You may think that you just have a pet bird, but the birds people keep as pets are very close to their wild ancestors. Finding out more about the wild side of your pet bird will help you give it a better life.

Explains how your pet bird is like its wild relatives and how to take care of your pet.

One day, a bear, a moose and a beaver go for a walk in the mountains. To make the hike more exciting, they decide to race to the top. But soon the friends fall into deep trouble. Who will give up their chance for glory to save the day?

Pet snakes are very similar to snakes in the wild. There are many snakes that live in the wild as well as in captivity. If you are lucky you may have even seen a wild snake.

Did you know that hamsters belong to the same family as mice and rats? They are all rodents, which means they have big incisors which keep growing all their lives.

Compares wild and domesticated rabbits, including their living areas and habitats, physical characteristics, and social behaviors.

Lions and tigers can be wild, but so can a house cat. Find out what sort of wild behavior all kinds of cats are involved in. This approach opens up a whole new perspective on the life processes of animals, as well as pet care. The books look at why cats live the way they do (e.g. what they eat in the wild) and uses this as the starting point for giving appropriate pet care information. The unique perspectives of these books come from emphasizing the close links between pets and wild animals.

Research indicates boys are interested in reading nonfiction materials, yet most children's librarians prefer to booktalk fiction. Offering citations for more than 1,100 books, Gotcha for Guys! deals specifically with books to pique the interest of middle grade boys. A series of booktalks are grouped within chapters with like titles such as: Creepy-Crawly Creatures, Disasters and Unsolved Mysteries, Action and Innovation, and All Things Gross. Complete booktalks are presented in a beginning section of chapters 1-9. A second section in each of these chapters contains short annotations and talks for other books of interest, and a third section offers lists of well-reviewed titles to consider for boys. The book is enhanced with book cover art and reproducible lists for teachers and librarians.

Compares the habitats and life of wild mice and rats to their domesticated counterparts.

What bird is best for me? Birds come in all different colors and sizes. Some are loud, while others are quiet. Some are playful, while others are shy. This book can help you pick the pet that is best for you and your family. The American Humane Association has approved the top 10 birds, which are listed alphabetically.