Synopses & Reviews
Marlin is not slow, or mute; what he is is a stutterer, and that makes it impossible for him to convince people otherwise. What he is also is a Rackham: the younger son of the world-famous explorer Ronan Rackham, renowned for his daring exploits in the jungles of South America, taming wild beasts and filling in the blank spaces on the map. Ronan is the owner and proprietor of the Zoo at the Edge of the World, a resort where the well-to-do from all over the globe can come to experience the last bit of the wild left at the end of the nineteenth century. For Ronan, each day is a new opportunity to cast a light into the dark recesses of the world; for Marlin, each day is a struggle: to speak, to communicate, to live up to the lofty expectations that his family name carries. This isn't easy when the only ones who understand him are his father and his pet monkey.
In order to impress a powerful duke who comes to visit the zoo, Marlin's father ventures into the jungle and brings back a mysterious black jaguar, the only one in captivity. Everyone is terrified of it, including Marlin—until one night, when the jaguar confers upon him a powerful gift. Soon, Marlin finds himself with a difficult choice to make and, finally, something to say. If only he can figure out how to say it.
Review
“Magical, mysterious, fresh, original, and full of heart, Eric Kahn Gales The Zoo at the Edge of the World will keep you at the edge of your seat.” Peter Lerangis, New York Times-bestselling author of The Seven Wonders and The 39 Clues series
Review
“Being able to talk to animals would be my favorite superpower ever, and the Zoo at the Edge of the World would be my favorite place to use it.” Katherine Applegate, Newbery Medal-winning author of The One and Only Ivan
Review
“As Marlin communicates with the animals, Gale explores the complicated issues of animal captivity with intelligence and heart. Beautiful and fully absorbing.” Kirkus Reviews
Review
“Well-paced action, a complex-but not too complicated-plot, healthy doses of suspense, and a wild, well-developed cast of characters (human and animal) make this an enjoyable page-turner.” School Library Journal
Synopsis
From the author of
The Bully Book comes a timeless story about a young boy, his father, and the world that comes between them, which
New York Times-bestselling author Peter Lerangis called "magical, mysterious, fresh, original, and full of heart."
Marlin is not slow, or mute; what he is is a stutterer, and that makes it impossible for him to convince people otherwise. What he is also is a Rackham: the younger son of the world-famous explorer Ronan Rackham, the owner and proprietor of the Zoo at the Edge of the World, a resort where the well-to-do from all over the globe can come to experience the last bit of the wild left at the end of the nineteenth century.
In order to impress a powerful duke who comes to visit the zoo, Marlin's father ventures into the jungle and brings back a mysterious black jaguar, the only one in captivity. Everyone is terrified of it, including Marlin—until one night, when the jaguar confers upon him a powerful gift. Soon, Marlin finds himself with a difficult choice to make and, finally, something to say. If only he can figure out how to say it.
About the Author
The Bully Book is Eric Kahn Gale's first novel. It is loosely based on incidents that happened to him in sixth grade through the lens of a mystery novel. His character, Eric Haskins, doesn't take his situation lying down; he searches for the answers, and unlike many of us who went through something awful, he finds them. Though they're not what he expected.
Comments about The Bully Book are welcome at [email protected].
The author lives in Chicago.