Nuts

Nuts / by Kacy Cook.-- New York : Marshall Cavendish, 2010.
155 p. ; 22 cm.
ISBN: 9780761456520

1. Families -- Fiction. 2. Honesty – Fiction. 3. Ohio -- Fiction. 4. Pets -- Fiction. 5. Squirrels – Fiction. 6. Wildlife rescue -- Fiction.

813.6

Nell and her brothers find a tiny baby squirrel beneath a tree in their yard. They chase off the neighbors’ cat and bring it inside to keep it safe. Nell goes online to see how to care for infant squirrels. She finds a web site with a link that reads, “If you find an orphaned squirrel” but she’s unhappy to read what it says, “At the top of the page was a notice in a red box: If you find a baby squirrel on the ground and there is no sign of the mother after two hours, or if the baby is injured, take it to a licensed wildlife rehabilitator. A veterinarian can help in locating one.” Nell is very disappointed; she really, really wants to keep it as a pet. What can she do?

This realistic animal story is full of interesting information about wildlife rescue and gray squirrels. It also poses a number of ethical questions about the relationships between humans and animals and about honesty among humans.