Zak Bates Eco-Adventure

Despite running his own zoo, Zak Bates considers himself pretty normal for a 13-year-old. Visited by Ra-Kit, a scruffy feline with some serious catnip issues, he’s ill-prepared for the life-or-death assignment that follows. With the weight of the world on his shoulders, Zak must represent the animal kingdom at a United Nations Conference on Global Warming, convince world government to stop poisoning the planet, broker interspecies peace, and diffuse an impending, bloody rebellion - just a bit harder than algebra!

In Zanesville, Ohio, a dangerous menagerie has escaped from a private preserve, and the situation threatens to spiral out of control. Francis, a spirit bear from British Columbia, is being held captive, and, to free him, the eco-adventurers will need to align with Chatters, a white squirrel. Though fraught with peril, the breakout might be a chance to mend the globe. 

Nia Gaines is the newest member of Zak Bates' Eco-Adventure task force - only, she doesn’t know it yet. When Nia’s parents drag her along on a business trip to China, the source of their affluence soon becomes clear: ivory, prized since ancient times for its beauty and never before so rare. In Beijing’s back alley curio shops, the prices are great...but what’s the cost? The answer will change Nia’s world.