Jaguar
Grade 6-9.  Jacob Lansa, 14, has just barely returned from Kenya and settled down to life in Poughkeepsie, NY, when his restless father, a wildlife biologist, is called away to a field project in Brazil. In this sequel to Thunder Cave (Hyperion, 1995), Jacob again joins his father in researching and protecting an endangered species?this time it's to save the jaguar and its habitat in the Amazon rainforest. After a mysterious accident kills the expedition leader, seasoned-captain Jay Silver is hired to take the remaining researchers into the tropical interior. As Jacob; Dr. Lansa; and his girlfriend, an experienced botanist, journey up the Amazon River they witness the devastation of the land and indigenous people caused by the influx of fortune seekers and exploitation of natural resources. The group links up with an Indian who helps them take a family of jaguars to the remote region where a refuge is to be established. But even the harsh beauty of an isolated area cannot protect the animals from human greed, and danger lurks in the heart of the jungle. Although the plot sometimes seems contrived, this fast-paced adventure and survival tale blends enough action, suspense, and legend to keep readers interested until the end. Malcolm Bosse's descriptive Deep Dream of the Rainforest (Farrar, 1993) provides a more detailed and intricate look at a similar environment in Borneo for more mature readers.?Janet Woodward, Franklin High School, Seattle, WACopyright 1997 Reed Business Information, Inc.--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.