few years ago, Adam Gidwitz visited our campus to introduce us to his then-new A Tale Dark & Grimm, and captivated the students with his retelling of the real Grimm fairy tales. His Grimm trilogy is frequently checked out of our library.
The first book of Gidwitz's latest series, The Unicorn Rescue Society, is already on our shelves at Sommer.
When I saw another addition to the series on the review table at our district librarians' meeting, I knew I had to snatch it up--especially because it features chupacabras, a mythical creature that is also the subject of one of next year's Bluebonnet Award nominees.
Finding the elusive chupacabras is the goal of Elliot, Uchenna and Professor Fauna of the secret Unicorn Rescue Society. The chupacabras is hiding in Laredo...right where the border wall is being built between the United States and Mexico.
The issues surrounding the border wall are just as deliberately explored, if not more so, as the hunt for the chupacabras in this book. The creatures are affected by the wall just as families, businesses, and the border town communities have been, and continue to be. In the afterword, the authors explain the reasons behind including this controversial topic.
I'd recommend this book for strong second grade readers through middle grade who are interested in fantastical creatures. It's Monday; what are you reading this week?
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