The Avian Adventurers #1: Snowy Owl Rescue: Raptor Recovery

by Heidi E.Y. Stemple, Natasha Donovan (Illustrator)

Birdwatching! Borrrring, right? Not to these avian adventurers from Maynard Elementary as they fight a snowstorm in order to save a rare snowy owl.

An adventurous read for 7 to 10 year olds about forging long-lasting friendships in this new chapter book series about a junior bird club.

Michael, the star of the soccer team, is about to kick his first practice shot when he hears a noise from behind him. Jet, a bird nerd and member of the Junior Bird Club, appears and shows Michael what he would have missed by being so singularly focused on the ball—a rare snowy owl on the goal post. While they watch, the owl captures a rat and devours it.

The next day, a hoard of birders arrive and Michael thinks he may never get his soccer field back. But Jet has discovered that the owl is not well and the Junior Bird Club enlists Michael to help get the bird help during a snowstorm.

Michael promised his parents he'd be home before the snow started, but with a hurt owl, will he? Join Michael and his new friends as they use all their talents and knowledge to rescue the snowy owl.

Genres: Fiction

144 pages, Paperback

Published September 29, 2026

About the author

Heidi didn’t want to be a writer when she grew up. In fact, after she graduated from college, she became a probation officer in Florida. It wasn’t until she was 28 years old that she gave in and joined the family business, publishing her first short story in a book called Famous Writers and Their Kids Write Spooky Stories. The famous writer was her mom, author Jane Yolen. Since then, she has published 20 books and numerous short stories and poems, mostly for children.
Heidi lives and writes in Massachusetts on a big old farm with two houses.

Reviews

[Emily Anne]

I read this ARC I got from the publisher to my 9-year-old son one or two chapters at a time. He says he liked it. During the scary part where the kids and the owl was in trouble, he had wide eyes and a tiny bead of moisture under his eye. I wished the kids had found a safer way to save the owl, but they got in trouble for going out into danger so I think that will teach kids listening not to do stuff like that. The book was full of informative information about owls, what they eat, how to appreciate them, what to do if they are hurt, what kinds of things will hurt them, etc. It also had a little information about the scientific names of animals. All in all, I think this is an informative book that will be interesting for kids who like either soccer, owls, or birds.

[Mary]

The Avian Adventurers #1: Snowy Owl Rescue by Heidi Stemple

Unlikely Allies “Ca Caw!”
Michael just wants to play soccer, practices all the time. When he encounters a snowy owl, and Jet, a “weird kid” from school, an avid birder, he’s hooked on birding. Together they work to distract a curious crowd and rescue a snowy owl in distress, in a snowstorm, a harrowing adventure I couldn’t put down.
It is also a gentle education in birding, etiquette, how to use binoculars effectively, and rules for caring for raptors. A “spark bird” is the one that draws one to birding. Mine would be the great horned owl pair that once visited nightly, or perhaps an eagle, or the baby sparrow I fed with an eyedropper long, long ago.
There were equally useful lessons on humans, learning to value differences, standing up to bullies, finding one’s true self. This was a thoroughly enjoyable book, with characters and insights I continue to think about.

[Steph]

Really enjoyed this middle grade owl-filled adventure, and the tidbits about birdwatching and activism. :-)