Wayward Creatures

As a story about community, healing, and familyboth human and animalthis is one of the best."Kirkus Reviews, starred review. In this heartfelt animal friendship story, a troubled young boy befriends a wayward coyote after a forest fire changes both of their lives. Perfect for fans of A Wolf Called Wander and Pax. Winner of the 2023 Charlotte Huck Award Twelve-year-old Gabe doesnt know where he belongs anymore. His family is caught up in their own lives and his friends barely have time for him now that theyre stars on the soccer team. In a desperate plea for attention to impress his friends after school, Gabe sets off fireworks in the woods near his house and causes a small forest fire that destroys several acres of land. In the chaos of the destruction, a coyote named Rilltired of her family and longing for adventurefinds herself far from home. Already on animal controls watch for wandering into a backyard and snapping at a child, Rill crawls into a cave, where she nurses her wounds alone. Gabe and Rills paths irrevocably cross when Gabe is tasked with cleaning up the forest through the court's restorative justice program. The damage to the land and both their lives is beyond what the two can imagine. But together, they discover that sometimes it only takes one friend to find the place where you belong.