The Wolf Keepers - Softcover

A thrilling middle-grade historical mystery set in Yosemite National Park from the New York Times-bestselling author of Masterpiece

Twelve-year-old Lizzie Durango and her dad have always had a zoo to call their home. Lizzie spends her days watching the animals and taking note of their various behaviors. Though the zoo makes for a unique home, it's a hard place for Lizzie to make lasting friends.

But all this changes one afternoon when she finds Tyler Briggs, a runaway who has secretly made the zoo his makeshift home. The two become friends and, just as quickly, stumble into a covert investigation involving the zoo wolves who are suddenly dying. Little do they know, this mystery will draw them into a high-stakes historical adventure involving the legend of John Muir as they try to navigate safely while lost in Yosemite National Park.

Find out what happens in this captivating and original story from author Elise Broach and illustrator Alice Ratterree.

A Christy Ottaviano Book

Praise for The Wolf Keepers:

A Junior Library Guild Selection
A Green Earth Book Award Nominee

"Broach’s intrepid protagonists engage in sleuthing expeditions?moments Ratteree captures in evocative pencil illustrations of human interactions with the natural world. . . A gratifying, thought-provoking tale." ―Publishers Weekly, starred review

"Despite the fast pace of [this] adventure?which climaxes in a harrowing 48 hours alone together at Yosemite?the text includes plenty of philosophical questions about animal rights and relationships of all kinds. Tyler's wry comments about his race add further dimensions to a thoughtful, well-told tale, as do the pencil drawings. John Muir's spirit hums along under a well-developed plot with likable characters." ―Kirkus Reviews

"Part friendship story, part mystery, and part survival adventure, this engaging book makes the most of its two unusual settings. Fans of Broach’s Superstition Mountain trilogy will want to try her latest, with its western locale and intriguing jacket illustration." ―Booklist

"One of Broach’s strengths . . . is creating child characters who are intelligent, resourceful, and willing to take action. . . . The wry humor of Lizzie’s keen observations of the human animals at the zoo and the page-turning adventure give this novel solid middle-grade appeal." ―The Horn Book

"'[Broach] reveals the characters deftly. . .The historical threads are authentic and clarified in an author’s note that provides young readers and writers with a sense of the research that goes into a well-crafted story with real figures and historical events. Give it to readers who enjoy a good mystery or love to read about animals. They will wolf down all three hundred-plus pages." ―VOYA