Fishtale

Gr 4–8—When Sawyer's mother falls ill after a catfish manages to steal her wedding ring, the 12-year-old gets it into his head that the key to her health is recovering the ring. Sawyer sets out on an adventure with his buddy Nose, cousin Truman, and stowaway sister Elvira to capture the mystical monster catfish, Ol' One Eye, in the hopes that the "cat" has hidden the ring with its purported treasure. Ol' One Eye and the four fishers play a tremendous game of cat and mouse that leads all around the eerie swamp. Along the way they encounter flooded mansions, poachers, and a dilapidated boat, all the while hoping that the magical "Catfish time" will be real and provide this motley crew with the answers they need. With quick pacing, detailed description, creepy settings, and magical realism, Bauer and Masciola have woven a tale almost too tall to be believed. The congenial tone with which the story is told lends a feeling of friends swapping stories.—Naphtali L. Faris, Missouri State Library, Jefferson City