The Goatnappers

September 1, 2007
Gr 5-7-In this sequel to "Lost Goat Lane" (Peachtree, 2004), 15-year-old Justin is overjoyed to be the only freshman accepted on his school's varsity baseball team at his rural Florida school. The one drawback is his lack of transportation to and from practice, but this obstacle appears to be surmounted when he sells his goat to pay for a bicycle. When he and his siblings find that the animal is being mistreated by the new owner, they face an ethical dilemma: do they turn their backs on Little Billy's suffering or do they take action? Together, they hatch a plan to "goatnap" him, but then must face the consequences of their actions. As Justin struggles to balance school, baseball, and the care of the purloined goat, things are further complicated when his father, who left the family four years earlier, returns to the area to reestablish a relationship with his children. Some awkward language can tend toward heavy-handedness, but the well-defined characters will keep readers engaged, and Jordan skillfully handles the moral issue of whether breaking the law is ever the right thing to do. Purchase this book for students who enjoyed these characters in the first volume."Kim Dare, Fairfax County Public Schools, VA"

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