Snowy Owl Rescue: Raptor Recovery

Gr 2-5–The first book in the new “Avian Adventurers” series introduces readers to star soccer player Michael; birdwatcher Jet; and a raptor, a large snowy owl with piercing, golden-yellow eyes. Team Co-Captain Michael is headed to the soccer field for some kicking practice. Without warning, something whizzes silently past his head, and he finds himself face down on the school’s snow-encrusted parking lot. Changing his mind about practicing, Michael heads home, but stops when he spots Jet. Armed with binoculars, Jet is watching a snowy owl perched on the soccer goal’s metal frame. Together, they watch the owl capture and eat a rat. But the next day, something is wrong. They find the owl crouched on the ground, dull-eyed and not moving. A major snowstorm has just begun, and Michael and Jet must get the owl through it and to a rehab center before it dies. Donovan’s detailed black-and-white pencil sketches help preteen readers visualize the action when Michael and Jet take up the challenge of saving a poisoned raptor in middle of a snowstorm. Throughout the adventure, the author engages both boys’ and girls’ reading interests by combining a backdrop of soccer with facts about raptors, animal rescue, and snowstorm survival skills.