Holiday Hunt

Thanksgiving is a week away. Eleven-year-old Eli Mercer wants one thing more than anything else: to finally take a real part in bringing home the family's wild turkey.

But the woods have other plans.

Fresh tracks appear along the edge of Mercer Farm. A trail camera catches something moving through the trees. The goats need watching. The weather refuses to cooperate. And the first turkey Eli finally sees presents him with a decision far more important than whether he can take the shot.

With his dad beside him, Eli begins to discover that hunting is about much more than bringing home an animal.

It is about patience.

Preparation.

Knowing what you are looking at before you act.

Understanding what lies beyond your target.

Taking responsibility for what you harvest.

And sometimes realizing that being able to take an animal does not mean you should.

As Thanksgiving approaches, Eli helps bring in the last corn and potatoes from the family farm, learns to read the signs wildlife leaves behind, experiences the excitement and weight of his first successful harvest-and comes face-to-face with the wolf he has spent the entire week wondering about.

Holiday Hunt is a warm, adventurous middle-grade story about hunting, family, farm life, conservation, responsibility, and the lessons children learn when adults trust them enough to make meaningful decisions.

Along the way, young readers will discover:

• How responsible hunters prepare before entering the field

• Why a safe hunt can end without a shot

• How tracks and other animal signs tell only part of a story

• What wild turkeys are really like

• Why predators matter

• How food travels from field and forest to the Thanksgiving table

• Why respecting wildlife includes knowing both when to take-and when to let something wild walk away

Perfect for readers ages 8-12 who enjoy outdoor adventure, hunting, wildlife, farms, nature, family stories, and books about growing into responsibility.

One farm. One Thanksgiving. One week that changes the way Eli sees the woods forever.