Written by Veronica Cossanteli, Illustrated by Roman Muradov
The story line here is nothing new: boy from a dysfunctional family finds fulfillment at a home for misfits – the misfits being exotic and “extinct” animals. George gets a job at the odd Wormestall Farm. Then new girl, Prudence, shows up. She brings not only competition for his job, but also danger in the form of her wicked stepmother, Diamond Pye. Diamond is a taxidermist who seeks to stuff the rarest animal she can find. George vows to stop Diamond, but will need Prudence’s help to pull it off. The interaction of the characters is fun and the strange animals are interesting, but mostly this is just a new version of a story told before. Young readers may like it. (There is some mild violence at the end.)
Review by Teresa Edmunds, Westbrook Elementary Media Center
Rating: ★★★½✩ (3.5 stars)
Interest Level: Grades 3-5
The Extincts
Written by Veronica Cossanteli, Illustrated by Roman Muradov
Henry Holt and Company
230 pages
Release Date: February 9, 2016 (USA)
