Jackie's Wild Seattle [Paperback]

Will Hobbs (Author)

Book Description

Age Level: 10 and up | Grade Level: 5 and up

Heart-stopping adventure on the
wild side of Seattle!

How do you rescue a coyote trapped in the elevator of a downtown office building? How do you save an injured seal at the bottom of a cliff with the tide coming in? Fourteen-year-old Shannon and her younger brother, Cody, are about to find out as they spend a summer of breathless, sometimes reckless, often hilarious adventure visiting their uncle Neal at a wildlife center called Jackie's Wild Seattle.

When Uncle Neal is injured, it's up to Shannon, Cody, and Sage, the rescue dog, to keep the circle of healing unbroken.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 5-8-This exciting, poignant, and beautifully developed story covers a crucial few weeks for several people whose lives intertwine to change and benefit all. Shannon Young, 14, and her younger brother, Cody, traumatized by witnessing the events of 9/11, arrive in Seattle to spend the summer with their uncle while their physician parents travel to Pakistan with Doctors Without Borders. Uncle Neal is living and volunteering at Jackie's Wild Seattle, a wildlife rescue and rehab center where Tyler, an abused teen, is "doing time" for torturing a dog. Neal has not told the children that he has cancer, but Shannon overhears a conversation and finds out. When he injures his hand and is unable to perform rescues, Shannon and Cody-under his tutelage-take over with thrilling results. Tyler slowly breaks out of his shell, Cody begins to overcome his fixation with disasters, and Neal finds meaning and hope in his life through a badly injured bald eagle and a rescue dog. Seen through Shannon's increasingly maturing and observant eyes, the fabric of these characters, human and animal, is woven tightly with crisp, realistic dialogue in a remarkable story of adventure and redemption. Based on a real wildlife center and the experiences of some of its denizens, this story will reach deep into the hearts of young readers.
Mary R. Hofmann, Rivera Middle School, Merced, CA
Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

From Booklist

Gr. 5-8. Fourteen-year-old Shannon and her kid brother, Cody, are staying with their uncle Neal, an animal rescuer for a shelter called Jackie's Wild Seattle. When Neal is hurt, Shannon steps in, putting herself in danger to save the animals. Shannon is a welcome relief from the angst-ridden heroines prevalent in much of today's teen literature, and, as is usual in Hobbs' books, this story is packed with action. Each character has a storm to weather, which is ultimately confronted in a way that seems a natural part of the overall plot. Authentic detail, especially about the rescued animals (Jackie's Wild Seattle was inspired by an actual shelter), prevents the book from becoming too sentimental, and adding to the realism is Hobbs' acknowledgement of 9/11 and its impact on various characters. An especially good choice for reluctant readers. Traci Todd
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 10 and up
  
• Paperback: 208 pages
• Publisher: HarperCollins (April 13, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0380733110
• ISBN-13: 978-0380733118
• Product Dimensions: 7.6 x 5.3 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (20 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #425,164 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

WILL HOBBS is the author of eighteen exciting outdoor adventure novels for upper elementary, middle school and young adult readers, as well as two picture book stories. Seven of his novels have been named Best Books for Young Adults by the American Library Association, and Ghost Canoe, Will's first mystery, won the Edgar Allan Poe national award for Best Young Adult Mystery. The ALA's list of the "100 Best Young Adult Books of the 20th Century" includes two of Will's titles: Far North and Downriver.

A graduate of Stanford University and a former reading and language arts teacher, Will lives with his wife, Jean, in Durango, Colorado. Visit Will's website at www.willhobbsauthor.com

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Jackies Wild Seattle, April 23, 2004

A Kid's Review

This review is from: Jackie's Wild Seattle (Library Binding)

I really liked this book because it had different kinds of animals and different kinds of people in the story. The story had a lot of different emotions. Happy, sad, angry, anxious...what ever the emotion, I was right there reading it and just couldn't put it down! The last reason I liked it was it was by one of my most favorette authors, Will Hobbs.

The best part of the book was when they were in Pioneer Square. They went down to "old seattle" to help catch a raccoon and saw a toilet about 5ft up on a platform. Man when I read that my friend was looking at me like I was crazy(Which I don't think I'm crazy).

The story elements that were the most vivid were one character. His name was Tyler. Will Hobbs described him with wild-looking hair and intense dark eyes. Later he described Tyler "as though he slept in his clothes or not sleot at all. The second element is the setting. There are many different settings in this book, Park, van, airport, woods and Pioneer Square are just a few. Jackies Wild Seattle(wild life center for animal that are sick) is the setting I'm going to describe. It's in the woods set backm from the road alittle and is a center which volunteers help with the caring of lots of sick or disabled animals. Now if you read the whole book you will probally find out that Will Hobbs got the idea of Jackies Wild Seattle from a "real life" situation.( But with different people) but it's in the same area(Seattle Washinton).

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Jackie's wild seattle book review by:Taylor, April 27, 2006

A Kid's Review

This review is from: Jackie's Wild Seattle (Library Binding)

Book Review

The book Jackie's Wild Seattle is exciting and propelling. All though the story has some parts that get off subject, the characters are very well thought up. Each character faces a disadvantage or problem. Shannon the main character is always worrying about her parents and the danger they're in. Cody, her brother is obsessed with disasters and is afraid he might have caused the twin towers to fall. The plot is very intriguing. The plot is about a girl (Shannon) having to leave her parents for the summer. She flies on a plane to Seattle where she expects her uncle to pick her up and take her to his apartment, but she gets a big surprise when she flies in. her uncle takes her to a Jackie's wild Seattle which is involved in capturing hurt animals and releasing them when they get well. She ends up playing a big role in capturing the hurt animals because her uncle who plays a big role in capturing them hurt his hand, so know she needs to take over his job. This book has given me a range of different feelings. It left me wondering what well happen to the characters, as they grow older. This book also contained some good humor. I would suggest this book for somebody 9-12 years old. I would also suggest this book to an animal lover. It is a great book and a short read so if your tired of reading books that take you months to finish you should read Jackie's Wild Seattle.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Jackie's Wild Seattle Review, April 27, 2006

A Kid's Review

This review is from: Jackie's Wild Seattle (Library Binding)

Shannon, the main character of this story, is a fourteen-year-old girl. Her and her seven-year-old brother, Cody, are going to live with their uncle Neal during the summer while their parents are doctors in Pakistan. Little do they know that their uncle now lives at a wildlife center near Seattle, called Jackie's Wild Seattle. Soon Shannon and Cody are going on many wild animal rescues all over the Seattle area with Neal and his dog, Sage.
At the shelter, Shannon has many problems she has to deal with. Cody had witnessed the attack on September 11, and Shannon is trying to help him get over it. She also meets a boy named Tyler that is about her age, and soon discovers that he didn't volunteer to work there. Between rescuing animals and trying to help Cody and Tyler, Shannon worries about her parents in Pakistan. Then, one day, when Neal is at the doctors after being cut, Shannon finds out a shocking secret that he has been keeping from his family. Shannon then realizes why Liberty, the bald eagle Neal is desperately trying to save, means so much to him. So many things are going on, and now Shannon is also in charge of rescue.
This book is written in first person, and is filled with cliff hangers that will make you want to keep reading. If you love outdoors and animals, you'll love this book. If you want a book full of adventure, then you should read Jackie's wild Seattle. I really liked this book, and I hope you will to.
Bryn O.