Seeley Lake Author Betty Vanderwielen will present her book "Racoon Summer" at the Alpine Artisans, Inc. Open Book Club May 21 at 7 p.m. at the Seeley Lake Community Foundation West Wing.
SEELEY LAKE - Full of life lessons, Seeley Lake Author Betty Vanderwielen's debut novel "Raccoon Summer" is the timeless story of a 12-year-old boy's efforts to train orphaned raccoon kits to live in the natural world. While geared for middle-grade readers, anyone who loves wild animals will be drawn to this heartwarming tale.
We hope you'll join us to hear Vanderwielen discuss how this book came to fruition at Alpine Artisans' Open Book Club, 7 p.m. Saturday, May 21 at the Seeley Lake Community Foundation Building. The event is free and everyone is welcome. Refreshments will be served.
The young protagonist Lance rescues three motherless baby raccoons that are just a few weeks old. When his father and stepmom refuse to have anything to do with the raccoons, Lance enlists the help of a neighbor Mrs. Morgan who has experience with wildlife rehabilitation.
Mrs. Morgan becomes his mentor and ally in raising the raccoon kits. She insists on limiting the raccoons' contact with other people, lest they become habituated to humans. As Lance teaches the kits how to climb a tree and how to catch bugs, he inadvertently helps the grief-stricken Mrs. Morgan to smile again.
During the action-packed summer, Lance must adapt to many changes in his life. While he struggles to do what's best for the raccoon kits, he must also live up to the expectations of his dad and stepmom while navigating the uneasy relationship between his divorced parents. To further complicate matters his mom is considering adopting a baby with Down's Syndrome. On top of that, he becomes distraught when he learns his best friend is moving out of state.
As the summer progresses, the raccoon kits grow and develop quickly alongside Lance, who also matures and learns the value of being responsible. As the surrogate mother to the raccoons, Lance uses a fascinating array of tricks to train the babies to survive on their own. From drinking formula to eating fruits and berries to foraging for bugs and worms, to catching crayfish and fish, the raccoon kits eventually learn to eat natural foods.
Throughout the book, Vanderwielen deals sensitively with serious issues facing young people as well as adults including divorce and remarriage, birth and death, sorrow and change, joy and letting go, the ethical treatment of animals and accepting those with special needs.
Whether you're young or simply young at heart, you'll enjoy reading about Lance's interactions with the raccoon kits as well as with the humans he holds dear.
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