The Wildlife Detectives

As the subtitle of The Wildlife Detectives indicates, this nonfiction children's books tells the story of How Forensic Scientists Fight Crimes Against Nature. Author Donna M. Jackson presents her account of the investigation of the killing of a bull elk in Yellowstone National Park as a detective story, quickly engaging the reader's interest. Like the other nonfiction books in the Scientists in the Field series, The Wildlife Detectives provides detailed information in a picture book format. Kids 9-14 who enjoy this book will want to read other books in the Scientists in the Field Series.

The Wildlife Detectives: How Forensic Scientists Fight Crimes Against Nature reads like a detective novel. The book highlights the investigation of the killing of a bull elk named Charger in Yellowstone National Park. The inquiry is led by the scientists at the National Fish and Wildlife Forensics Laboratory in Ashland, Oregon. Through the story of the investigation, readers learn about the work of wildlife forensic scientists and the painstaking research and procedures that make up an investigation.

The story of the work of the wildlife detectives in this particular investigation is interspersed with pages that look like they are from a file, each labeled "Wild File." These pages give background information about related laws, crimes, and the experts who work in the animal crime lab. There is a great deal of detailed information provided, some of which relates directly to the investigation.

However, the story of the investigation is so gripping, the Wild File sections tend to seem like an interruption, so young readers may choose to skip over them when they first read The Wildlife Detectives. However, many who do so will want to go back and read them afterwards, anxious for more information, their interest piqued by the full story of the investigation.

At the end of the book are suggestions for getting involved in wildlife protection and places to contact. There is also a glossary of wildlife forensic terms and an index. The Wildlife Detectives was written by Donna Jackson, with photography by Bob Rozinski and Wendy Shattil.

The Wildlife Detectives: My Recommendation

I recommend The Wildlife Detectives for ages 9-14. It would also be a nice addition to grade 4-8 classrooms. Whether young readers read the entire book, just the basic story, or read the story and them go back to look at some of the Wild File pages, I think they will enjoy and learn a lot from the book. The basic story also makes a good read aloud for younger kids who enjoy nonfiction books about science and nature.

For an overview of the entire Scientists in the Field series, plus a list of the books in the series and links to reviews of some of the other books, see my profile of the Scientists in the Field series>