The Monarchs of Winghaven
by Naila Moreira (Author) Naila Moreira (Illustrator)
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.
Locate at a Library Near You WorldCat is the world's largest library catalog, helping you find library materials online.
Find books about:
ALA/Booklist
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.
Kirkus
Empowering.
Publishers Weekly
Every day, 11-year-old aspiring naturalist Samantha Tabitha Smith visits the Field, an overrun patch of wilderness where nature flourishes. There she works on her journal, observing and studying the local flora and fauna. When she meets budding nature photographer Bram Layton, who's a year ahead of her in school, she initially resents his presence in her space, but the two swiftly bond over their love of science and the Field, which they name Winghaven. To showcase Winghaven's importance, they spend the summer studying the resident monarch butterflies and their relationship to the ecosystem. But when it looks as if they'll lose their space to encroaching property developers, they must fight for what they love. 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. Major characters cue as white. Notes for young naturalists conclude. Ages 8-12. Agent: Allison Hellegers, Stimola Literary. (May)
Copyright 2024 Publishers Weekly, LLC Used with permission.
Review quotes
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
JUV029010 - Juvenile Fiction | Nature & the Natural World | Environment
JUV002300 - Juvenile Fiction | Animals | Butterflies, Moths & Caterpillars
