Big Sandy

From 1820 to 1845, bounty hunters in Centre County, Pennsylvania, killed more than 600 cougars, eliminating the entire native species. In the dawn of the Twenty-First Century re-population begins near a small Appalachian valley town when a cougar and her cub escape from Loony Larry’s roadside zoo. Big Sandy is a funny, uplifting, fast-paced story about two 11-year-old boys, a couple of bullies who hound them, and a displaced yearling cougar that impulsively follows them around their hometown, usually just out of sight of adults. The action revolves around the boys’ attempts to save the cougar from people who are determined to destroy him. Big Sandy is an uncommon tale that will capture the hearts of middle grade readers and delight adults who can appreciate the magic in simple times and small towns.When the story opens, Butch Ryder and Gary Bailey are full of mischief as they begin their final summer before entering middle school. Maybe their impish behavior is in response to anxiety that is never discussed or even acknowledged, but trouble always seems to be lurking around the corner. It might be a good thing, after all, that the young panther slinks into their lives and steals the boys’ attention away from their own doubts and worries. On a certain level, the story is about the struggles we all face during transitional times in our lives. Though it may be difficult, change is natural and necessary for adolescents, teenagers, parents and even cougars