Threatened 12+

About this book

When he was a boy, Luc's mother would warn him about the "mock men" living in the trees by their home -- chimpanzees whose cries would fill the night.

Luc is older now, his mother gone. He lives in a house of mistreated orphans, barely getting by. Then a man calling himself Prof comes to town with a mysterious mission. When Luc tries to rob him, the man isn't mad. Instead, he offers Luc a job.

Together, Luc and Prof head into the rough, dangerous jungle in order to study the elusive chimpanzees. There, Luc finally finds a new family -- and must act when that family comes under attack.

As he did in his acclaimed novel Endangered, a finalist for the National Book Award, Eliot Schrefer takes us somewhere fiction rarely goes, introducing us to characters we rarely get to meet. The unforgettable result is the story of a boy fleeing his present, a man fleeing his past, and a trio of chimpanzees who are struggling not to flee at all.

Reviews

Praise for Threatened:

A National Book Award finalist

*"Engrossing action and characters readers will keep thinking about in a splendid survival story." --Kirkus Reviews, starred review

*"Gripping…Schrefer pulls no punches as he showcases the beauty and danger of both urban Gabon and the jungle." --Publishers Weekly, starred review

"Fascinating and sure to lead to discussion." --School Library Journal

"Schrefer's compassion and empathy for the people and chimpanzees and other animals of this part of Africa come through loud and clear." --Horn Book

Praise for Endangered:

A National Book Award finalist

"Dazzling, big-hearted . . . As riveting as the action is, it's the nuanced portraits of the characters, human and ape, that make the story so deeply affecting." –The New York Times Book Review

* "Schrefer spares no detail . . . This drama is clearly written from the heart." --Publishers Weekly, starred review

"Taut, heart-wrenching." --The Washington Post