Nuts
Full
Text Review(s)
Nell, a
precocious 11-year-old homeschooler living in Ohio, has her world rocked when
she attempts to rescue two abandoned baby squirrels. Her caring parents have
their doubts, but the ever-enterprising Nell educates herself from a website.
She promises to take meticulous care of them until they can be released but
eventually becomes so attached that she disregards what the website
squirrel-expert tells her—that she should turn their care over to a
wildlife rehabilitator for both legal and safety reasons. Nell lies to both her
parents and the expert in order to keep them and ends up learning some harsh
lessons. Cook does a nice job of taking a seemingly innocent plot and almost
sneaking in (a little like puréed vegetables) much weightier themes of
love, honesty and death. This smartly mirrors Nell's journey; she never knew
she'd learn so much about life while trying to raise two baby squirrels. The
straightforward, upbeat prose consistently engages readers, and her characters
are dead on. There's more here than meets the
eye.
Kirkus
Reviews, March1,
2010
Nell, a
responsible 11-year-old, rescues an abandoned baby squirrel. With the tentative
support of her parents, she cares for the animal, which she and her brothers
name Samantha, or "Mantha." Then Nell rescues a second squirrel, and
it soon becomes evident that she intends to keep the animals as pets, despite
what she says to her parents and to an online squirrel specialist, who is acting
as a long-distance mentor. The situation snowballs until nothing but full
disclosure will put things right, for Nell as well as for Mantha. This earnest
novel prompts readers to seriously consider animal welfare. The secondary
characters provide a platform for the author to explore differing philosophies
about respecting nature: Nell’s new friend Russ feels that hunting is a
way to be close to the natural world, providing opportunities for readers to
respond and discuss. Nell is a well-meaning protagonist who sometimes thinks
with her heart, sometimes with her gut, but eventually with her head. Fans of
animal stories will most enjoy this debut
novel.
-
Booklist,
March 4,
2010
