Bartleby of the Big Bad Bayou - Hardcover

Phyllis Shalant has written a number of award-winning books for young readers, including When Pirates Came to Brooklyn. She lives in New York.

Grade 3-6–Bartleby, a red-eared turtle, and his alligator friend, Seezer, have traveled through three seasons to make their way from their former lives as pets in New York State to their rightful home in bayou country. Sadly, when they arrive, the bayou is not as Seezer remembers it, nor as Bartleby imagined it. A huge and nasty gator, Old Stump, and his gang of four have taken over the area and eaten or frightened away most of the other animals. Bartleby is as courageous and clever as he was when he met Seezer in Bartleby of the Mighty Mississippi (Dutton, 2000) and he manages to outwit the numerous enemies he encounters in the swamp. Finally he meets other red-ears, as he has longed to do since he saw a nature special in his former home, and finds his match in plucky Lucky Gal. Friends and foes interact much like people and discover loyalties and harmony after surviving drought, bullies, and another spell in captivity. Fans of the first book will enjoy this story most but it can stand on its own. Touching and exciting, this fast and easy read will appeal even to reluctant readers.–Susan Oliver, Tampa-Hillsborough Public Library System, FL
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