Bigfoot and the Wild Boys

Gr 3-6–This comedic adventure, full of belief and searching, captures readers’ attention from the first page. Tiago and Joe are best friends and do nearly everything together, but Joe struggles with being comfortable in his own skin and finding s­omething at which he excels. Conversely, Tiago is good at everything; everyone loves him, not to mention he is a fantastic athlete. As summer wraps up and the beginning of the school year looms, Joe is looking for an adventure. When Bigfoot is spotted in the woods near their homes, Joe is convinced that his destiny is to become a wildman, just like his hero, Wildman Mike, and capture Bigfoot. The boys set off for the Bentley Woods, and as they traverse deeper into the woods, they learn more about themselves and discover that people and things are not always as they seem. Tweens will relate to Joe’s desire to be anything but average. Wilderness mishaps keep the plot moving as Joe’s survival techniques go laughably awry. Simple ink-on-paper illustrations add humor and provide a scaffold for struggling readers. Joe is cued white; Tiago has darker skin and black hair. ­