The Kid that Needed a Pet

Life, for Ronnie Sinclair, is not as idyllic as it might be in the quirkily wonderful Oklahoma setting that serves as his home. Sure, he’s got a fantastic family, which marvelously expands thanks to his evolving relationships with a bunch of fascinating people. He lives in a sprawling ranch house nestled inside fifteen acres of natural wonder, with adventures awaiting at every turn. And the Arbuckle Wilderness Preserve is in his backyard, which is amazing because it positively explodes with opportunities for communion with the animal pals he so adores. But there is trouble in Ronnie’s life, too, and it’s starting to feel like more than just the garden-variety kind of trouble a twelve-year-old boy might expect to run up against. Ronnie is a subject of intense interest for a few neighborhood bullies whose plans for him grow increasingly nefarious as time goes on. In short order, he finds himself the central figure in a national terror plot that threatens not only him and his family, but the country at large. At last, Ronnie draws strength for facing his ordeals from his faith, from his family, and from an enormously affectionate pet skunk who recognized his special qualities from the start. In the end, the lot of them learn a universal lesson about the meaning of love—particularly when it’s applied to folks you were convinced were your enemies all along.