P. J. Petersen

Tracy, her brother, and the new animal care volunteer at the Jefferson Science Center travel by boat to feed a dog stranded by flooding, and end up having a full day of dangerous adventures, which give them new perspectives about themselves and about each other.

Mike has a reputation for not being able to keep a secret and he worries that he may reveal things that his classmates do not want known--from a surprise party for one of the teachers to a snake in a friend's desk.

Greg confronts his own fears and assumes a leadership role when his father is bitten by a rattlesnake during a white-water rafting trip.