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Animal Rescue Team #1
Gator on the Loose!
Meet the Mr. and Mrs. Carter, 10-year-old daughter Keisha, five-year-old Razi, baby Paolo, and Grandma Alice. Together, they run Carters' Urban Rescue, the place you call when you've got an animal where it shouldn't be. In their first adventure, there's a baby alligator at the city pool, which will seriously interfere with opening day, especially Keisha's cannonball practice. So it's up to the whole family to figure out what to do with the poor guy who has no business hanging around Michigan. Luckily for all of them, and thanks to some serious ingenuity from Keisha, the answer is closer than they ever could have imagined.
Sue Stauffacher turns to her first series effort with Animal Rescue Team. With compelling plots based on actual events in her community, Sue has created a lovable cast of characters of boys and girls, young and old, who feel like people you'd meet at your neighborhood block party. Written in an accessible and engaging style meant to appeal to those independent readers looking to be excited and entertained, and with subplots about friendship, siblings, the environment, and animal conservation, along with plenty of humor, these will be a hit with teachers and librarians, and parents, as well as kids themselves.
Sue Stauffacher turns to her first series effort with Animal Rescue Team. With compelling plots based on actual events in her community, Sue has created a lovable cast of characters of boys and girls, young and old, who feel like people you'd meet at your neighborhood block party. Written in an accessible and engaging style meant to appeal to those independent readers looking to be excited and entertained, and with subplots about friendship, siblings, the environment, and animal conservation, along with plenty of humor, these will be a hit with teachers and librarians, and parents, as well as kids themselves.
160 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2010
14 people are currently reading
91 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 25 of 25 reviews
January 1, 2022
I enjoyed the spunky biracial Keisha and her funny little brother and grandma. The family dynamics with the parents and kids were really beautiful. The story was great but a little slow moving - like the pace of the Little House books. Would recommend for age 4 and up.
November 28, 2017
They had to rescue one alligator, but [spoiler alert] they rescued the rest!
January 13, 2024
This book was silly. Silly characters and silly humor. Nice, light YA read.
April 23, 2012
The book "Gator on the Loose!(Animal Rescue Team, #1)" by Sue Stauffacher is a very good book. This book is about the Carter family who own an thier own Animal Rescue business get a call about an alligator on the loose. They then capture the alligator but realize its a holliday weekend. Not knowing what to do the family decide to store the alligator for the time being. As time goes on they search for a place to take the alligator. Finally they find an alligator reserve where they take the alligator and she lives happily.
This book was written very well. The story is set in Michigan in a small friendly town. The plot starts out when the Carters get the call about an alligator on the loose. The rising action is the alligator escaping the bathroom, the alligator getting sick, and the alligator having to be moved outside. The turning point is when the Carters find the alligator reserve. The falling action is the alligator living happily. Finally the resolution is the Carters thinking about getting a dog. The theme of the story is never give up. The Carter family kept working until they found a good home for the alligator. The stories point of view is third person.
I thought that this story was really good. There were alot of things in this book that made me laugh like when Razi wanted to ride the alligator. I really enjoyed reading this book. One thing that struck me was how well this book went with our everyday life like the reference to gas prices. I could relate this book to my life because I never give up. I always am persistant until I get what I want or are working for much like the Carters with thier search for a home for the alligator. I could use this in my classroom to teach the students about why certain animals don't make good pets.
This book was written very well. The story is set in Michigan in a small friendly town. The plot starts out when the Carters get the call about an alligator on the loose. The rising action is the alligator escaping the bathroom, the alligator getting sick, and the alligator having to be moved outside. The turning point is when the Carters find the alligator reserve. The falling action is the alligator living happily. Finally the resolution is the Carters thinking about getting a dog. The theme of the story is never give up. The Carter family kept working until they found a good home for the alligator. The stories point of view is third person.
I thought that this story was really good. There were alot of things in this book that made me laugh like when Razi wanted to ride the alligator. I really enjoyed reading this book. One thing that struck me was how well this book went with our everyday life like the reference to gas prices. I could relate this book to my life because I never give up. I always am persistant until I get what I want or are working for much like the Carters with thier search for a home for the alligator. I could use this in my classroom to teach the students about why certain animals don't make good pets.
June 4, 2010
Keisha's plans for Memorial Day get changed unexpectedly while she is helping take phone calls for the family business. Instead of going to the local pool for a swim, Carter Urban Rescue is heading to the pool to remove the alligator that has taken up residence there. Once the alligator is contained, he is placed in the Carter's bathtub. When he escapes while under Grandma's watch, Keisha is stuck watching after her little brothers while her parents try to corral the alligator. It seems like half the neighborhood is showing up while Keisha struggles to think of a plan.
While parts of the story may seem predictable, I enjoyed this read. I enjoyed the strong local setting of the book. The alligator sanctuary that shows up in the book is real as are several different characters. I also liked the blended, multigenerational family in the story. Many of the children I work with are interested in animals and this is a book I think many of them would enjoy as a read-aloud.
