Psychic Girl Communicates with Animals
Lost and Found by Sharon Ledwith is an excellent read for YA readers on several levels. It teaches kids about leadership and responsibility, and it sets a fine example for us humans to care better for the animals around us
Whiskey, a fifteen-year-old calico cat, is the only link of communication between the cat floor and the dog floor at the Fairy Falls Animal Shelter. Nobel, a part Husky-Doberman-mutt mix, is the dog pack leader. On one fateful day Whiskey reports to him that the Bossy One complains about Shelter money problems and the possibility their home, their sanctuary, will be forced to close.
Her father entrusts Meagan Walsh, also 15, to Aunt Izzy for the summer. (The animals at Fairy Falls Animal Shelter know Meagan’s aunt as The Kind One.) When Meagan is caught stealing a pack of cigarettes from Mrs. Arbuckle, she is assigned 200 hours of community service. If she refuses, Aunt Izzy will be forced to report the theft to the police.
Whiskey first meets Meagan when the young human sneaks behind a shed to smoke a cigarette. Upon seeing the girl suck on the white glowing stick, the calico thinks, “Silly, stupid human.”
Insulted, Meagan says, “I’m not silly, and I’m certainly not stupid.”
Whiskey is astonished. No human has ever understood her before, nor actually communicated with her. This revelation was no surprise to Meagan, who has had the unique ability to communicate telepathically with animals all her life.
The old feline is wise enough to know that Meagan could become the needed “Chosen One,” to save the shelter from ruin. Thus begins a very special relationship between Whiskey and a teenage girl searching for her place in the world.
Author Sharon Ledwith does a wonderful job of characterization getting into the minds of all sorts of animals including cats, dogs, mice, birds, and deer. Readers will also thrill at how Meagan and her friends—Reid Robertson and Natalie Knight—uncover a plot to destroy the shelter as well as its animals for personal financial gain.
Lost and Found is a psychic mystery with realistic characters and setting, and a plot that could easily be contrived from a newspaper article. Also, one character, Natalie Knight, is confined to a wheel chair, but her indomitable spirit is inspiring. Book 1 in the Mysterious Tales from Fairy Falls, Lost and Found, needs to be on everyone’s “to read” list.
About the Author
Sharon Ledwith is the author of the middle-grade/young adult time travel adventure series, THE LAST TIMEKEEPERS, and the teen psychic mystery series, MYSTERIOUS TALES FROM FAIRY FALLS. When not writing, researching, or revising, she enjoys reading, exercising, anything arcane, and an occasional dram of scotch. Sharon lives a serene, yet busy life in a southern tourist region of Ontario, Canada, with her hubby, one spoiled yellow Labrador and a moody calico cat.
Nice plot. I believe that in the future we will learn to communicate better with animals.
Thanks, Joe! I believe that too! And a special thanks to you, Michael! I so glad you enjoyed Lost and Found. This book has a special place in my heart. Here’s hoping that people will take better care of their animals, and support their local animal shelters. Cheers!