Marlin Rackham stutters. And he is completely fed up with people assuming because he stumbles over his words that he must also be stupid. But Marlin is a Rackham....and Rackhams power through even the most difficult of experiences. Marlin's father is famous. Roland Rackham is an adventurer, famous for his exploration of dangerous places and his capture of many dangerous animals. He now runs the Zoo at the Edge of the World, a resort for the wealthy to come and see exotic animals. This story tells of a strange and scary week at the zoo. Marlin's father captures a Jaguar. Not only is the Jaguar fierce, but it also gives Marlin a gift. A gift that will change everything. Marlin's life will never be the same.

This is such a magical and interesting story! It was not what I expected. Much, much more going on in this tale than just a children's story. This book might be just a bit too intense for younger readers. It delves into some very dark subjects. It's not graphic....just a bit dark and has some moments of violence that might be too much for kids under 10.

I listened to the audio book version of this story (Recorded Books). Narrated by Julian Elfer, the audio is almost 5 hours long. Elfer gives a great performance. He reads at a nice pace and gives the characters/animals personality. Very entertaining listening experience. I have hearing loss but was easily able to hear and understand the entire book.

This is the first book by Eric Kahn Gale that I have read. He has written three other books for middle grade students, The Bully Book, The Wizard's Dog and The Wizard's Dog Fetches the Grail. I enjoyed The Zoo at the Edge of the World, so I have added these other 3 books to my TBR. Always up for a great children's story! ( )

Utterly breathtaking. ( )

This beautiful tale has provided me with immense enjoyment and is probably one of the most beautiful tales that I have ever read. No kidding. Can't remember when it was the last time that I was truly involved into the books storyline and cheered for a young and foolish stuttering boy and his new found friend. It truly is amazing what a human imagination can do, like bring such a beautiful tale to life, for all of us to read and admire. So kuddos to the author for having such a wild imagination and for bringing such a jewel to life, so we can enjoy in its profoundly empowering masterpiece. ( )

Middle-grade fiction that gets a bit more dark and action-packed than I usually care for. It's about a boy who lives in a zoo his father, a famous explorer, established on a small South American island. The animals in the zoo were collected by his father from the jungle- Marlin has always believed the purpose was to protect and care for the animals, and show them to people so they could appreciate their beauty. Helping his father and older brother run the zoo, Marlin struggles a lot because he has an extreme stutter- usually completely unable to make himself understood, not helped by the fact that his brother teases him cruelly, his father dismisses him, and the staff scorns him. He finds his one comfort in the animals- in their presence, words somehow flow smoothly and he can talk.

One day his father brings back a black panther from the jungle- everyone is shocked and terrified of the powerful animal. Marlin talks to the jaguar just like he does with any other animal- and to his surprise, Jaguar speaks in reply. The Jaguar possesses mysterious magic, and he gives Marlin the ability to understand all the animals. This was when the story turned delightful, as Marlin uses his new ability to resolve some problems with many of the animals in the zoo, and finds that they appreciate him. His new skill boosts him in his father's eyes, which makes his brother jealous, which makes that situation worse. Then a new, very wealthy and powerful family arrives on the tourist boat- and Marlin starts to discover some ominous plans for the surrounding jungle- and that his father's intentions with the zoo are not exactly what he'd always believed.

There is so much going on in this story. Sibling dynamics, bullying, disability, wildlife behavior, the economics of tourism, exploitation of habitat, family secrets, and so on. It got kind of ridiculous when Marlin's father planned to put on a circus show for the guests- when none of the animals have been trained. It quickly turns into something brutal and Marlin desperately tries to put a stop to it, while a lot of the animals suddenly see him as a traitor. The last part of the book is very fast-paced with a lot of frenetic action. By then I was invested enough in the characters, I had to see how it ended. My favorite of course, was the mysterious, laconic Jaguar. I think my one disappointment was with Olivia, daughter of the visiting family who began to befriend Marlin. It seemed like she should have played a greater part in the book, but she ended up being just a side character.

from the Dogear Diary ( )