Puddlejumpers by Mark Jean and Christopher C. Carlson

My name is Ernie Banks, although I don't remember my life before the orphanage. I have dreams of twelve-inch creatures and running from giant, hairy monsters, but that's just weird. I have a strange thirst for milk, and I feel a connection to water. Again, weird. I must admit I've been an ornery orphan, and no parents will adopt me. The director hates me and has threatened to send me to juvie. My last chance to avoid jail is spending three weeks on a farm. I'm not sure what to expect, but it will be nice to leave the orphanage for awhile. However, I've discovered an unsolved mystery concerning the farmer's son that no one wants to talk about, and the farmer may lose his farm to some bullies. I hate bullies, and I'm going to do something about it!

This book reminded me of a former student's story about creatures living in fingerprints, as the Puddlejumpers used puddles as gateways to reach their home. That's pretty imaginative. For me, the book broke into three parts. The first was about the young son until the age of three, the second was life at the orphanage, and the third was a return to the farm. All three parts were cohesive and told a compelling story. The most interesting aspects of everything were the Puddlejumpers' dilemma concerning water and their conflict with the Troggs. The Troggs hated water, and the Puddlejumpers needed to groom a new Rainmaker to save their world. The contrast in the two battling groups was distinct as one side was only about a foot tall, while the other stood about eight feet. Didn't seem like a fair fight, except the smaller characters could use "squirt guns" for defense. The farmer and his town were kind of caught in the middle but had no idea of what was going on. Ernie was the main character and should evoke empathy in readers. He was preordained to become a hero only to find himself needing to persevere through a troubled childhood. All the while, Ernie had no memory of his past and no inkling about the significance of his future. In all, this book shared a creative adventure, and I think you might enjoy it.