The Midnight War of Mateo Martinez
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3.5 • 4 Ratings
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- $9.99
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- $9.99
Publisher Description
Life is confusing for Mateo Martinez. He and Johnny Ramirez don't hang out anymore, even though they used to be best friends. He and his new friend Ashwin try to act like brave, old-time knights, but it only gets them in trouble. And last night, two skunks stole Mateo's old trike.
Wait—two skunks stole his trike?
Mateo is too big for that rusty kid toy. He has a cool, shiny new bike anyway. But Mateo also has a neighborhood to protect. And he's about to begin a big, stinky quest to catch the thieves in the middle of the night!
As Mateo protects his neighborhood, he also learns a few things about growing up and letting go.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Mateo Martinez, a Mexican-American fourth grader, is tired of having to keep an eye on his five-year-old sister, Mila, and is having social troubles at school: his former best friend, Johnny, has started running around with a group of boys who torment Mateo and his new friend/fellow aspiring knight, Ashwin. But these fairly ordinary concerns pale next to the inexplicable thing Mateo sees one night: two talking skunks stealing his old tricycle. Mateo's quest to reclaim the trike morphs into a knight-worthy "righteous mission" when he learns that the skunks need it in order to defeat raccoons who invade the playground and bully them at night. Though the lead-up to the animals' battle for the playground is drawn out, readers will be tickled by details of the skunks' military culture (include several declassified documents that reveal the results of their "Midnight War"). Picture book author Yardi (They Just Know: Animal Instincts), in her first novel, delivers an entertaining story of sibling loyalty, friendship struggles, and the sometimes vexing passage into adolescence. Ages 8 12.
Customer Reviews
not what i expected
the artwork and title made me think it was a literal war. until i read the back of the book, it kind of got me disappointed; very good artwork, but not that good story plot. i think it’s just cause i don’t like stories that aren’t realistic. but that’s just my view of perspective. few of my friends like the book, though. they say that animals communicating with humans was pretty creative. overall, in my opinion, is an 6.9-10