Description

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Young naturalist Sammie loves to do field research in a special stretch of wilderness in the suburbs—but now she must protect it. Science and heart combine in this engaging story.

Sammie, a budding naturalist, knows of a secret and wonderful place: Winghaven, an abandoned lot in the middle of the suburbs where wildlife flourishes. She spends hours making notes and drawings in her meticulous field journal. When Bram, a new boy, turns up with his camera, Sammie worries he’ll give away her hidden haven—after all, the other boys at school bully her. But Bram is a scientist like Sammie, and together they observe tiny pond creatures, a pileated woodpecker with a red crest like a pirate’s bandana, and thriving monarch butterflies whose habitats are becoming scarce. When Sammie and Bram discover bright flagging tape encircling the trees, they learn Winghaven is in danger from a local developer—and it’s going to take courage, spirit, and science to save it. This beautifully written story, full of details about the natural world, includes Sammie’s field illustrations as well as real-life notes on keeping a nature journal, studying monarchs, and bird-watching.

About the Author

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Naila Moreira teaches science writing at Smith College and has been writer-in-residence at the Shoals Marine Laboratory in Maine and the Forbes Library in Northampton, Massachusetts. Her creative nonfiction and science journalism have appeared in Science News for Students, the Boston Globe, the Seattle Times, and elsewhere. She is also an award-winning poet. She lives in Massachusetts.

Praise For…

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In this gently passionate tribute to natural spaces, a children’s debut, Moreira adeptly brings the setting to life via detailed descriptions of wildlife and foliage alongside pen illustrations from Sammie’s journal. Grounding environmental awareness and deforestation worries with Sammie’s personal struggles surrounding dealing with bullies and managing her temper, Moreira delivers a fulfilling tale.
—Publishers Weekly (starred review)

Two children discover that a love of nature can change lives. . . . This story contains genuine tension (a threat to Winghaven’s existence), as well as accurate scientific information about the plants, birds, and insects of a New England landscape; it also includes nuanced characterization and relatable themes. . . Perhaps most importantly, though, the ending is immensely satisfying and encouraging for readers. . . . Empowering.
—Kirkus Reviews

Poet and science journalist Moreira’s debut children’s novel will educate and empower conservation-minded readers, as it's chock-full of nature facts and examples of real citizen science. . . Sammie’s story will appeal to anyone who likes to marvel at the natural world up close, particularly readers who are as zealous about science as she is.
—Booklist

I have to give Naila Moreira a huge high five for bringing her love of the natural world to life with this superb middle-grade novel. If it doesn’t make readers want to go out and connect with the green and growing (and flying and burrowing) world right outside their doors, I will be surprised. It is a story about children trying to save natural spaces, written with a poet’s ear. A lovely, compelling book.
—Jane Yolen, award-winning author of Owl Moon, You Nest Here with Me, and An Egret’s Day

Nature journalists, sharpen your pencils. Follow Sammie and Bram as they trek into the wilderness of Winghaven and intrepidly model citizen science and activism for young readers. This meticulously researched eco-novel meets the moment and shows us how a connection to the natural world inspires connections between us all.
—Elaine Dimopoulos, author of The Remarkable Rescue at Milkweed Meadow