Yardi, Robin

Fourth grader Mateo Martinez's former best friend, Johnny, begins hanging out with some bike-riding bullies, leaving Mateo high and dry. Thankfully, Mateo finds a new best friend in Ashwin, an American Indian boy who shares Mateo's love for medieval knights and warfare. One night Mateo sees two skunks stealing his sister's trike. Vowing to get it back, Mateo begins his midnight war against the pair of thieves.

Simple text and illustrations introduce animal instincts.

"Warned by an owl, ten-year-old Mattie discovers that someone is secretly polluting the land near her aunt's Big Sur donut shop and sets out to stop them"--Provided by publisher.

Describes how some animals have instincts for doing things and others learn from their parents.

"Mateo, a Mexican-American fourth grader from California, spots two skunks stealing his sister's trike. He launches a crusade to retrieve the trike and soon learns that the skunks are not only thieves---they can talk, too!"--Provided by publisher.