Phillip Hoose is a mighty fine writer. I have almost zero interest in birds and migratory patterns (I get bored just typing "migratory patterns"), but his excellent storytelling pulled me into this book! Hoose charts the annual journey all rufa red knots take, and it's really astounding. Most go all the way from Tierra del Fuego (the very bottom of South America) all the way to the Canadian Arctic. At the same time, the story is made more interesting by Hoose's focus on one particular red knot: B95 AKA the Moonbird. B95 is the oldest red knot known to scientists and has flown the equivalent of the distance to the moon and back. Crazy!

The other characters populating this book are the humans involved in the red knot story. Mostly they're scientists and bird enthusiasts, but Hoose also profiles a fisherman whose job is made more difficult by conservationists' efforts in Delaware.

Lots of maps and photographs help make this a really appealing non-fiction pick for readers, especially those in 5th to 8th grade. There's a section in the back about how kids can get involved in the effort to help rebuild the struggling red knot population.

And, finally, when Hoose thanks his wife as the end of the book, he writes, "It is a joy to migrate through life with her." :) ( )

young adult, ages 12-18

Documents the survival tale of an intrepid shorebird who has endured annual migrations between Argentina and the Canadian Arctic throughout the course of a long lifetime while his species continues to decline.

A beautiful book with an amazing story of the survival of a magnificent little shore bird called the Moonbird. The book details the endangered rufa red knot shorebird and its journey for survival. It is called the Moonbird because it travels the distance from the Earth to the moon and back every year. This is a great introduction to what ornithologists do and how scientists worldwide communicate and work together for the survival of a species. Details are given in this book about specific migratory bird biologists and how birds are banded and measured. A great book to use for the study of classification of organisms, conservation of species, interaction of habitats and organisms, predator and prey relationships and much more in a middle school life science class or a high school biology class. ( )

Phillip Hoose’s book Moonbird, A Year on the Wind with the Great Survivor B95 tells the story of a rufa red knot and its impressive migratory route from the southern tip of South America to Southampton Island in the artic. The narrative follows a specific red knot that was tagged B95 and nicknamed Moonbird as he makes what is believed to be his 18th trip from South America to the artic. Although the story focuses on B95’s incredible story and journey, the book provides details about the lives of red knots in general. The book provides information not only on their migratory route, but also on the feeding, mating, and breeding habits. Hoose tells the story of B95 as if he is observing the bird as he grows and develops and makes the long journey to the artic. Since it isn’t actually possible to observe B95 throughout his lifetime and as he flies 18,000 miles, Hoose uses research about the red knots and their natural behavior throughout the life spans to describe and predict B95’s journey.

The book also provides insight into the actual scientific process of tagging, tracking, and studying different species. Hoose, who has worked as a conservationist for the Nature Conservancy since 1977, has actually participated in the trapping and tagging process and describes his personal experience in May of 2010, as he worked with the Delaware Bay Shorebird Project to collect data about rufa red knots along with other shorebirds. Hoose’s personal account of the project provides an exciting and interesting perspective rather than just a dry scientific description of the process. Between each chapter of B95’s journey, the author also introduces a scientist or team of scientists who study rufa red knots, which provides a bit more background detailing the science behind studying birds and their migratory routes. The book also takes a conservationist approach and discusses what needs to be done to protect the rufa red knot species from extinction. ( )