Leopard Trail is the start of Wild Things, an exciting new series of realistic animal adventures which sets out to tackle tough conservation issues at the same time as giving readers a rattling good story. Award-winning author (Red Sky in the Morning, Kiss the Dust, Secret Friends), Elizabeth Laird puts her first-hand knowledge of Africa to good use in this gripping story.

When 12 year-old Tom Wilkinson has to move to Kenya with his family he knows he's in for a lot of changes. To make matters worse, he misses his friends, his little sister is even more annoying than usual, his parents seem tense and anxious, and he's been spotted by the school bully. Then he makes friends with Afra and Joseph and very quickly finds himself torn between saving a leopard from being shot down and protecting his beloved cat, Tiger. This is an exciting, well-written and thought-provoking story. (Ages 8 to 12)