I’m happy to be a part of the blog tour for this engaging new middle grade book, ARMANDO & THE AMAZING ANIMAL RACE. A fantastic GIVEAWAY follows my review.

Twelve-year-old Aramando is the likeable narrator for the story. He and his Grandma are about to embark on an amazing journey around the world. They are competing in a contest to photograph 7 endangered animals in just 70 days:

1. Polar Bear in Greenland
2. Desert Leopard in Israel
3. Grevy’s Zebra in Kenya
4. Four-Toed Jerboa in Egypt
5. Siberian tiger in Russia
6. Spectacled Cobra in India
7. Pied Tamarin Monkey in Brazil

There is prize money and a cruise for the winner but Armando and Granny D’s real wish is to complete the same race their beloved mom and daughter Amelia never finished 8 years ago. She mysteriously disappeared during the competition and was never found. The mystery of why also motivate this multi-generational twosome. Armando has also found his mother’s old race journal which will hopefully help them in their global adventure.

There are many dangerous encounters both with animals and humans that will keep readers in page turning mode through 52 chapters. I’m always hooked on a story that provide surprises for scenes and encounters I never predicted. There are many to be enjoyed. You also learn a lot about the countries and those animals you may never of heard of before.

The biggest plus is the environmental learning, especially how humans are destroying habitats of animals forcing them to find a new home or die. Many are caught by traps. Resources in the back pages of the book highlight organizations involved in global conservation.

Having a winning character like Armando leading the way make this read even more special. He learns a lot about his mother and himself. His growth in confidence is a special part of the story. Armando also gains the voice to finally connect with his dad, the way a father and son should be. I won’t give away the ending, but ARMANDO AND THE AMAZING ANIMAL RACE is heartwarming and the story wraps up with no plot points left unfinished. Highly recommended!

BOOK BIRTHDAY: May 20, 2025 PAGE COUNT: 350

FIVE MORE THINGS TO LIKE ABOUT: ARMANDO & THE AMAZING ANIMAL RACE by Diana Schaffter

1. Jinny is a friend from back home we only meet through messages. She’s a best friend for Armando and helps with research for the race. Jinny could have been a forgotten secondary character, but has a significant presence here.
2. Illustrations throughout help connect readers to the locations along with fascinating animal facts from Amelia’s race journal. You learn so much about our world in a appealing format.
3. The research the author did to write this book is truly amazing. She did her own world journey to gather the necessary facts by following in the footsteps of Armando. A dedicated author at work here!
4. The plot is entertaining to keep readers interested, but you also gain insights into problem solving skills and an appreciation for wildlife and different cultures.
5. The father believes Armando and Granny D are spending the summer together in London. He has no idea they are competing in this race. I kept hoping he’d find out and get involved and sure enough he does in a perfect way.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Diana Schaffter is no stranger to adventure. She is fluent in Thai, has traveled to over fifty countries, raised her two sons overseas, and lived in seven countries in Asia and Eastern Europe for forty-two years, including two years in Pyongyang, North Korea, where her husband was the head of the UNICEF office. Diana has worked with Cambodian refugees, taught in international schools, opened schools in Thailand and Vietnam, and has been an educational consultant to non-governmental organizations and the Ministry of Education in Laos.

In researching her story, she followed in the footsteps of her main character, Armando, traveling to Southern India to search for wild cobras with the Irula tribe, to Vladivostok, Russia, to see a Siberian tiger with a local conservationist, to the home of the elusive desert leopard in the Judean desert in Israel; and into the thick Brazilian Amazon rainforest to visit an Indigenous tribe and to photograph a pied tamarin monkey. Wherever she has lived, Diana has witnessed the power of human resilience, cooperation, and caring, which inspires her writing. Diana and her co-adventurer husband, Tim, now live in Sidney, BC, Canada, where she continues to write, give talks in schools and communities, and work with young people.

For more information, visit: dianaschaffter.com.

https://www.instagram.com/dianaschaffter/

https://www.facebook.com/dianaschaffterwriter/

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/54505014.Diana_Schaffter

GIVEAWAY

Enter for a chance to win a copy of Armando and the Amazing Animal Race signed by Diana Schaffter! One lucky grand prize winner will also receive an exclusive adventure-themed bundle that includes a themed T-shirt, a set of vibrant stickers featuring all seven endangered animals from the story, three beautifully illustrated maps, and, to top it all off, a $50 Amazon gift certificate.

Click here for the entry form

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COMMENTS ARE WELCOME BELOW! AND BE SURE TO VISIT ALL THE OTHER BLOGGERS ON TODAY’S MARVELOUS MIDDLE GRADE MONDAY!