A Boy and a Jaguar

Rabinowitz, A. (2014). A boy and a jaguar. . New York: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. Alan loves animals, but he is sad because he has a stuttering problem. His teachers have labeled him disturbed and have put him in a class for disturbed children. His parents take him to many doctors who can’t find a solution. Alan is only fluent when speaking to animals. Inspired by a sad and lonely jaguar at the Bronx Zoo, he promises that if he can ever find his voice he will be the voice for all animals to keep them away from harm. While in college, Alan is enrolled in a program that helps him speak without stuttering. Later he moves to Belize to study jaguars. There he convinces the prime minister to set up the world’s first jaguar preserve. Based on Alan Rabinowitz’s true story, A Boy and a Jaguar is the 2015 Schneider Family Book Award winner. This book can be used to teach a lesson on autobiographies and point of view.