Mudshark

"The Mudshark was cool.  Not because he said he was cool or knew he was or thought it.  Not because he tried or even cared. He just was."

"This is the principal.  Would the custodian please report to the faculty restroom with a plastic shield, a hazardous waste suit and a large container of pepper spray? Also, whoever took erasers out of room two oh two, please refrain from removing erasers from two oh two in the future. Also, refrain from taking erasers from two oh four. Thank you. Oh and the gerbil was seen near the vice principal's office - she said it was "scurry-ing, very ratlike." You should not try to pick it up if it is, indeed a rat. I repeat: Refrain from picking up rats. Thank you."
Lyle "Mudshark" Williams is not your average twelve-year-old. Using his extraordinary observation skills, he has noticed several strange things going on at school: a suspicious armadillo, a weird parrot, a rouge gerbil, and mysteriously disappearing erasers just to name a few. Can Mudshark solve the big puzzle by seeing past each problem and figuring out how they all fit together?  Perhaps, if he remembers that things are not always what they seem.

This book is a fun compilation of mysteries.  We meet each character and get to know their unique personalities as Mudshark helps them solve a problem, then he combines all their talents to solve the big mystery at the end.

Why I Love It

When I picture the writing of Gary Paulsen, I imagine the tone of his deeper adventure novels. With that view in mind, I was surprised when I first read this short, witty story and I immediately fell in love with its vibrant characters.   Though each character initially seems quirky beyond the realm of reality, I wasn't long before I saw in them people I really knew.

I also love that this book is a quality, short, higher reading level novel.  Sometimes it gets hard to push reluctant readers to move past the shorter, easy books they know to the higher level books that stretch their reading abilities.  Mudshark is an amazing but achievable book can be a powerful stepping stone as students move toward enjoying higher level stories.

You Should Know

Each chapter of the story starts with an announcement made by the school principal. Especially if the book is being read aloud, this is a good feature to point out so children recognize that portion of the book as separate from the rest of the third person narration. Also, most of these announcements include reference to something very strange going on in the faculty restroom. I'm not really a fan of "bathroom humor" but I choose we to be okay with this reference because the problem turns out to have nothing to do with the usual function of a bathroom.

Talking Points

• Which character reminds you of someone you know? Do they have the same quirky personality traits? Explain.
• The author says that "Mudshark was cool". What do you think are characteristics of being “cool”?
• Try making a map of all the problems in this story and their eventual solutions