Children's Fiction Country & Ethnic
The Goatnappers
- Publisher
- Fitzhenry and Whiteside
- Initial publish date
- Mar 2007
- Category
- Country & Ethnic
- Recommended Reading age
- 8 to 12
-
Paperback / softback
- ISBN
- 9781554550173
- Publish Date
- Mar 2007
- List Price
- $12.95
Classroom Resources
Where to buy it
Description
One of CBC's Best Books for Kids & Teens, 2008
On Resource Link's "Best of 2008" List
A sequel to Lost Goat Lane, which was made into a movie titled The Sweetest Gift, broadcast on Showtime in 1998.
When Justin becomes the first freshman in almost twenty years to make the high school's varsity baseball team, he's convinced his problems are all behind him. All he needs now to make his happiness complete is a bicycle so he can ride home after baseball practice. To earn the money for the bike, Justin sells Little Billy, one of the family's beloved baby goats.
And that is where things begin to get complicated. Justin's siblings find out that the new owner, Mr. Grimsted, is horribly mistreating Little Billy. Must Justin break the law to save the poor animal? Then, when a red sports car appears in the Martins' driveway one afternoon, is it bringing emotional upheaval for the entire family, the tempting lure of adventure, or both?
Author Rosa Jordan's memorable, well-drawn characters are woven together through circumstances-sometimes frantically comic, sometimes heartrending - into a web of complex relationships marked by the challenges of figuring out what is right and wrong and the confusion of divided loyalties. The result is a richly textured portrait of small town life and a struggling family that will intrigue and satisfy middle-grade readers.
About the author
Originally a freelance journalist, Rosa Jordan has in the past 15 years published nine books: four non-fiction (two set in Cuba), four juvenile fiction (set in the US South), and Far From Botany Bay, her first novel for adults (set in England, Australia, and the South Pacific.) Whatever the form or geography, Jordan’s writings illuminate landscapes where social and political realities intersect with personal courage and compassion. Jordan grew up in the Florida Everglades, attended university in California and Mexico, and emigrated to Canada in 1980. An environmental and social justice activist, she has been on the board of Earthways Foundation almost 20 years. In that capacity, she facilitated the development of an organic agriculture project in the mountains of Guatemala and a jungle cat reserve in Ecuador’s Chocó rainforest. She and her partner Derek Choukalos live, write, ski, and cycle in the Monashee Mountains of British Columbia.
Editorial Reviews
The 'goatnappers' amusing antics and Justin's challenging choices make this a good read for middle-graders.
— Kirkus
"The interaction of the characters is great. Though not as poignant as Lost Goat Lane, The Goatnappers is a very satisfactory read.
Recommended"
— CM Magazine
