Night of the Spadefoot Toads

We are HUGE Bill Harley fans and this book did not disappoint us! We read it as a family (our kids are 8 & 5) and we all fell in love with it. It really encouraged us to further research endangered species and to be more conscious of the world and creatures around us. A great book!

This book's not just for kids interested in nature or animals. There are also motifs of the new kid in school and the kid who knows what he likes but struggles with how other children will see him - and must decide what's more important: interests or reputation. These are struggles all kids can benefit from reading about. It is also nice to find a book for kids where the environment is shown as important but also wondrous. I saw a lot of my nephews and their love for nature in the main character. Without being preachy, this book points out that all animals are part of the web of life, no matter how small. I am so happy this author is writing such things for kids! The author also does not talk down to children. The main character is observant, thinks deeply, and has serious concerns in addition to the "normal" kid things like arguing with his sister. The author also includes a list of additional resources for readers who want to learn more. I might as well add that as a girl who was/is just a little different, my favorite line is the main character saying his friend is a "smart girl who's not smart in the way that she never gets in trouble in school but smart like she's got her head tilted and looks at the world in a different way." That line is not trite, a nice thing to say (in my opinion!), and fits so many girls I know. Since it's a child noticing this, it's also an instance where the author is not talking down to kids. If you know a kid who likes animals, wants to learn about different ecosystems in the US, or is suddenly the new kid in school, I recommend you share this book with them.