Threatened (2) (Ape Quartet) - Softcover

Schrefer, Eliot

Softcover

ISBN 10: 054583564X ISBN 13: 9780545835640

Publisher: Scholastic Paperbacks, 2015

Synopsis

*A 2014 NATIONAL BOOK AWARD FINALIST*When he was a boy, Luc's mother would warn him about the "mock men" living in the trees by their home -- chimpanzees whose cries would fill the night.Luc is older now, his mother gone. He lives in a house of mistreated orphans, barely getting by. Then a man calling himself Prof comes to town with a mysterious mission. When Luc tries to rob him, the man isn't mad. Instead, he offers Luc a job.Together, Luc and Prof head into the rough, dangerous jungle in order to study the elusive chimpanzees. There, Luc finally finds a new family -- and must act when that family comes under attack.As he did in his acclaimed novel Endangered, a finalist for the National Book Award, Eliot Schrefer takes us somewhere fiction rarely goes, introducing us to characters we rarely get to meet. The unforgettable result is the story of a boy fleeing his present, a man fleeing his past, and a trio of chimpanzees who are struggling not to flee at all.

About this title

About the Author:

Eliot Schrefer's Endangered and Threatened were named as finalists for the National Book Award. He is also the author of Rescued, The Deadly Sister, The School for Dangerous Girls, Glamorous Disasters, and The New Kid. He lives in New York City. Visit him online at eliotschrefer.com.

From Booklist:

Schrefer’s Endangered (2012) painted a compassionate portrait of the bonobos of the Congo; here he turns to Gabon, chimpanzees, and the plight of orphans who have lost their parents to AIDS. Luc lives with other young orphan boys under the roof of Monsieur Tatagani, an unscrupulous man who exploits his charges. Professor Abdul Mohammad, a prosperous-looking Arab, meets Luc and hires him as his assistant, taking him deep into the jungle to study chimpanzees. Luc discovers he has an interest and aptitude for the work, and he thrives under Prof’s tutelage. All too soon, though, Prof disappears under mysterious circumstances, and Luc must survive on his own. With only Prof’s tiny pet vervet for company, Luc watches and learns from the chimps. When humans again appear, it’s clear we as a species are far less civilized than the chimps. Of special note is the tender, nonjudgmental portrait of Prof, a closeted gay man who lies about most things, but provides the first caring home Luc has known in years. Schrefer’s landscape descriptions are rich and evocative, and his characters, both human and chimpanzee, are complex and fascinating. Grades 8-12. --Debbie Carton

About this edition

• Publisher: Scholastic Paperbacks
• Publication date: 2015
• ISBN 10: 054583564X
• ISBN 13: 9780545835640
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 288