Animal Rescue Team Collection, Vol. 2

Gr 3—6—Ten-year-old Keisha and her family run Carters' Urban Rescue, a home-based wild animal assistance business, in Sue Stauffacher's gentle and family-friendly series. Each title features a problem related to the animals that the Carter family must work together to solve. In Hide and Seek (2010), a baby deer is spotted walking around an urban park with a plastic pumpkin on its head. In Show Time (2011, both Knopf), the Carters are called to a local college to deal with a rampant squirrel population. While Keisha's dad is the professional animal handler, the girl's ability to think outside the box often helps save the day. As the family struggles to solve the problems brought to them by their community, they also deal with mild family drama, such as Keisha's younger brother's ADD and the antics of Grandma. Harlie Vaughn narrates in an appropriate youthful voice, but her presentation lacks enthusiasm. Her reading is sometimes mumbled, and it occasionally stalls.—Jennifer Verbrugge, Dakota County Library, Eagan, MN