In A Place for Delta, an eleven-year-old boy, Joseph, travels from his Georgia home to visit his aunt, Kate, in Barrow, Alaska. Kate is a grad student helping her professor do research on polar bears in the Arctic. The best part of this trip, however, is that Joseph will be helping her care for Delta, an orphaned polar bear cub.

While in Alaska, Joseph meets Ada, an Eskimo girl about his age. Together, and with a little help from the grown-ups, the kids unravel the mystery surrounding the killing of another polar bear, Delta's mother.

With this mystery solved, another problem arises. Where will the researchers find a place for Delta? As an orphan, she would never survive in the wild, and by taking her in to care for the bear, they have created some dependence in her on humans. Kate and Joseph have the solution to this problem, though, and with the help of Chipic, an Eskimo friend, a place for Delta is found.

A Place for Delta is targeted toward children aged 9-12, but with a little help with some of the more difficult words, I think it would make an excellent book for those as young as 7. Walker does not shy away from using appropriate words, from herpetologist and amphibian to contraband and infrared, but she always explains the concept in a clear, easy to understand manner. It is no wonder that A Place for Delta was the winner in the Children's Fiction category of the 2010 International Book Awards.

This book is the first in a series that Walker plans to write, exploring the themes of the natural world and our commitment to caring for it. As such, A Place for Delta, certainly encourages responsibility toward nature and introduces issues like Global Warming. It would make an excellent starting point for any parents who wishes to instill a love for nature and a sense of responsibility for it in their children. To aid parents in this endeavor, there is an extensive list of resources at the end of the book.

This review is based on a promotional copy provided to me. ( )

Eleven year old Joseph travels from Georgia to Alaska and back, encountering smugglers, anti-environmentalist forces, and 19th century gold along the way. In addition, he befriends a number of new children his age from North and South America, assists in animal research, and helps establish a southern polar bear refuge.
This new novel for pre-teens is easily read. It is a bit slow, but always clear. For older readers, there is very little suspense, but for the younger ones there is probably just the right level of mystery and new ideas. There are leaders and main characters of a variety of races and backgrounds. Settings are very rural but portrayed as backwards.
I would definitely recommend this for the younger reader interested in a bit of suspense, or who has an interest in animal rescue stories. It's also a good choice for group reading or adult-child co-reading. ( )

Synopsis:
Joseph can hardly believe what he has been asked to do. His Aunt Kate is waiting for him at a research station and needs help taking care of an orphaned polar bear cub only a few months old. He will leave his friends and family and venture to the farthest northern town in the United States: Barrow, Alaska.

As the adventure unfolds, Joseph and his new found Eskimo friend Ada find mysteries wherever they look. The bear cub, Delta, remains in danger. Who would want a polar bear dead? Joseph will have to look to the North Georgia woods and his family to save Delta.

When his parents were kids, they too embarked on an excursion into the unknown. Their encounters with the wilderness beyond their backyard have molded the future for Joseph and Delta. A Place for Delta is about one family’s journey--a passage born in the Appalachian mountains and leading to the Arctic.

Review:

I really looked forward to reading "A Place for Delta", since it was based in Barrow, Alaska (my uncle lived there for a while). The writing is simple and clear , though repetitive it seemed in a few places in the storyline. This may have been due to the level the book is written for, which is the pre-teen age level (9-13yrs old). I enjoyed the wilderness protection awareness the author, Melissa Walker, surrounds the story with. From Joseph learning about animal protection to the land protection from oilmen, the story mesmerizes you in the rural Alaskan landscape and lifestyle. The author keeps your interest peaked by the adventure Joseph and Ada (the local Alaskan girl Joseph befriends) have in helping solve a mystery. By using secret note taking and 'tailing' a suspect, the two of them are an important assets to tracking down the bad guys!

Now, there were adults in the book too..I don't want to leave them out. I loved how the adult parents let their children explore and find things out for themselves, by being protective, but not overprotective. My feeling is that these days parents don't get their kids outside to explore more! and go with them!!

Overall, this was an enjoyable and fun read that I would really recommend for kids and adults alike! After reading the book, it makes me want to go Alaska more than I already did!!

For more information about the book go to the website: A Place for Delta ( )