Diary of a Nature Nerd

Gr 1-4–Big changes are in store for nine-year-old nature-nerd Brooke. Her mom married her best friend Jayla’s dad and now the whole crew is headed to North Cascades National Park in their RV for some outdoorsy adventure. But this trip is mostly work for Brooke’s mom and stepdad, so the girls are on their own to explore. Brooke is an expert land navigator and animal tracker, so she leads nature novice Jayla on the trails as they observe all kinds of four-legged and winged forest dwellers. The most elusive creature on Brooke’s “Top Ten Most Wanted Mammals” list is the North American moose, and in her six years living on the road, she still hasn’t seen one. But in the first few days of their camping trip, Jayla sees a moose by the riverbank and Brooke is devastated. Brooke’s resentment builds, eventually putting them both in harm’s way on a hike when she ignores Jayla’s suspicions that a dangerous animal might be nearby. Debut graphic novelist Everett certainly has the ever-appealing graphic novel diary format down pat, and this title will find favor among many early elementary readers. Each chapter opens with a journal entry complete with spiral bindings, information-packed diagrams, and peripheral doodles that thoroughly immerse the reader in Brooke’s nature nerddom. Everett’s accessible narrative and detail-rich illustrations have just the right amount of emotional depth.