Environmental Mystery for Middle Grade Readers, a guest post by Rae Chalmers

Oxbow Island Gang: Summer Bats is the fifth and final book in this environmental mystery series for middle grade readers. Berend, nicknamed Bear, is heading to his grandmother’s home on Oxbow Island for the Fourth of July when a sudden storm forces the ferry to dock at Great Claw Island. Soaking wet and surrounded by broken glass Bear and his friend, Olivia, decide to sneak off the boat to escape the turmoil of their rough sea crossing. As they set foot on the unfamiliar island, shivering in the howling wind, and surrounded by downed trees, Bear’s vacation dreams of endless ice cream cones, dock jumping, fireworks, and campfires evaporates. When he’s sure his vacation can’t get any worse, he is chased through an abandoned fort by thousands of bats.

“…this book is an ideal selection for younger readers who enjoy some science facts included alongside their adventures. A sweet, educational story about protecting nature, overcoming fears, and friendship.” -Kirkus Reviews

I live on an island in Maine and began writing the Oxbow Island Gang series in 2016 when my oldest grandson was a newborn. His birth increased my concerns about the environment. Every morning, I walked my dog on our island’s wooded trails and tried to imagine a future for my grandchildren that was safe, and full of outdoor adventures. Slowly, the first story took shape in my head. I created an idyllic, diverse community, inspired by the best in my island neighbors. In this series the children, Bear and Olivia, take the lead in identifying and addressing environmental challenges, relying on their adults for guidance and support. The children build tree houses, use squirt guns, and their innate kid-skills to identify and capture threats to the island’s ecosystem.

Most environmental campaigns focus on charismatic critters: giant pandas, humpback whales, and Siberian tigers but very few children are likely to find those animals in their backyards. My books champion the common, less charismatic animals that we see every day and need our help if they are going to be common in twenty years: beavers, lobsters, crows, frogs, and bats. Bear and Olivia show us that with small changes in our lives, we can and should protect these animals and our small corner of the world.

Meet the author

Rae Chalmers has worked as a weaver, gardener, writer, teacher, and social worker on many of Maine’s islands. Her stories are inspired by the strength of those communities and Maine’s natural beauty. She believes we can protect our natural environment when children and elders work together.

www.raechalmers.com

The Oxbow Island Gang series is the 2023 Moonbeam Children’s Book Awards Silver Medalist for Young Reader Series, celebrating youthful curiosity, discovery and learning through books and reading.

About Oxbow Island Gang: Summer Bats written by Rae Chalmers and illustrated by Jamie Hogan

The Fourth of July on Oxbow Island is supposed to be filled with endless ice cream cones, dock jumping, fireworks, and campfires. But when a sudden storm forces the ferry to dock at Great Claw Island instead of Oxbow, Bear and Olivia’s dreams are shattered like the windows on the boat. Just when Bear thinks his vacation can’t get any worse, he is chased through an abandoned fort by thousands of bats and Olivia is mad at him. How can they make the Fourth of July fun again?

Oxbow Island Gang: Summer Bats was published in March of 2024 by Maine Authors Publishing, $16.95, 192 pgs.
ISBN-13: 978-1-63381-394-6

Filed under: Guest Post