Ages 5 to 8 years. Chadwick the Crab and Bernie the Sea Gull are worried that they are going to lose a good friend forever. Hester, a Delmarva fox squirrel, has discovered a book telling her she is on the endangered species list. Not only that, a mysterious monster is lurking around Shady Creek. All this happens just when Chadwick and Esmerelda are getting ready to welcome their family home.