Rescued

Rescued by Eliot Schrefer, 261 pages

“John grows up with everything he could possibly want, his father a businessman who travels far and wide. One day, he comes home with a rare gift for his son, a baby orangutan, and the two become inseparable friends. But as the orangutan gets older, stronger, less cute, the family relegates the animal to a locked trailer in the backyard. Until John's father finally decides to sell the ape to a roadside zoo. Coming to the defense of his childhood friend, John resolves to smuggle the orangutan back to Indonesia, and the two set out on a journey far more dangerous than John bargained for.” This was an interesting book that gives quite a bit of information on orangutans. The facts are not overwhelming and aid in the telling of the story, so it works well.  Teens who like realistic fiction about animals will want to read this and other books by the author.