Maggot Moon is a stunning dystopian novel set in the 1950s. A corrupt regime, The Motherland, rules the land. Anyone who even dares to disagree with The Motherland disappears or is relocated, first to a lower zone and finally to who-knows-where. Standish Treadwell and his grandfather are surviving, just barely, in Zone 9, the lowest of the low levels in society. They try to just keep their heads down and not think about their loved ones who have gone missing. Unfortunately, it is hard not to stand out when you are Standish Treadwell, a young teen with two different colored eyes, a boy who can't read or write due to dyslexia. One day new neighbors move next door and finally Standish has a friend, Hector. For a while life almost seems good as the boys form a bond of friendship. But then the football gets kicked over the wall and everything goes wrong as the boys discover a secret that The Motherland wants hidden. Does Standish have the courage to expose this secret?
One hundred very short chapters, told in an utterly original first-person voice, propel readers through a narrative that is by turns gripping and darkly humorous, bleak and chilling, tender and transporting. --GoodreadsMaggot Moon is the best YA novel I've read so far this summer and will receive a definite YES vote from me as a 2014 Mock Printz addition. I am not alone in my praise for this stunning little novel as Maggot Moon just won the most prestigious children's book award given in the U.K., The Carnegie Medal.
There is a lot to admire in this little treasure of a novel. It has a completely likeable hero, Standish Treadwell. It reads really fast with its short chapters and compelling plot, which will be attractive to even the most reluctant readers. Hop on over to the Maggot Moon Webpage. Meet the author, Sally Gardner who decided to make Standish dyslexic because she has dyslexia. Have a listen to the first five chapters of the book after watching a short video about the taping of the audiobook. It is one of those webpages that makes you really happy that you read the book, or really want to read it, depending on your situation. The webpage also has a segment of the interactive iBook which demonstrates what it is like for Sally Gardner when she tries to read the printed word with dyslexia. It will blow your mind to think about how difficult reading must be for individuals with this condition. Go now. See it for yourself. Then come back and let me know what you think.
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30 books this Summer Reading Challenge
12 / 30 books. 40% done!
Not quite sure if I'm signed up or not! This book sounds good. I'm reading City of Bones and the last book in the Matched series, as well as Flight Behavior, so I'm "booked" right now. :)
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