Maggie the One-Eyed Peregrine Falcon: A True Story of Rescue and Rehabilitation (Wildlife Rescue Stories)

K-Gr 2--This is a story of how one peregrine falcon, Maggie, lost partial eyesight and became part of a program at the Wildlife Center of Virginia that teaches adults and children about falcons. Readers follow young Maggie as she begins to leave her parents' nest and practice flying. Her life changes when she crashes into a building and tumbles to the sidewalk. Fortunately, she is rescued and taken to a wildlife hospital. Vets ultimately decide her left eye is so damaged it will never recover. This means Maggie can never return to the wild, as peregrine falcons require both eyes to hunt. Maggie is then trained to work with wildlife educators to teach people about her species. The narration often reports from the unrealistic perspective of Maggie ("She dreams of catching her own food"), a possibly confusing concept for younger readers. Despite this small shortfall, this is a good addition to collections about birds and wildlife. The photographs work in conjunction with the text. For example, when describing her injuries, the text is accompanied by an X-ray of Maggie and a photo of her beak. Back matter offers more information about peregrine falcons, Maggie's family, and wildlife hospitals.

"I love a book that causes me to stop and think for a minute about my surroundings, and that is exactly what Maggie the One-Eyed Peregrine Falcon does. It is an excellent account of the challenges that some of our wildlife have to deal with, living in urban environments. As I watch a resident pair of Peregrines each spring in my home city, I will always think of Maggie. The photos documented her journey so well that even small children will be able to follow her along in such a way as to bring understanding. Certainly more than just a children's picture book, the last section answers many questions that I am sure older children and even adults will find very interesting. Too many authors are satisfied with a few cute pictures and a simple story, but Christie has obviously set out to educate anyone who reads this book, or has it read to them, and inspire them to look up and think about the difficult lives that our urban wildlife experience. A book that deserves to be in every grade school classroom and even grandma's house!" —Travis Rosenberry, Library Director, The Peregrine Fund Research Library

"Maggie the One-Eyed Peregrine Falcon is a recipient of the prestigious Mom's Choice Award. The Mom's Choice Awards (MCA) evaluates products and services created for parents and educators and is globally recognized for establishing the benchmark of excellence in family-friendly media, products and services. Using a rigorous evaluation process, entries are scored on a number of elements including production quality, design, educational value, entertainment value, originality, appeal and cost. Around the world, parents, educators, retailers and members of the media trust the MCA Honoring Excellence seal when selecting quality products and services for families and children."