Judith L. Li

On a visit to his uncle’s ranch in eastern Oregon, Ricky Zamora brings his curiosity and love of map-making to the arid landscapes east of the Cascades Mountains.  He arrives during a wild thunderstorm, and watches his family and their neighbors scramble to deal with a wildfire that grew from a spark of lightning. Joined by his friend Ellie, he sees how plants, animals, and people adjust to life with wildfires.  Designed for upper elementary kids, this sequel to the bestselling Ellie’s Log is based on actual historical, physical and ecological data about the region.

With the help of new friends, Ricky and Ellie discover a fascinating variety of wildlife and  habitats during their weekend visit to the city of Portland. As young citizen scientists they use their observations to map out wildlife connections across the city while they make contributions to regional databases.