If given the chance to chat with a squirrel, most of us would probably demand peace for our backyard bird feeder. But, as she explains in her authors' note, when Newbery Medalist Lynne Rae Perkins (Criss Cross) is approached by a chatty squirrel on a park bench the conversation turns to more interesting lore.
Jed, a squirrel, is plucked from his forest home one day by a hawk with a not-so-firm grip and, "like the great Houdini escaping a straitjacket," manages to break free. Now stranded among squirrels who have their own slang, customs and exotic cuisine (pine cones), Jed realizes he may never make it home. Chai and TsTs (so common, it's "the 'Emma' of squirrel names") follow him, and what they discover will forever change their lives.
With references to YouTube, tips on squirrel style, plus the author's own illustrations and plenty of witty footnotes scattered throughout, Nuts to You will satisfy the animal advocate in your life who's curious about what happens beyond their proverbial tree. --Molly Magro, librarian, Eyer Middle School, Macungie, Pa.