Kinda post-apocalyptic survival fic for kids. Good story, and a light touch with the scary/danger elements. Maggie/Ford is beyond plucky and all the way into independent -- smart, brave, full of hard work and no-nonsense practicality. ( )

Many of the characters are real life people we have seen in his nonfiction books. I think that hindered the story and I found myself disappointed that they were not original characters. One of the characters has a weird way of speaking and this made me nervous. I didn't want to read this speech throughput the book. In the end though it was tolerable. I liked the book and as i think about it now, I like it even more. It is weird and weird events take place (a departure from post-apocalyptic young adult books). However, don't we want something different. Mr. Perry brings something new to the genre. his characters are memorable and the main character is loveable. ( )

Don't miss Wisconsin author Michael's Perry's foray into children's fiction, even if you are a grown up! This dystopian chapter book follows twelve-year-old Maggie, (who later renames herself Ford Falcon) her life living outside of the Bubble Cities, and her quest to find her parents after they mysteriously disappear. Despite the futuristic, sci-fi plot, adult fans of Perry's nonfiction will enjoy the little quirks and references to farm life in this book. There is a cranky rooster named Hatchet, neighbors that seem to draw their inspiration from Perry's own neighbor Tom and his wife from "Visiting Tom," and even an homage to Bon Iver. Tweens will love the humor and the adventures of tough Maggie/Ford Falcon. I was disappointed with last third of the book, because the pace felt rushed compared to the rest of the story. While I'm glad Perry avoided a predictable ending, it still felt a bit clunky, but perhaps I felt disappointed because I didn't want this book to end!

Kathleen K. / Marathon County Public Library
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A very enjoyable post-apocalyptic story for MG readers. A cautionary tale of genetically modified agriculture run amok and it's consequences on a future world where people either live in protected bubbles (and are dependent on the modified UR corn), or they live in the wilds outside, fending for themselves in semi-primitive conditions. The main character, Ford Falcon, is a likable character, who resourcefully saves her family and figures out the mystery behind her parents' kidnapping by the government. ( )

I'm torn on the Scavengers. It's not a bad book by any means. I think it does a really great job of bringing the post-apocalypse to middle grade readers without dumbing things down too much. There seemed to be real stakes at hand - and then in the end none of it really seemed to matter. In Ford's world there are those that live in the bubble cities and those that live out in the wastes surviving off what they can scavenge. (Hence the title.) She is one of the latter. When her family goes missing it's up to her to figure out what's going on. But where Ford goes through all this trouble to rescue them and sort out what's going out, the end resolution sees her family just brushing most of that off. They have their reasons. I don't want to spoil too much. But ultimately I wasn't that big of a fan of how things were sorted out. I'd recommend it for kids who like post apocalyptic stuff in general but it's a frustrating story. And it's not all that original. Bubble cities are getting old. And the name Ford Falcon feels entirely ripped from Ford Lincoln Mercury in the Postman. Also the anti-GMO stuff was super preachy. Stil, the book itself is really well written. The characters were pretty decent. And the narraration in the audio version is good. So it's a strong book. Just.. not that strong. ( )