About this item
We Bought a Zoo meets Jurassic Park in a gripping story set in an elephant sanctuary, featuring the perennial appeal of human-animal friendships.Samantha (Sam) lives at the elephant sanctuary her dad runs and views the elephants there as much a part of her family as her single dad is. When a beloved elephant dies in childbirth, Sam develops a special connection with the baby, named Woolly because she has an unusual amount of hair. It soon becomes apparent that Woolly is . . . different. Woolly's mother was part of a special breeding project, and Woolly's DNA is not elephant but that of a rare specimen -- a woolly mammoth -- procured by the eccentric billionaire genius who runs the program. He will stop at nothing to protect Woolly, his multimillion-dollar investment, even it means turning Sam and her dad's world upside-down.
About the Author
Eric was born in Toronto in 1957, which makes him "real old". But, as Eric says, "Just because I have to grow old doesn't mean that I have to grow up!" In his many roles as parent, teacher, social worker, youth sports coach and writer he is in constant contact with children and young adults. He draws from these experiences and feels that this helps him to capture the realistic interaction between young people - the conflicts, tensions, stresses and interests that make up their lives. Eric began his writing as a teacher. He taught in classes from kindergarten up and his stories often reflect the curriculum that he was teaching. He always read stories - picture books and novels - to his students and this helped him to understand what children liked, responded to, and were inspired by. He enjoys the enthusiasm of his students and often looks at them to provide him with the inspiration to pursue a particular topic in both the classroom and in his writing. Eric tries to write every day. When he has a story idea he starts with research. This could involve reading books, watching a documentary, or trying to experience the things that his characters are going to go through. This could include rock climbing or riding white water (for STARS) , spending time in a wheelchair (Rebound) , playing and walking with tigers (Tiger By The Tail) , hanging around a tough biker bar (Diamonds in the Rough) , standing out in his backyard in a blizzard wearing a T-shirt and shorts (Trapped In Ice) , or traveling to Africa (Alexandria of Africa) ."The most important thing anybody ever told me about writing was to write what you know . . . and the only way to get to know things is to do your homework and research before you write," Eric stated. Once the writing begins the story is always playing around in his head. He takes any opportunity, even if it's just a few minutes between presentations, to put things down, either with pen and paper or on his laptop. Prior to entering teaching and writing Eric was a social worker (B.S.W., M.S.W., B.A.Hons - specialized major psychology) . He worked in a variety of settings including child welfare, private practice, a mental health centre, and, for twenty years on a part-time basis as a Crisis Social Worker in an emergency department. He stopped teaching 4 years ago and left the ER only last year. The majority of Eric's time is spent in the company of his wife, children and dogs (Lola a big standard poodle and a little white dog named Winnie The Poodle) .
