Wimps of the Wild: Book 1

"Adventure and a bit of social awareness combine in a compelling book for young readers." -Kirkus Reviews Story Monster Approved, 2023! (chosen by kids) Purple Dragonfly Award Winner in 2 categories, 2023! Moonbeam Children's Book Award, Silver Metal 2023! IAN Book of the Year Finalist, 2023! The last thing scaredy-cat Izzy wants to do is sneak baby alligators into her house. But when her friend Joey begs her to save the alligators' lives, Izzy faces her fears and finds enough compassion and courage to rescue the gators. Izzy, along with Joey and her brother Sam, discover a nest of baby alligators stranded after the Gator Getters carted their mama away. This leaves the hatchlings defenseless against adults who don't like the thought of gators running loose in their cul-de-sac. Izzy, Sam, and Joey hatch a plan to save the baby gators before any parents-or worse, a hungry chef-get to them first. However, when Joey gets grounded, Izzy must drag Sam on a wild adventure through town to get the gators to safety and back to their mama. "Young readers will delight in this book, a nice stop along the way between basic reading books and more mature fare like the Harry Potter series. The school-age protagonists learn some lessons about the wider world, including the basics of animal care and even civil disobedience when it comes to the group protesting at the animal sanctuary. This is a breezy, action-packed read that successfully sets up more adventures with Izzy, Sam, and Joey." -Kirkus Reviews