The Last Loon (Orca Young Readers)

Gr 4—6—Eleven-year-old Evan has a lot to learn about the Canadian wilderness as well as about his odd Aunt Meg with whom he finds himself spending the Christmas holidays. His undisciplined behavior precluded going with his mom to visit his sick grandmother, and his father is working in the diamond mines. A city child, Evan knows or cares little about the animals and backcountry that are the core of his aunt's life and work. She has even spent a few days in jail for assaulting a poacher and Evan thinks of her as an ex-con. As lowering temperatures cause the lakes to freeze, Meg and her neighbors become concerned with the fate of a loon that has not left on its winter migration. Staying on the frozen lake means sure death. In spite of himself, Evan becomes increasingly involved and his first attempt to rescue the bird causes him to nearly fall through the ice. Learning responsibility and preparedness, he eventually saves the stranded creature and earns the respect of his aunt. Along the way, he plays some excellent hockey, drives a snowmobile, makes new friends, and even learns some lessons about feminism. The basic "boy learns to love nature" adventure story is handicapped by some preachy tutorials about global warming, solar power, endangered species, poaching, and other wildlife concerns, although the author sees no harm in an 11-year-old flying through the wilderness on a snowmobile. A marginal purchase for collections needing materials featuring young male characters.—Eva Elisabeth VonAncken, formerly at Trinity-Pawling School, Pawling, NY