Awesome Wildlife Defenders

Rebecca is a grade five student with severe anxiety when there is noise or crowds of people. When she was in grade 3, she had been in a bus accident, and the anxiety started at that point. Some kids in her class, but particularly Eric, Brianna and Jake, sometimes made fun of her. Mr. R. is a dynamic teacher who often rhymes when giving instructions or talking to the class. He has a variety of ideas, including different ways to put his students into groups. When he introduces a project on endangered species, Rebecca plans to work with her best friend, Frieda. However, after a game like musical chairs, Frieda ends up working with the bully Brianna while Rebecca is with Cedar, a boy with home sewn clothes and who rarely speaks in class. Throughout the project, they learn about both of their partners and what Cedar and Brianna are going through. They learn about endangered animals but also about their classmates and themselves.

Awesome Wildlife Defenders, set in British Columbia, is an excellent story about friendship, team work, mental health, family and the quest to save endangered animals. There are 20 chapters in this thoughtful novel. The plot is complex and involves a variety of situations, including a grandfather raising his grandson and a father in jail for drug possession. The classroom, with its unusual teacher, is well-developed by Attema. The author includes a note with suggested websites, including those of Greta Thunberg and wildlife centres and organizations. The content of Awesome Wildlife Defenders, an excellent read-aloud choice, would certainly initiate class discussions.