The Wildes: The Vaquita

by Roland Smith

Overview

Ring and Asia Wilde's wild life is anything but ordinary. Instead of attending school, they travel the world with their tutor and parents (scientists who work to protect endangered species). On their last adventure, they swung through the Amazon rainforest to save their mom from vile kidnappers—while defending the forest's population of golden lion tamarins. Now they're in Baja, Mexico—the Sea of Cortez to be exact—searching for the endangered vaquita and finding danger and conspiracy instead.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781534113077
Publisher:	Sleeping Bear Press
Publication date:	08/15/2023
Series:	The Wildes , #2
Pages:	240
Sales rank:	1,122,792
Product dimensions:	5.00(w) x 8.00(h) x (d)
Lexile:	700L (what's this?)
Age Range:	9 - 10 Years

About the Author

Roland Smith is the New York Times bestselling author of more than forty books for young people. Among his books are the I, Q series, Peak, Beneath, Above, Zach’s Lie, the Cryptid Hunters series, Storm Runners, The Switch, and Elephant Run. Before becoming a full-time writer, he spent more than twenty years working with wildlife all over the world. He was a zookeeper, zoo curator, assistant zoo director, and research biologist. He was instrumental in reintroducing the red wolf back into the wild, and he was a consultant on the Yellowstone National Park gray wolf translocation. Roland and his wife, Marie, split their time between Bentonville, Arkansas, and their small farm near Portland, Oregon.

Editorial Reviews

2023-07-26
Dangers lurk beneath the ocean’s surface—but sometimes the risks aboveground can be even worse.

This follow-up to The Wildes: The Amazon (2023) delivers a fast-paced thrill ride involving poachers, endangered porpoises, and a sinister businessman. When the danger-prone Wilde family embarks on a mission in Mexico’s Sea of Cortez, it isn’t long before Asia and little brother Ring are mingling with the locals, getting to know the natural flora and fauna, and upsetting bad guys. The ecologically minded Wildes are preparing for the upcoming Vaquita Summit, designed to explore ecological concerns including how the highly endangered vaquitas, known as ghost porpoises, struggle to survive in captivity. Scientists, including the kids’ veterinarian father, Dr. Jack, and their conservation biologist mom, Dr. Jane, grapple with whether the benefits of penning the small porpoises for breeding to boost their population outweighs the likelihood of their dying from the stress of captivity. Engaging and informative nuggets are interspersed throughout. The siblings move through their adventures with distinct operating strategies: Ring is more interested in fishing and getting to know local people, while Asia is more committed to research and protecting the porpoises. While battling the elements—not to mention shady people more committed to tearing down the Wildes than uplifting the vaquitas—the kids once again face a boatload of challenges and must rely on their wits and teamwork.

An exciting story highlighting critical environmental issues. (Adventure. 9-12)

Kirkus Reviews