Backyard Bears by Amy Cherrix - ESSENTIAL

Backyard Bears by Amy Cherrix (Scientists in the Field), 63 pages.  Houghton Mifflin, 2018.  $19.

BUYING ADVISORY:  EL, MS - ESSENTIAL

AUDIENCE APPEAL: AVERGE

Cherrix takes a look at an animal-human interaction going on in her own backyard – Asheville, North Carolina.  It’s illegal to hunt black bears within the city limits and the bear population has grown from 1500 in 1970 to 19,000 in 2014.  This has led to some interesting interactions between the humans and animals of Ashville.  The Black Bear Study has been working hard to educate the human part of the education and most residents have jumped into the project enthusiastically.

Another nice addition to the Scientists in the Field series.  The book also looks at other urban spaces where a wild animal has a prominent place.  I like the twist that this is going on in Cherrix’ own city.

Cindy, Middle School Librarian, MLS