Pee yew! Something fishy’s going on in the Chesapeake Bay. As they resume “normal” life after a global pandemic, Gir, Izi, and their fifth-grade classmates form The Antidotes to try to stop a corporate plastic-eating bacteria experiment gone wrong. Will they be able to get enough kids to clean the water before it makes any more fish or children sick?

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Kids care and so do the authors writing books for them. My third review in the past two weeks of a book with an environmental theme brings another good one: The Antidotes – Pollution Solution.

Told in alternating first person viewpoints, the two main characters bring heart to the story. Gir is a science loving boy. He takes after his parents who are scientists themselves. It’s a split household with Gir spending time with each either at Dad”s apartment or home with Mom. A routine many young readers will familiar with and the emotions of such an arrangement are handled well in this plot.

Izi is a quiet girl who not only has an interest in science but an intriguing past she might have to revisit. This won’t be easy given she lost her dad and grandma to the pandemic. Mom is often gone at work leaving Izi alone at home. Once she gains new friends and joins the Antidotes, the character arcs for both she and Gir unfold in page turning fashion.

Harmful plastic is the focus here and tips for joining the Zero Plastic Waste Challenge are listed in the back pages. Until them you will be engaged in a story with a very believable extension of where we were and where we’re headed in a world kids want to make better. The Antidotes will certainly give you reason to join their pursuit. This is the first in a series so we can look forward to more problems solving with a continued and much needed environmental focus.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Dr. Patricia (Patty) Mechael is a writer and public health specialist, who combines her passions for women, technology, science, and the world to inspire children and adults through her writing. Drawing on her career in global health, Patty’s works engage children and adults to wrestle with the toughest public health and societal issues of our time, including the anti-vaxxer movement, pandemic preparedness, and mental health alongside sexism and racism. Her writing also draws on her more than 25 years of work across more than 40 countries in Africa, Asia, and Latin America.

(for more visit the author’s web site)

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Coming up next week is another edition of MARVELOUS MIDDLE GRADE MONDAY! It’s here I share highlights from other individuals blogging about middle grade books. Many of the posts will have reviews, interviews, and tips on writing. Take a look at PAST MMGM POSTS.

It’s easy to join the lineup. All you have to do is email me the title of the book or feature and a link to your blog at gpcolo[at]gmail[dot]com

Make sure you put MMGM or Marvelous Middle Grade Monday in the subject line so it gets sorted accurately–and don’t forget to say what you’re featuring) You MUST email me your link by Sunday evening (11 PM Eastern Time) in order to be included in the list of links for the coming Monday.

*Please note: these posts are not a reflection of my own opinions on the books featured. Each blogger is responsible for their own MMGM content and I do not pre-screen reviews ahead of time, nor do I control what books they choose. I simply assemble the list based on the links that are emailed to me.