♦ 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. VERDICT A recommended purchase.
—School Library Journal, starred review
Michael is heading out to play soccer when he suddenly finds himself flat on the ground. The bewildered boy knows he didn’t trip or get pushed, but he’s certain that something grazed him. A younger student in the vicinity—“that weird kid,” Michael muses—calls him over and clears up the mystery: he was buzzed by a snowy owl! This unexpected encounter sparks Michael’s begrudging interest in both the bird and the birder, the nonbinary Jet, who proudly leads the Junior Birdwatching Club. Though Michael would prefer to focus on soccer, the injured owl leads him on an extraordinary adventure that opens him up to new possibilities. It’s a thrill to watch Michael grow from reluctantly responsible to enthusiastically interested, and Jet offers a gentle introduction to nonbinary concepts while still feeling like a fully realized character in their own right. The humor and suspense will keep readers on their toes; the clear benefits of teamwork are obvious but not overdone. A satisfying chapter-book series opener that soars.
—Booklist
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