Pete cannot seem to make any friends in his new town, until he takes a new road home one day and discovers something that will change him forever, in this carefully researched, captivating story told from both a human's and a bird's-eye view. Grade 2-4-A wealth of information on raptors can easily be absorbed from this readable story of a shy boy who becomes a helper at a wildlife rehabilitation center. At first frightened and yet fascinated, Pete learns from the quiet, competent woman who treats the injured birds that they must be tended, strengthened over many weeks or months, and then returned to the wild. He grows in knowledge and confidence as he develops a friendship with the older woman. A picture dictionary of 14 common North American raptors is appended to the book, but it is the clear, pen-and-ink and watercolor illustrations that capture the beauty and fierce power of these birds. Small individual portraits face full-page, bordered paintings that picture the activities of the rehabilitation center. Double-page pictures at intervals show the birds in flight high in cloudless skies and looking down on vast tracts of earth. This is a fine introduction to the world of raptors and to the patient work of the nature lovers who care for the wounded and helpless birds. It satisfies both as a narrative and as a well-researched source of information that can be used with science projects or read aloud to a class. Shirley Wilton, Ocean County College, Toms River, NJ Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc. Gr. 3^-5. Breathtaking paintings of raptors are the star attraction in this picture book for middle-grade readers. Taking a new route home from school, raptorphile Pete discovers a hospital for wounded birds of prey. It is run by a quiet old woman named Mary; the two connect when Pete helps her bandage the leg of a wounded owl. As the months go by, Mary, who is a rehabilitator, teaches Pete almost everything there is to know about the captivating birds. A storyline about Pete's adjustment to moving is unnecessary. What matters here is the relationship he develops with the birds and, more important, with Mary. As she did in the warm ecological fable, Alejandro's Gift (1994), Long presents a convincing physical portrait--wrinkles and all--of a compassionate elderly person. The 14 hawks, eagles, owls, falcons, and osprey come to life through exquisite detailing and rich colors. Endnotes provide brief information about each species. Julie Corsaro Used Book in Good Condition