Ben Tomlin and his parents move to Vancouver for his father’s new job with the university. Ben’s father is a researcher, and his project seeks to prove that chimpanzees can learn sign language, and this means having the object of the study as part of their family. Initially, Ben resents Zan’s place in their lives, but he is won over by the baby chimp. Their project attracts good and bad press and places pressures on the family. Despite the project’s importance, Ben is still coping with a new school, friends and his first romantic attraction. Everything is pushed aside when Ben’s father announces that the project has failed and Zan must be placed elsewhere. Ben’s attachment makes him take drastic measures to save Zan. Set in the simpler time of the early ’70s, this well-plotted novel weaves together themes of animal rights, family issues and the cost of animal research. The normal teen problems in Ben’s life ground the book nicely and prevent it from feeling entirely issue-driven. There are no easy answers, just a thoughtful portrayal of real people grappling with tough questions. (Historical fiction. 12 & up)
