A boy balances weighty responsibilities and complicated emotions in a poignant and reflective debut novel perfect for budding conservationists. Peter, 11, plans to spend the summer before middle school completing the "Discovery Journal" he and his best friend, Tommy, fill with notes and drawings of animal sightings near their Central Florida homes. When a manatee turns up critically injured, Peter reluctantly embraces a role as an environmental activist to protect the endangered manatees in their neighborhood canal. Meanwhile, Peter faces competing challenges, including caring for a grandfather with Alzheimer's, devastating news of Tommy's family's move, tensions with his single mother, and a Category 3 hurricane. Quick chapters with snappy dialogue immerse readers in Peter's struggles but are well balanced with the character's more introspective processing. While multiple wrenching plot points could overwhelm many middle-grade novels, they coalesce beautifully here as readers follow Peter through a maelstrom of growth and change to a place of peaceful acceptance. Peter's ultimately hopeful message, that "one person can make a difference, but lots of people can probably make lots of difference," should resonate with ambitious kids feeling equally overwhelmed by stressful circumstances. Hand this charming ecological tale--a terrific pick for libraries--to readers who appreciate having their heartstrings tugged by books like Carl Hiaasen's Hoot (2002).

A balmy Florida summer turns unforgettable for two best friends. Peter and Tommy have been inseparable since meeting a few summers back. Even though they go to different schools--Tommy attends a private school for gifted kids while Peter attends his local public school--the rising sixth graders have bonded over a mutual love for animals and a desire to explore. Leaving the safe familiarity of elementary school behind, Peter is facing a summer of changes and challenges as he prepares to enter middle school. Peter and Tommy's two-member Discovery Club seeks to find and catalog 100 unique creatures before the summer draws to a close. Discovery No. 95, a manatee, sets a summer of courage and activism in motion. To complicate matters, Peter has also been tasked with being his grandfather's caretaker while his mom is at work, something made more difficult by Papa's rapidly progressing Alzheimer's. Secrets test Tommy and Peter's friendship, and a devastating accident for the manatee pushes Peter to his breaking point. Now he must find the strength to stand up for the manatees and fight for his friendship and family in the face of difficulties. Traditional masculine stereotypes are defied by a gentle, attentive friendship between two boys who are able to cry in front of each other. Main characters are assumed White. A lush backdrop and sweet characters facing complicated problems will keep readers hooked. (author's note) (Fiction. 9-13) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

"Why doesn't the world have a pause button?" eleven-year-old Peter Harrison wonders. A lot is happening in his world: he's on Official Caregiver Duty for his beloved grandfather who has Alzheimer's; his best friend, Tommy, is moving away; he's nervous about starting middle school in the fall; and he's trying to save the manatees in the Indigo River near his central Florida home. Spending their days playing along the canal, Tommy and Peter are the founding (and only) members of the Discovery Club, constantly in search of animal species to document in their "Discovery Journal." Their biggest find is a huge manatee near mean old Mr. Reilly's dock. It's injured, with long scars on its back, indicating that it's been hit by a motorboat, and Peter blames Mr. Reilly. In fact, Peter's angry finger-pointing accusation of Mr. Reilly is caught by the local news, and the story goes viral. Peter's attempts to save Zoe (his name for the manatee) become the heart of the novel, and debut author Griffith adroitly weaves in the other threads of the tale around it. Peter grows up that summer and finds an apt metaphor for his life in his love of nature. His story is full of sadness, adventure, and beautiful scenes on the Indigo River. Any writer who can make readers cry about "a gray, rubbery island" of a manatee has done his job well. Dean Schneider September/October 2022 p.84(c) Copyright 2022. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.