Legend KEEPERS

The mountain goat is one of this area’s favorite symbols of life in the wild, and an orphaned goat kid named Buddy is the main player in Montana writer (and wildlife biologist) Bruce Smith’s series “The Legend Keepers,” with book two of the series, “The Partnership,” now available for sale.

“The Chosen One,” the first book of the series, introduces us to Buddy, an orphaned mountain goat whose life is saved by a raven, and her perceptions of a changing world. Written for middle-graders, the reader is treated to an engaging lesson in wildlife and their habitats and the importance of conservation. One review of the book, by a sixth grade, stated it’s “the best book about a mountain goat ever. I recommend this book to whoever likes talking animals, adventure, and some sadness.”

In “The Partnership,” Buddy’s story continues when she meets Garson Strangewalker, a sixth grader with a missing father, who is drawn into studying glaciers at a spring science fair.

The books are available at local bookstores, or online. Visit www. brucesmithwildlife.com to learn more.

–Trish Gannon