Animal Sanctuaries and Rescue Centers: Saving Lives and Changing Hearts by Rob Laidlaw Ages 10+ 64 pages Fitzhenry and Whiteside December 2012 Hardcover     If you are an animal lover, Laidlaw’s (On Parade: The Hidden World of Animals in Entertainment and Wild Animals in Captivity) newest book about neglected animals will be hard to read at times. Fortunately, animal activists such as Laidlaw work tirelessly to protect them. This book focuses on animal sanctuaries and rescue centers, the people who work in them, and the animals they save from harm. After an introduction that explains the similarities and differences between an animal sanctuary and a rescue center, the author takes the reader on a tour around the world. Children will meet Sandra Pady from Canada, who saves donkeys, and Susan Tellem, co-founder of the American Tortoise Rescue. It’s heartbreaking to learn how the “farm” bears in China were treated or how Maggie, the elephant from an Alaska zoo had to live, but for every injured animal mentioned, there is an uplifting story of survival—thanks to human intervention. Labeled photographs appear throughout the thirteen chapters. The layout includes a variety of colored backgrounds, notes, and facts. It’s important that children learn and share this information so that they, too, can make the future brighter for animals. They can start by following the author’s advice or by accessing the online resources listed at the back of the book. This should be an essential read for a young animal advocate.     web reviews   Tanya Boudreau/2013 for curled up with a good kid's book   For grown-up fiction, nonfiction and speculative fiction book reviews, visit our sister site Curled Up With a Good Book (www.curledup.com)