
by Jane Leslie Conly
Trout Summer.
New York: Scholastic, Inc., 1995.
When their father leaves the family, Shana and Cody move with their mom to Maryland. Over the summer, the three of them stay in a cabin along the Leanna River. While their mom is at work, the kids explore the surrounding wilderness, eventually meeting a man who calls himself the ranger. Little by little, the children learn from this older man about his passions: canoeing, trout, and clean water.
Good Points:
- Adventure story!
- Contains a strong message about trout, clean water, and the importance of our environment.
- Interesting plot, human characters.
Other Notes:
- Sensitively addresses the challenges of aging (for teens and seniors) and portrays the struggle of a family changed by divorce.
- The old man swears (mildly), just a little.
- The kids are left unsupervised a lot and do fairly dangerous things.