While parts of the story may seem predictable, I enjoyed this read. I enjoyed the strong local setting of the book. The alligator sanctuary that shows up in the book is real as are several different characters. I also liked the blended, multigenerational family in the story. Many of the children I work with are interested in animals and this is a book I think many of them would enjoy as a read-aloud.
December 27, 2010
A great new series! I can't wait to read the next two books. Keisha and her family run Carter's Urban Rescue. They capture, rehabilitate and release wild animals. In the first book, an alligator appears in the local public swimming pool. Keisha and her dad rescue it and keep it safe over Memorial Day weekend until the alligator gets loose and Keisha's mom finds out. The alligator is found, but they still need to find a home for it since it cannot be released back into the wild. It has had too much human contact (before the Carter family rescued it). Lots of interesting facts about alligators sprinkled through out the story; a summary of alligator facts is provided at the end of the book. Great for strong second graders as well as third grade and up.
October 31, 2010
I know we're always looking for good multi-cultural early chapter books. What's more, I adore Sue Stauffacher's writing. Yet something about this series rubs me the wrong way. Maybe it's the fact that you see every tiny step of the process as the books' family attempts to save one animal or another. In this particularly issue a baby gator is located at the local public pool and it's up to the Animal Rescue Team to find him, lose him, find him again, and locate a place for him to be safe and sound. The solution to finding the missing gator is clever but the story doesn't quite live up to its potential in this one. - B
August 28, 2011
The first in a new series, Keisha is a fourth grader in a multiracial family with a brother named Razi, a mother from Nigeria and a father and grandmother who are the "Carter Family Animal Urban Rescue Team." They are called to save an alligator that is found in the local city pool.
I got bored with this book quickly. Needs a good editing. Lots of distracting details and extra characters thrown in, I'm assuming, because the author was hired to write a series, and the author felt the need to provide fodder for future books.
Good facts about alligators. For independent readers, 3rd or 4th graders.
I got bored with this book quickly. Needs a good editing. Lots of distracting details and extra characters thrown in, I'm assuming, because the author was hired to write a series, and the author felt the need to provide fodder for future books.
Good facts about alligators. For independent readers, 3rd or 4th graders.
June 20, 2010
Young readers will enjoy following Keisha around as she helps her father rescue an alligator from their town's community swimming pool. Set in Michigan, the author includes information about the Critchlow Alligator Sanctuary in Athens, Michigan crated by David Critchlow and his wire Carmen. Through story, the author highlights the problems that can arise when trying to raise an animal in a hostile environment.
February 29, 2012
Silver Knight, 2012
This is the first in a series about a family who rescues animals. In this volume, there's a baby alligator at the town pool. The family gets it successfully home, but it escapes. There are some funny parts but in general every event is overly processed. The family is interesting: grandmother lives in the home and the mom is Nigerian. I hope kiddos like this one better than I did since it's on our grade three list.
This is the first in a series about a family who rescues animals. In this volume, there's a baby alligator at the town pool. The family gets it successfully home, but it escapes. There are some funny parts but in general every event is overly processed. The family is interesting: grandmother lives in the home and the mom is Nigerian. I hope kiddos like this one better than I did since it's on our grade three list.
October 21, 2016
This book is not as entertaining as I hoped, but I had high expectations as a crocodilian lover! I really enjoyed the aspects of family culture and facts about alligators that are intertwined with the story. I'm also glad that the story shows the importance of not keeping wild, dangerous animals as pets.
February 4, 2017
This was delightful! See http://www.eatreadandbemommy.com/2017... for details.
April 18, 2012
This was a cute story for young-ish elementary aged kids about the Carter family, who deals with animal control situations in their Michigan town. When an alligator appears in the local pool on Memorial Day weekend, the Carters end up taking the job.
May 29, 2010
Cute 4th grade book about a family who rescues wild animals.
July 24, 2010
This was a fun book. Definitely for younger readers. I learned a LOT about alligators.
October 27, 2010
One Sentence Review: I think I may have liked this one a little better than some of the other books in the same series, but it still doesn't really ring true for me and could do with some tightening.
March 9, 2012
I liked the factual information
October 1, 2014
A nice new series for my younger students that has a multicultural family and a focus on wildlife rehabilitation. Now that I can talk it up, it'll be a hit in my library for sure.
May 21, 2015
The Animal Rescue series features a sweet supportive family and community, lots of cool animal facts, and a good bit of humor. Second through fourth graders will love it!
August 10, 2016
Fun to read. Good characters, interesting story.
November 2, 2010
First book in a very charming series about an interracial girl whose family are animal rescuers.
April 20, 2011
very good so far...
March 26, 2012
I enjoyed this book. It was a fun read
March 19, 2012
A fun adventure by a Grand Rapids author, based on a true alligator rescue in Alger Heights.
Displaying 1 - 25 of 25 reviews