編輯推薦:Grade 3-5-Set in a small logging town in northern California, George's book focuses on the conflict between loggers and environmentalists over the northern spotted owl. Young Borden Watson plunges into the woods, planning to kill one of the creatures, believing they are directly responsible for his father losing his job as a logger. He returns, however, with an owlet that has fallen from its nest. Caring for it is no easy task; other family members are drawn into the situation, especially the out-of-work father, who has lots of free time. (Because young spotted owls have no spots, the family thinks their pet is a barred owl.) Though she is clearly on the side of the endangered birds, George's writing skill and knowledge of animal behavior turn what could have been nothing but message into an absorbing story that shows both sides of the controversy, leaving readers with a clear understanding of the issues involved. Perhaps the conflict is too neatly resolved, but the story ends on a somber note. The owlet is returned to its nest, but when the male owl calls for his mate, there is no answer. Merrill's drawings perfectly capture the engaging bird and the family's affection for it.
內(nèi)容簡介:Borden's father, Leon, was a logger in the old-growth forests of California. That is, until the spotted-owl lovers interfered. One day, frustrated by his father's unemployment, Borden sets out on a mission of revenge against the spotted owl but returns home with a half-starved owlet instead.
The family soon discovers that the owlet, whom Borden names Bardy, loves to take showers and watch late-night TV. Only after the whole family has fallen in love with Bardy do they realize that the conflict between nature and human industry is not so easily resolved.
Award-winning nature writer jean Craighead George tells a heartwarming story about a family and their love affair with a special little owl.
作者簡介:Jean Craighead George is the author of over eighty books for children and young adults. Her novel Julie of the Wolves won the Newbery Medal in 1973, and her novel My Side of the Mountain was a Newbery Honor Book in 1960. She has continued to write acclaimed picture books and novels that celebrate the natural world. She lives in Chappaqua, New York, and has had over 173 pets in the time she has lived there, among them geese and ducks.