Circling Vultures

Elizabeth Siegel Masih is the editor of Write On: The Newsletter for
Young Canadian Writers and Readers.

When 15-year-old Jason goes back for a summer visit to his childhood
home on an African game preserve, he finds things very different from
how he left them. The country is suffering from a terrible drought, and
poachers on the game preserve have become so aggressive that the park
rangers fear for their own safety.

Even Jason’s longtime friend, Peter, seems different and Jason must
face his growing suspicions that Peter and his father, Kyondo, are
involved in a poaching ring. Things finally come to a head when Jason
and his older brother catch Peter transporting parts from an endangered
animal for his father, and they are forced to prosecute Kyondo.

But Jason learns that things are not always what they seem and that
what is right and what is wrong are sometimes hard to tell apart. Jason
not only discovers that Kyondo was forced into poaching by criminals,
but he is also made to see that many Africans are faced with the simple
choice of poaching or starving.

This very realistic yet exciting story explores both the beauty of
Africa and the many problems that it faces. Young-adult readers will no
doubt find this realism in an adventure story refreshing and at the same
time enjoy seeing Africa through a young person’s eyes. Although a
book with this kind of theme could easily come across as preachy, this
one will simply encourage its readers to ask some important questions
about their world while keeping them thoroughly entertained. Highly
recommended.