Loon Lake Fishing Derby

Nikki Tate-Stratton writes novels for preteens; her latest books are
Jessa Be Nimble, Rebel Be Quick; Raven’s Revenge; and Tarragon Island.

Like many Canadian towns nestled alongside a picturesque lake, the
village of Loon Lake is quiet. Too quiet, according to Mr. Pike, a
resident who decides a fishing derby would liven things up. The
excitement of staging the big event catches the whole town, but none
more than Wally Dale, a local youngster with loads of entrepreneurial
spirit.

His worm-selling business is so successful that soon dozens of copycat
stands spring up on every corner. In order to supply the stands (and the
fishers who descend upon Loon Lake) with plenty of wigglers, the battle
for worms is on! Pretty soon there isn’t a square inch of town that
hasn’t been dug up and raided. Wally realizes it’s up to him to
restore order, and he devises a clever scheme so fishers can return
their unused worms in exchange for slices of watermelon.

This is a humorous read-aloud story for 4- to 6-year-olds.
Illustrations by Dean Griffiths are filled with imaginative touches and
complement the playful text. The illustrator’s decision to depict Loon
Lake residents as critters works extremely well. These portraits (both
of the sleepy town and her residents) are quite delightful and contain a
wealth of detail for children to study during repeat readings.
Recommended.