Hoose’s book describes a year in the life of a wild rufa red knot, a shorebird known as B95 and nicknamed “Moonbird” by scientists, since he has migrated the distance to the moon and part way back over the course of his estimated 20-year lifetime. The book was a finalist for YALSA’s nonfiction award and also a Sibert Honor Book this year.

The timing of the Moonbird sighting is serendipitous; Hoose, who lives in Portland, ME, is headed to the region this weekend to speak at a shorebird festival hosted by the Wetlands Institute on the Cape May Peninsula between the Delaware Bay and Atlantic beaches, the Inquirer reports.

Gr 6 Up–Phillip Hoose describes a year in the life of a rufa red knot (shorebird)—how they fatten themselves during the Argentinean winters, fly to the Canadian arctic to breed, and mate and raise their young in the far north before making the long trip back to Tierra del Fuego in the fall. He offers, in sidebars, short profiles of biologists who study these birds, descriptions of specific environments, and portraits of ecological programs that work to protect shorebirds. Hoose paints a fascinating portrait of one tough little red knot called B95, who is probably almost 20 years old. It is highly unusual for a wild bird to survive for so long, especially one who migrates almost18,000 mileseach year. B95 has been nicknamed “Moonbird” since he has flown the distance to the moon and part way back. Hoose reads his own book (Farrar, 2012) in a clear, friendly voice, easily conveying emotions and animating the text. Have the book available so listeners can peruse the many wonderful photographs as well as the URLs of many interesting websites since the recitation of this information is not the most effective means of presentation. A delightful audiobook.–Geri Diorio,RidgefieldLibrary, CT