Chasing Bats and Tracking Rats: Urban Ecology, Community Science, and How We Share Our Cities

Gr 2-6--This work takes a unique and effective approach to educating middle graders on urban ecology. Rather than the clinical removal of a typical science nonfiction book, the author uses personal narrative and anecdotes in addition to more traditional fact-based writing on current issues in ecology. Each chapter introduces a friend in the urban ecology field with a pithy vignette about their interactions with wildlife or nature, and then a description of their field of study and its key issues. Especially delightful is the representation of urban ecologists who are frequently marginalized in science; all of the collegial friends she features are women and/or POC (the author is Black). She directly addresses how bias and policing against ecologists who are, for example, Black or Indigenous, hurts the process of science and, by extension, the protection of our ecosystem. The inclusion of real people with exciting careers and passions makes the book highly readable yet informative enough to supplement a research project. Importantly, urban wildlife, including bats, rats, bees, bears, coyotes, and insects are destigmatized and depicted as valuable city dwellers worthy of respect and tolerance. Her warm, personal approach to science is inviting, while Li's stylized illustrations are contemporary, fun, and enrich the text. VERDICT Acute yet entertaining writing on an exciting and diverse cohort of real-life scientists makes this book a wonderful urban ecology text for an elementary or even middle school library.--Mallory Weber