Endangered, a National Book Award finalist!

Bonobos everywhere are thrilled, and we are, too: Endangered, a Young Adult novel by Eliot Schrefer that we published earlier this year, has just been nominated for a National Book Award in the Young People’s Literature category!

Endangered is the compelling tale of a girl who must save a group of bonobos — and herself — from a violent coup. The Congo is a dangerous place, even for people who are trying to do good. When one girl has to follow her mother to her sanctuary for bonobos, she’s not thrilled to be there. It’s her mother’s passion, and she’d rather have nothing to do with it. But when revolution breaks out and their sanctuary is attacked, she must rescue the bonobos and hide in the jungle. Together, they will fight to keep safe, to eat, and to survive.

Eliot traveled the Congo last summer to research bobonos, which he talks about below:

We’ve been having a ton of fun with Eliot’s mascot bonobo, named Rice Cake, here in the office, particularly on Twitter at @this_is_teen and @Scholastic — as you can see from photos like this one and this one! And we’re sure to have a lot more fun as this incredible news spreads.

Our congratulations to Eliot and Endangered!