Harper and the Raptor Rescue

Not all goes as planned when Harper joins her Critter Camp, She was expecting to pick the animals that she would be in charge of, but gets birds assigned to her: Raptor birds, meat-eating birds that make her cringe. She is afraid of birds and tries to keep it a secret thinking she's the only one afraid, but an incident makes her reach out to others, making new friends with the same interests and the same situation. Everyone is afraid of at least one type of animal and that makes her feel understood.

A quick short read, a chapter book that relates the events of a single day at Critter Camp. Great illustrations. Good for beginner readers and reluctant readers who love nature and it's a fun read for summer.

I wish it would go deeper into facts, fun facts, or just educational so we could learn a great deal about the animals we're focused on.

Thanks to Netgalley and published for this arc. My opinions are my own and honest.

This was a great start to the Critter Camp Kids series, I enjoyed how well it worked in a children’s novel. It wasn’t dumbed down and worked overall to keep the audience entertained. Kizzi Roberts wrote this perfectly and I can’t wait to read more in this series.

Harper's about to begin fourth grade but before that, she gets to go to Critter Camp, which she is really excited about. There are 500 animals at the camp, so there is a lot for her to look forward to!

Unfortunately, after arriving there, she discovers that there are also quite a few birds - and Harper is TERRIFIED of birds. The last thing she wants is closer contact with them.

So when Harper is put to work taking care of a small owl, she is appalled at the prospect of handling a sharp-clawed creature that she will have to feed mice...Ugh. And things don't get any better when there is a mishap with her new responsibilities on the very first day!

The story does a terrific job of introducing children to a fair bit of information about the bird kingdom, and the responsibility humans have to take care of the other creatures we share our world with.

It also addresses some of the issues that children frequently encounter, including the desire to make friends, worries about fitting in, and finding ways to handle the challenges that sometimes come up.

This is a great story for young readers. The characters and themes are relatable and interesting, and the chapter book format makes for easier reading.

We thoroughly enjoyed reading this book together (kids age 9 and 10) and were eager to read each chapter. We learned about animals, which we loved, and my kids really wanted Critter Camp to be real so they could go. We are excited about more books in this series. This one was so well written with a valuable lesson built into the story.

Thank you NetGalley and BooksGoSocial for the opportunity to review this book prior to publication.

Harper didn’t let her fear of birds stop her from going to critter camp. What was she thinking? It was a critter camp, and it was in the forest. Could you imagine a camper with a fear of birds? A camping adventure where Harper gets to make new friends, do new stuff, and address her phobia. It was an exciting, hilarious adventure.

Thank you NetGalley for this copy in exchange for an honest review. This book is good for elementary to middle school readers. A great book to learn about conquering fears in a fun engaging way. Would recommend this book for kids who are on the more anxious side and need a little help coming out of their shells.

Harper and the Raptor Rescue is the first book in the Critter Camp Kids series by Kizzi Roberts. It’s a good story where the main character, Harper, goes to sleep away camp for the first time. She is nervous about making friends and meeting some of the animals when she’s assigned to the Raptor Room. Disaster strikes when a small owl escapes and the rest of the story is about trying to get the owl back. My 7 and 11 year old daughters both enjoyed this book.

Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book for my honest opinion.

STEM Book That Will Appeal to Many

This is a fun book that will appeal to those who love animals and wildlife. Lots of facts and entertaining.

Fun tidbit. My dad brought home a Great Horned Owl Baby that fell out of a tree when I was a kid. We kept it for a while then gave it to a wildlife rescue back in the 70’s. It is a great memory.

I received a complimentary ARC of this book from NetGalley on behalf of the Publisher and was under no obligation to post a favorable review.