The Last Badge [Hardcover]

George McClements (Author)

Book Description

Grade Level: P and up

Samuel Moss is a twelfth-generation scout. He is determined to become part of his family's Album of Scouting Greatness, but there is only one way to do it: he has to earn the elusive Moon Frog Badge. To do so, he has to find the moon frog-a rare amphibian that hibernates for 30 years and only appears at the 12th hour of the 12th night of the 12th month! So Samuel sets off on a funny and action-packed adventure to track down the moon frog. Along the way, he will have to accomplish such feats as hiking in the Screaming Forest; driving out of the city making only right turns; crawling through Booger Cave, and running down Avalanche Hill. Will he be up to the challenge?

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Kindergarten-Grade 2-Samuel Moss, a 12th-generation Grizzly Scout, wants to earn his place in his family's Album of Scouting Greatness (you have to be in it to even look at it). He has his badges for ninja training, thermonuclear dynamics, Bigfoot tracking, and a host of others, but now he must earn his Moon Frog badge. The problem is that the Moon Frog hibernates for 30 years, only appearing in the open on the 12th hour of the 10th night of the 8th month. Predictably, his father helps him on his frantic race against time to meet his deadline, allowing the boy to learn a valuable lesson along the way. The mixed-media illustrations border on the busy side, but they are funny, and young readers will warm up to Sam and his quest to become part of his family's legacy.-Lisa Gangemi Kropp, Middle Country Public Library, Centereach, NY
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From Booklist

Gr. 1-3. The near-cultish aura surrounding certain kids' activities is gently mocked in McClements' second picture book. Grizzly Scout Samuel longs to earn the never-before-conferred Moon Frog Badge and secure his place in his family's Album of Scouting Greatness. After intensive research into "alignment angles and . . . moonbeam refractions," Samuel sets off with gung-ho Dad to capture the rare creature on film. When it occurs to Samuel that curiosity seekers and prying scientists are likely to disturb the frog once its discovery has been publicized, he selflessly opts to keep his achievement a secret--a decision that his father greets with a secret of his own. Neither text nor McClements' collage artwork is quite polished enough to distract from the sheer silliness of the plot. Even so, kids (and parents) familiar with scouting's seemingly arcane requirements for advancement will recognize the truth in the broad comedy and will particularly chuckle over Samuel's collection of badges memorializing everything from burping the alphabet to thermonuclear dynamics. Jennifer Mattson
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Product Details

• Hardcover: 40 pages
• Publisher: Hyperion (June 23, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0786809566
• ISBN-13: 978-0786809561
• Product Dimensions: 11.1 x 8.8 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.6 ounces
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,140,188 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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