Mystery of the Missing Fox

by Tamra Wight

Overview

The stakes have never been higher for Cooper Wilder. When an accident puts Cooper's dad in the hospital, Cooper must shoulder some new responsibilities. But he's distracted. First, he and his friends find a fox caught in an illegal trap on the campground's land. Then kits start to go missing from the fox den. Who would want to catch foxes? And why? Cooper, Packrat, and Roy must protect the den, find the kits, and rule out Summer, the new girl who lives across the lake, as a suspect. Juggling new campground duties, feeling guilty over his father's accident, and desperate to help the fox kits, Cooper must make some tough decisions about who—and what—should come first.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781939017895
Publisher:	Islandport Press
Publication date:	04/26/2016
Series:	Cooper and Packrat , #3
Pages:	206
Product dimensions:	6.10(w) x 9.00(h) x 0.90(d)
Lexile:	640L (what's this?)
Age Range:	6 - 12 Years

About the Author

Tamra Wight lives in Poland, Maine, where she runs the Poland Spring Campground with her husband and two children. During the school year, she works as a teaching assistant at Whittier Middle School. She is the author of the Cooper and Packrat series: Mystery on Pine Lake, Mystery of the Eagle’s Nest, Mystery of the Missing Fox and Mystery of the Bear Cub. She is also the author of the picture book, The Three Grumpies. When Tamra isn't writing, she enjoys wildlife watching, hiking, geo-caching, kayaking, power-walking, and snowshoeing.

Editorial Reviews

05/01/2016
Gr 4–7—A reality TV crew is coming to the Wilder Family Campground a week prior to the opening of camping season. Cooper Wilder helps but becomes distracted, resulting in his father getting injured. The neighbors come out and help them get the grounds ready for their close-up. Amid all of this, a litter of fox kits are slowly being stolen from the Wilder Family Campground. Cooper and his friends Packrat and Roy take it upon themselves to seek out the fox thieves. The dialogue among the youthful cast of characters is realistic and will be relatable to many readers. Full-page and spot illustrations are sprinkled throughout the text. Those new to the Wilders will be able to pick up the story with no problem.

School Library Journal

2016-02-02
In this third whodunit, Cooper wonders: who is poaching the fox kits from their den? There's lots of action, good and bad, going on at the Wilder Family Campground. Their campground is about to get big-time publicity when it's featured on a reality TV show whose starring family will vacation there. But Cooper's dad has a serious accident while felling a tree, and Cooper feels responsible. He wasn't there to help him—instead, he was watching five fox kits emerge from their den with his friend Summer. When word spreads that the Wilders need help readying the camp, Cooper's friends, including Packrat, arrive to pitch in. But they soon notice that the kits are disappearing, one by one. Suspects emerge: the harrumphing Cat Lady who blames the disappearance of her cat on a fox, and another camper, Vern, who carries a raven on his shoulder. And, why is Summer so secretive about the art her father is creating? Wight neatly develops likable, quirky characters, and she artfully weaves in a host of kid-magnet subjects: zip lines, water fights, three-legged frogs, and uber-stinky sneakers. Readers will love the hilarious, heart-pounding scene when the mystery is resolved—as well as the charming denouement. DiRocco's fine illustrations heighten the book's appeal, though they reveal the cast to be a largely white one. Young detectives will be charmed by the whole kit and caboodle. (Mystery. 8-12)

Kirkus Reviews