Maggie the One-Eyed Peregrine Falcon: A True Story of Rescue and Rehabilitation

K-Gr 2—This is a story of how one peregrine falcon, Maggie, lost partial eyesight and became part of a program at the Wildlife Center of Virginia that teaches adults and children about falcons. Readers follow young Maggie as she begins to leave her parents' nest and practice flying. Her life changes when she crashes into a building and tumbles to the sidewalk. Fortunately, she is rescued and taken to a wildlife hospital. Vets ultimately decide her left eye is so damaged it will never recover. This means Maggie can never return to the wild, as peregrine falcons require both eyes to hunt. Maggie is then trained to work with wildlife educators to teach people about her species. The narration often reports from the unrealistic perspective of Maggie ("She dreams of catching her own food"), a possibly confusing concept for younger readers. Despite this small shortfall, this is a good addition to collections about birds and wildlife. The photographs work in conjunction with the text. For example, when describing her injuries, the text is accompanied by an X-ray of Maggie and a photo of her beak. Back matter offers more information about peregrine falcons, Maggie's family, and wildlife hospitals.