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October 16th, 2012 by Roaring Brook Press
No kid knows more about zoo life than Whit. That's because he sleeps, eats and even attends home-school at the Meadowbrook Zoo. It's one of the perks of having a mother who's the zoo director and a father who's the head elephant keeper. Now that he's eleven, Whit feels trapped by the rules and routine of zoo life. With so many exotic animals, it's easy to get overlooked. But when Whit notices a mysterious girl who visits every day to draw the birds, suddenly the zoo becomes much more interesting. Who is the Bird Girl? And why does she come by herself to the zoo? Determined to gain her trust, Whit takes the Bird Girl on his own personal tour of the zoo. He shows her his favorite animals and what happens with them behind the scenes. For Whit, having a friend his own age that he can talk to is an exciting new experience. For Stella the Bird Girl, the zoo and Whit are a necessary escape from her chaotic home life. Together they take risks in order to determine where it is they each belong. But when Stella asks Whit for an important and potentially dangerous favor, Whit discovers how complicated friendship and freedom-- can be.
From the outside, life living in a zoo would seem like a dream come true! For Whit, that just isn't the case. I happen to agree with Whit. I'm not sure I would be cut out for full-time animal life. I felt sorry for him immediately as he let us know how much he wanted more than just zoo life. He longed for school and friends, but his parents just didn't see his side. They couldn't imagine who wouldn't want to live in a zoo and be surrounded by the animals with free train rides for life. I hoped his parents would see what was going on in Whit's little head for just five minutes. They really frustrated me. His parental situation isn't too far off for many young people. In my days, we called kids like Whit Latchkey Kids - mom and dad both work, kids are on their own a lot. That was me, but I don't remember being so out of touch with my parents as Whit was with his. When my parents were near, they were present. I wished Whit had a better relationship with them, but he did have his teacher, Mrs. Connie - I did like her! There is resolution, but I wanted a little more conversation about the turn of events and the feelings involved. Still, minds come together.
