Beatrice & Croc Harry By: Lawrence Hill

Genre: Fantasy
Age Recommendation: Grade 7/8 

"Beatrice And Croc Harry" is a 2024 Red Maple Nominee.  This book begins with Beatrice waking up alone in a treehouse in Argilia.  Argilia is a magical forest where Beatrice is able to communicate with the animals, but Beatrice has no memory of how she got there or of her past.  Beatrice soon meets a crocodile, Harry, who really wants to befriend her.  As you can imagine, Beatrice is reluctant to befriend a creature who could eat her, but they soon build a relationship built on trust.  Beatrice soon discovers clues that can lead her back to her world.  The challenge is that an evil giant is trying to break into her mind and has his henchmen trying to find her.  This is an interesting story with several important themes including discrimination, segregation, and friendship. It did take me a while to truly get into the story, but once I did it was enjoyable.  The ending sets the scene for a sequel.  If you like adventure and fantastical, futuristic worlds, give this book a try.