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| There's an Owl in the Shower | 
| Author: Jean Craighead George
Creator: Christine Herma Merrill
Publisher: HarperTrophy
Category: Book
List Price: $5.99
Buy Used: $0.01
You Save: $5.98 (100%)
New (40) Collectible (2) from $2.13
Avg. Customer Rating:  41 reviews
Sales Rank: 156978
Media: Paperback
Edition: 1st
Reading Level: Ages 9-12
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 144
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.2
Dimensions (in): 7.4 x 5.1 x 0.5
ISBN: 0064406822
EAN: 9780064406826
ASIN: 0064406822
Publication Date: April 30, 1997
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Condition: Some wear on book from reading, some spine creases, wear on binding and pages, we guarantee all purchases and ship all items via USPS mail.
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| Customer Reviews:
 Owl lovers vs. loggers November 9, 2003
5 out of 5 found this review helpful
It's owl lovers vs. loggers who hate the spotted owl for putting them out of job. It's an amazing book by an amazing author about a boy whos father was a logger and he took in an owlet that was on the ground. You won't want to miss this!
Lessons from our feathered friends October 3, 2003
12 out of 12 found this review helpful
I came across this book while hunting for books suited to the educational needs of my nine-year-old cousin. This book explores the age-old conflict between economic progress and environmental concerns. The argument for both sides is presented in a manner easily understood by children of grade-school age, and although the book heavily and undisguisedly favors conservation, the humans in this story are warm, believable and not portrayed as selfish destroyers of old growth forests.
The protagonist of this story is young Borden, whose father, a lumberjack, loses his job following a government directive to preserve old growth forests in order that the habitat of the Spotted Owl may be saved. Borden's family is understandably angry, as it appears to them that the government cares more about owls than about people. Here we get the usual argument from the loggers' point of view that logging puts food on the table, that logging has always formed a substantial part of the economy, that the legislators have forgotten the role of the loggers in nation building (i.e. by providing timber for construction), that the extinction of the Spotted Owl would be no great loss to the human population and that the government should strive to protect the interests of people rather than of birds.
Borden enters the woods with the intention of killing the spotted owls that took his father's job. He finds, instead, an owlet that has fallen out of its nest. Assuming that it is a Barred Owl, Borden takes the owl home and names it Bardy. His out-of-work father develops affection for the owl and observes every stage of its growth. When Borden's father receives a summons for assault and public disorder after hitting an ecologist, he decides to bring the owlet to court with him to win over the sympathy of the judge and to convince the public that loggers are not enemies of owls. Soon, true love for the young owl wins him over and he decides to free the owl and pay the fine rather than capitalize on the owl for his own selfish motives. The family learns the consequences of forest loss when a family friend loses his job as a fisherman because the river is too polluted. Borden's father decides to retrain himself for other, more sustainable professions after he understands that change is inevitable and the welfare of the Planet is in his hands as well as the ecologists'.
The environmentalists' side of the story is that the destruction of wildlife habitats and the decrease in the number of Spotted Owls are indications that people are not managing the forests right. Indeed, the exploitation of natural resources does not mean that humans will be able to live better - it might mean that it will help people (poachers, loggers, wildlife traders etc) put food on the table for the time being, but natural resources would be dissipated quickly and human health would suffer more than if measures had been taken to sustainably manage rather than exploit resources. Every action has a consequence, this book teaches us, and if there are no more spotted owls, the rodent population would increase. If there are fewer trees then it won't be long before the loggers are truly out of work as there will be no trees left for them to cut. The loss of trees would cause the loss of vital watershed areas. There will be less fresh water for people, less freshwater fish and less clean air. People have to learn that their quality of life is intertwined with the fate of the Planet. More toys and gadgets and bigger homes do not make for a better life if the air, water and soil are polluted.
There is much to learn in this book about animal behavior. The title of this book comes from a stage in the transformation of the owlet into an adult owl. Owlets bathe shortly before they are prepared to learn to fly.
Far from being moralizing, this book is absorbing and teaches reverence for all beings, from people to owls and trees. A recommended read for children, parents and teachers.
 I love owls. They're one of my favorite birds. April 4, 2003
3 out of 4 found this review helpful
I liked "There's an owl in the shower very much. It warmed my heart and made me cry and laugh. It's one of my most favorite books of all time. I read it when I was in fourth or fifth grade When I was 9 or 10, and still I love it. When ever I remember it brings a tear to my eye. Especially the part of the owl being tooken in by a good stranger. Just proves that they're good people out there and good people wanting to come out and need a little help coming out.
There's an owl in the shower March 28, 2003
2 out of 2 found this review helpful
My name is Jamie Harrison. I like the book There's an owl in the shower. I would have given it a 5 star but the ending killed the book. The book is about a boy named Borden who finds an owl and he thinks it's a barred owl but's it's really a spotted owl.I wont tell you anymore so you better read it to find out!
 Hey!!! March 28, 2003
2 out of 2 found this review helpful
Hey,
I like this book ALOT the only thing that was bad was the the words in the book that was not nice at all. But i like the rest of the book exsept the ending (it was real sad). But other than that it was so cool. SO all i have to say to cool readers is......READ THE BOOK (you'll like it)!
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Wildlife, nature and the Environment
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