Beaverland

Beaverland is a magical tale of a young girl, who while living an ordinary life, has a most remarkable experience.  Like many great stories, it has sadness and separation, to grab the reader, and then also brings forth stories of love, courage, hope, kindness and faith.  It is not unlike classic novels such as “The Wizard of Oz”, and “Charlotte’s Web” in this regard.  This novel is unique in that it shares an enchanting and miraculous story, while introducing young readers to topical ideas about nature, conservation and compassion  -  without ever sounding preachy. This novel is targeted towards middle grade readers. 

            

In Beaverland, we meet Jessica Chapman, a smart and funny 12 year old girl.  On Christmas morning, she is thrilled to receive the ice skates she’s want for so long!  Her parents warn her that the pond isn’t ready for skating, as it is too early in the season and the ice isn’t solid.  But the next morning, Jessica cannot resist the temptation of her new skates.  She slips them on, and sneaks down to the pond.  She isn’t fully paying attention, and suddenly falls through the ice!  She awakes in a small dark room, not having any idea where she is.  She is very cold and tired, and she finally realizes she is inside a beaver’s dam!  She was rescued by a family of beavers, and they eventually nurse her back to health.  While she is living with the beavers, she experiences the magic and beauty that is their world, and she learns valuable lessons about responsibility, and taking care of the people and animals that you love.  When she finally gets back home through the help of the beavers, she takes these lessons with her, into her adult life. 

             

In this day and age of environmental concerns, Beaverland could be a very marketable book.  On the heels of “An Inconvenient Truth”, this is the time to publish a story, not only about kindness and compassion, but about humanity’s responsibility to care for nature and wildlife.  Further, this character is a strong role model for young girls.