Guardians of the Taiga

April 30, 2018
In this middle grade adventure, first in a series from the creator of the YouTube personality StacyPlays and heavily inspired by the Dogcraft story line of her Minecraft videos, an amnesiac girl raised by wolves spends her time in the wilderness rescuing animals and honing her survival skills. Twelve-year-old Stacy doesn’t remember how she wound up in the northern snow forest, or taiga (where, precisely, is never specified) with a pack of highly intelligent wolves for company, and she has no desire to leave them to seek out the buried mysteries of her past. Instead, she deals with issues such as careless campers, intrusive surveyors, a rival wolf pack, and a devastating forest fire, all in the name of protecting her home. Hinojosa includes subtle vocabulary lessons in her positive ecological messages that advocate for environmental stewardship. Those familiar with the author and her Minecraft escapades will have no trouble visualizing the world as she lovingly describes highly competent, self-sufficient Stacy’s surroundings and woodcrafting efforts. The back matter includes an interview with a wolf researcher, offering further appeal to young animal-loving readers. Final art not seen by PW. Ages 8–12.