Living Forest Series

Author Sam Campbell offers readers a delightful peek into the often-hidden wonders of nature - and of human nature as well - in his charming accounts of life in the woods of Northern Wisconsin. From spring to late fall, Sam spends each year on an island woodland, called "The Sanctuary," in Northern Wisconsin. Each year holds its own surprises and adventures as Sam and his companions adopt orphan animals and raise them, interact with the wild creatures of the forest, and observe the behavior of the many inhabitants of the forest with the changing of the seasons. Each book incorporates humorous and touching tales of particular animals, a deep appreciation of God's beautiful creation, astutely-written observations of the woodland animals, and reflections on human nature. In How's Inky? Sam writes about how he and his companions adopt a fawn, a baby woodchuck, two raccoon kits, and a tiny porcupine and raise them to adulthood, learning more than they ever imagined along the way. In Too Much Salt and Pepper, Mr. Campbell again adopts porcupines - this time two of them, which bring both havoc and hilarity to the cabin as they grow up. Eeny, Meeny, Miney, Mo - and Still-Mo shares Sam and his wife Giny-s experiences raising five small, rambunctious squirrels at the cabin. Tippy-Canoe and Canada Too details Sam and Giny-s further adventures on Lake Sanctuary, while On Wings of Cheer introduces Cheer the red-winged blackbird, a large bear, and another summer spent in the Sanctuary. Moose Country focuses on the woodland adventures of Hi-Bub, a young boy that frequently tags along with Sam and Giny Campbell. The Seven Secrets of Somewhere Lake takes readers along on another summer at the Sanctuary, with Sam and Giny taking in another fawn, a baby fox, a puppy, and a baby skunk, as well as a visit with a mountain lion. Loony Coon introduces a mischievous, fun-loving raccoon that wreaks more havoc and laughs than most other animals the Campbell's have fostered. Fiddlesticks and Freckles focuses on a summer with the Campbell's adopting two fawns. In Beloved Rascals, Sam details the best - and the worst - of the most troublemaking animals he's encountered. Sweet Sue's Adventures and Calamity Jane differ slightly in format than the other volumes. These two are both written primarily for younger children and feature simpler, easier-to-read language and many more illustrations and photographs. Both of these titles make an effort to show younger readers how and why woodland animals behave like they do, with the focus more on the animals in the stories, and less on their caretaking humans. Highly entertaining, I wish we would have found these when we were younger! (Please see our website for individual titles #3-#12) – Jess