Ask a Bookseller: 'Skunk and Badger'

Linda Crowder of Russell Specialty Books and Gifts in Russell, Kan., recommends the kids’ chapter book “Skunk and Badger,” written by Amy Timberlake and illustrated by Jon Klassen.Skunk and Badger are the unlikeliest of friends and roommates: Badger loves to stay at home with his books and gemstones. Skunk is much more adventurous, and he pulls Badger into a new world of adventure in the forest."This book will be a classic someday," predicts Crowder. She likes the characters and the illustrations, but she's particularly enthused that Skunk and Badger's adventures resonate with boys, who she says tend to pick graphic novels over chapter books, like this one. "I've tried ["Skunk and Badger"] out on many of my customers. The girls love it, but the boys just go crazy for it," she said.She recommends the book for readers age 8 and up. The second book in the series, "Egg Marks the Spot" is due out in September.