Skunk Scout

Teddy's idea of a good vacation is a triple-feature at the movie theater. So when his uncle invites him to go camping, he is more than a little reluctant. To make matters worse, his know-it-all little brother, Bobby, is coming, too. Teddy practices his camping skills in his Chinatown apartment and watches Wilderness Scout for tips, but nothing can prepare him for his meeting with Mother Nature. Soon Teddy, Bobby, and Uncle Curtis find themselves in the woods, sleeping on rocks, and battling raccoons, mosquitoes, and poison oak. Through it all, Teddy is determined to prove he is just as smart as his little brother. But the worst is yet to come. A hike leaves them lost in the woods-and is that a skunk coming down the path?

Grade 3-6-For Teddy's 10th birthday, his Uncle Curtis gives him a weekend camping trip to San Francisco's surrounding mountains, and the boy is horrified. He doesn't like to leave his Chinatown neighborhood, and he prefers to experience life through movies. To make matters worse, his uncle has also invited Teddy's little brother, who is very bright and inquisitive. Their father likens Teddy to a clam that is happy living in his shell doing the same thing every day while Bobby is always seeking knowledge and adventure. The camping trip is one misadventure after another, as they get lost on the way, Uncle Curtis has an encounter with poison oak, and there are run-ins with raccoons and a skunk. However, when the trio gets lost in the woods, it is Teddy who leads them back to safety and, along the way, he realizes that he can come out of his shell and experience life. This tale of sibling rivalry and finding one's own niche within the family is told with honesty and humor. The story has great appeal, especially to boys with younger brothers.
Linda B. Zeilstra, Skokie Public Library, IL
Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Gr. 3-6. Uncle Curtis offers to take Teddy and his younger brother, Bobby, on a camping trip, so Teddy reluctantly leaves his Chinatown home. As he feared, Mother Nature packs plenty of surprises for the trio. A collapsing tent, poison oak, and encounters with a raccoon and a skunk may be typical camping mishaps, but these tenderfoots have their own way of dealing with things. Instead of candy bars, Teddy stashes preserved sweet plums, sugarcoated coconut, and candied ginger for later use. Grandmother's stinky, all-purpose Lion Salve proves valuable against mosquitoes, and their campfire ghost stories have a distinctly Asian flavor. As in his earlier accounts, Later Gator (1995) and Cockroach Cooties (2000), Teddy is a lively, funny narrator. In between the laughs, he gains personal insight into himself and his family. Linda Perkins
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