Mudshark

Paulsen, G. (2009). Mudshark. New York: Wendy Lamb Books.

Award: Bluebonnet

Exposition: Mudshark is introduced as being a unique student with abilities to find items. Other characters in book are also introduced and their individual quirks told about.

Conflict: Mudshark not only needs to help principal find reason for erasers being stolen from classrooms, but also wants to find a way to get rid of parrot in library who seems to be stealing his “job” of finder of everything.

Rising Action: Due to his ability of knowing the answer to the whereabouts of misplaced items, Mudshark is kept busy by requests from family and friends. Reader is also introduced to parrot in library.

Climax: Mudshark discovers the janitor is the one who is stealing the erasers as he doesn’t like to see good thoughts erased forever.

Falling Action: Mudshark finds a way to save the janitors job, get erasers back into classrooms, and get the parrot to stop stealing his job.

Resolution: Everyone is happy, janitor and librarian seem to have met, and Mudshark has another assignment from principal to find a teacher who is lost.

Literary qualities:The epigraphs to each chapter are engaging to young readers as they are written in bold font and are announcements by the principal to the school. These announcements let the reader know what is going on behind the scenes that lead Mudshark through his adventures.