Lug, Dawn of the Ice Age: How One Small Boy Saved Our Big, Dumb Species

Gr 3–5—Life as a caveboy is rough. You constantly have to prove yourself by bashing anything that moves with your club. For Lug, it's the complete opposite of who he is. Lug is an artist who would much rather paint on the walls of a cave than smash skulls with his club. In Lug's words, "paintings don't tell you what to do, or call you names, or make you feel small or worthless." Ultimately, the protagonist is banished from his tribe because of his lack of bravery. He meets a vegetarian animal whisperer named Echo along with his tribesman Stony, and they work together to save their fighting clans from the impending deep freeze. This book is filled with humor but also a deeper message of learning to accept who you are and not backing down from what you are passionate about. The novel lends itself to discussions of bullying and accepting differences. Readers who are unfamiliar with the Ice Age could benefit from pairing this work with informational texts on the animals and climate of the time period. A roaring addition for public and school libraries.—Andy Plemmons, David C. Barrow Elementary, Athens, GA