• Age: 12 to 16
• Grade: 5

This teen YA novel is an impassioned look at the damage human pollution causes to earth's wildlife. Heroine Jane Ray is shy, a runner, and a sensitive observer of the nuances within her world. When she attempts to rescue an oil—soaked Surf Scorer, Jane's life changes. She becomes an eloquent spokesperson for animals, the wildlife rescue process and those people dedicated to sharing life with other living beings.

Diane Haynes
Author and animal activist Diane Haynes was a nominee for Canada's National Magazine Award (freelance writing). She wrote the "Animal Instinct" column for BurnabyNOW in British Columbia, and was the founder of the Haynes Scholarship for the Advancement of Animal Welfare at the University of British Columbia.

Diane has been teaching yoga since 2015, and she specializes in the Hatha, Vinyasa flow and restorative styles of yoga. She lives and teaches in New Westminster, BC.

Diane Haynes' profile page

"While Flight or Fight is an adventure story with fine Carl Hiaasen eco—warrior qualities, it is also informative to the reader, opening one's eyes to the many facets involved in wildlife rehabilitation. The final pages of the book include resources on wildlife rehabilitation centres and associations, as well as a quick guide on what to do if you fin and injured, orphaned, or oiled animal, and how to make your own wildlife rescue kit." CM Magazine

Flight or Fight

Jane is jogging along Vancouver’s seawall in Stanley Park when she sees a sea bird suffering from an oil spill. She rescues the bird, taking it to the Urban Wildlife Rescue Centre. This rescue begins Jane’s involvement with the centre and leads her to try to pressure the guilty party, a local shipping company, into taking responsibility for the spill of canola oil. The company strenuously avoids admitting to any negligence or wrongdoing, even to the point of threatening Jane. Events build to an exciting climax. This is an engaging read and a timely story, and the first book in the Jane Ray’s Wildlife Rescue series.

Flight or Fight

While on an early morning run in Stanley Park, Jane Ray is dismayed when she spies a duck floundering in the waves of Burrard Inlet. The unfortunate creature’s wings are coated with oil thanks to a nearby canola oil spill. Jane manages to pluck the bird from the water and rushes it to the local Urban Wildlife Rescue Center where staff and volunteers are already hard at work tending to other animal victims of this spill. This event proves to be a turning point for Jane who decides to volunteer at the Center herself, and discovers a passion she never knew she had for helping and protecting wild animals. In the process of trying to help the Wildlife Center, quiet, unobtrusive Jane finds her voice at last. She takes a bold stand against the company that caused the spill and tries to ensure that they are held accountable for the damage it caused, despite their steadfast refusal to accept any responsibility for the “accident.”

The greatest strength of this book lies in its realistic depiction of a wildlife rescue centre. It also drives home a number of important messages, including the fact that even one person can make a difference, and that the various creatures of the earth (and sea and sky) need the help of concerned citizens who care enough to speak out on their behalf. The fact that Jane goes through a period of feeling discouraged and ineffectual, but bounces back with the support of her family and friends, lends further authenticity to the story. While several questions remain unanswered and a romantic storyline remains dangling, these issues will hopefully be resolved in the next installment of this engaging series.