Wednesday, October 29, 2014

Threatened.

Schrefer, Eliot.  Threatened.  Scholastic Press  2014  278p  $17.99  ISBN 978-0-545-55143-4  ms/hs  Realistic fiction  E-BN     

This is the compelling story of Luc (a poverty-stricken orphan living in Gabon) overcoming his fear of “mock men(chimpanzees) to champion their cause and save their forest.  The story starts with Luc living in debt in Franceville, Gabon.  Luc and the other orphans live under the corrupt rule of Monsieur Tatagani and work for pennies at the local café to pay off their debt.  The arrival of Professor Abdul Mohammed of the University of Leipzig to study chimpanzees provides Luc with a way out of his enslavement by becoming the professor’s helper.

The trek into the forest to observe the chimpanzees
becomes a story about mutual understanding, developing respect for the feelings of humans and animals, forming friendships between humans and animals, and accepting responsibility for others.  Animal enthusiasts will gain an understanding of the political and symbiotic make-ups of the chimpanzee environment, and will learn that love, dependency, strength, and cooperation also play an important role in the world of the chimpanzee.
                 
Summary: This is the compelling story of Luc (a poverty-stricken orphan living in Gabon) overcoming his fear of “mock men(chimpanzees) to champion their cause and save their forest.

Chimpanzees-Fiction                                   --Linda McNeil   

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