I love Terry Lynn Johnson’s books, and I’ll read anything that she writes. This story is a lower MG read about three friends who find some orphaned beaver kits, and are determined to not only protect them, but figure out who is killing the beavers in their areas.
There are several things about this book that I think will make it a hit with young readers. The cover art by Maike Plenzke is colorful, kid-friendly, and very appealing. The length at just over 200 pages will tempt many readers who pass on longer reads. The main character, Madi, is passionate about saving wildlife and following in her grandmother’s footsteps to care for injured animals. There is so much fascinating information about beavers (I had no idea they were so smart and capable of problem solving) without feeling overdone or too factual. Madi’s friends, Aaron and Jack (and Jack’s dog, Lid) are part of the plan to hide the kits so Madi’s mom doesn’t find out, but the adventures that they get into together are funny and typical middle grade behavior. I really appreciated the resolution of the story, and would love to read another story about one of Madi’s animal rescues.
This would be a great classroom read aloud, with an opportunity to talk about animal conservation and poaching, and our role to play in it.