Available:*
Library | Call Number | Status |
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Searching... Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde Library | ELEM FIC WAL | Searching... Unknown |
Searching... Stayton Public Library | JF WALLACE | Searching... Unknown |
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Summary
Summary
"You Can't Keep A Coyote!
They're Wild...."
Brad has always wanted a dog, so when he catches the little coyote, he decides to keep it. He couldn't have a dog when his family lived in a Chicago apartment, but now that they've moved to rural Oklahoma anything seems possible. Even rescuing an orphaned coyote pup...and keeping it a secret from his parents. With his friend Nolan's help, Brad is determined to tame Scooter, train him, play with him, and hide him in an old dog pen behind the barn. It almost works...until Mom and Dad discover his secret -- and Scooter steals their hearts and gives them all a coyote's-eye view of what it's like to live in the dangerous world of men.Author Notes
Bill Wallace was born in Chickasha, Oklahoma on August 1, 1947. He received a B. S. from the University of Science and Arts of Oklahoma in 1971 and a M. S. in elementary administration from Southwestern State University in 1974. Before becoming a full-time author, he was a physical education instructor, a classroom teacher, and the principal for the same school he had attended as a child.
His first book, A Dog Called Kitty, was published in 1980. He wrote more than 30 children's books during his lifetime including Danger on Panther Peak, Trapped in Death Cave, Red Dog, Buffalo Gal, Danger in Quicksand Swamp, Beauty, Aloha Summer, Watchdog and the Coyotes, and Coyote Autumn. He also co-wrote seven books with his wife Carol Wallace including The Flying Flea, Callie, and Me; That Furball Puppy and Me; Bub Moose; Bub, Snow, and the Burly Bear Scare; and The Meanest Hound Around. He received Oklahoma's Arrell M. Gibson Lifetime Achievement Award in 2000 as well as 22 child-voted state awards. He died of cancer on January 30, 2012 at the age of 64.
(Bowker Author Biography)
Reviews (3)
School Library Journal Review
Gr 4-8-Observing the local coyote pack appeals to 12-year-old Brad, who has just moved from suburban Chicago to Oklahoma. However, local hunters who used to kill wolves in the area are now using their dogs to wipe out the only prey left-the coyotes. When he witnesses an attack on a coyote family, he rescues the only survivor, a pup, and hides it from his family, training and caring for it. On his birthday, Brad's father gives him a bird dog, and the jig is up. However, when the coyote becomes a better soccer player than Brad's older sister, the entire family is charmed. When a hunter shows up again, Brad risks his life to save his pets, but it becomes more and more obvious that the wild animal needs to be free. The boy's decision to take Scooter to a wildlife refuge is anguishing for him, and it isn't until autumn that he realizes the wisdom of his act. Wallace has developed some engaging and realistic characters. Brad is an honorable young man and his loyalty to and love for the coyote is finely drawn. The man who allows his dogs to tear apart the coyotes is truly remorseful at endangering Brad. Wallace has written a book that displays his talent for creating true-to-life young people and the lessons that they learn from nature. A great choice for all animal lovers.-Jane Halsall, McHenry Public Library District, IL (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Horn Book Review
An archetypal plot in juvenile fiction is played out in this story of Brad finding an orphaned coyote, raising it, then realizing the animal needs to be released back into the wild. It's pretty familiar stuff, and there is nothing in Brad's first-person narration that makes this version particularly distinctive, despite its quick pace and genial tone. From HORN BOOK Fall 2001, (c) Copyright 2010. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Booklist Review
Gr. 4^-6. Brad's first autumn in Oklahoma after leaving Chicago is full of great surprises. Instead of an apartment, the family lives in a house adjoining extensive woods, where Brad hopes to spot his first coyote. Just as he does, he sees hunters unleashing their greyhounds on their helpless prey. When a coyote pup appears one day, Brad decides to hide it and raise it as a pet. To do so, he has to learn what is best for the growing pup. Clearly an animal lover, Wallace allows Brad to be an adventurous boy who expresses great compassion for both wild and domesticated animals. Despite the hunting scene, the tone of the book is joyful, offering children a lighthearted escape into a young boy's dream adventure of experiencing wildlife. Wallace handles the ending with aplomb, infusing just a touch of sentimentality as Brad learns the importance of making an unselfish, conscientious decision supporting the natural balance and the principles of conservation. --Roger Leslie