The Big Spill Rescue Read online

  The Boxcar Children are helping endangered animals!

  The Aldens watched three beluga whales swim through the tank. One came close by to peer at them. Its mouth seemed to be smiling.

  “They are so cute!” Violet called, moving closer to get a better look.

  The Aldens’ guide, Kayla, leaned her elbows on the railing. “They sure are,” she said. “I love coming to the aquarium to see the whales. But we can’t forget about the animals that aren’t as popular or as cute. All species are important.”

  “Every animal should be protected,” Henry agreed. “Not only the biggest or cutest ones. I’d like to know how to help those other animals too.”

  The other children nodded.

  Kayla smiled. “I have just the idea. But we’ll have to leave the aquarium. Are you ready for a new adventure?”

  Copyright © 2022 by Albert Whitman & Company

  First published in the United States of America in 2022 by Albert Whitman & Company

  ISBN 978-0-8075-1016-2 (hardcover)

  ISBN 978-0-8075-1017-9 (paperback)

  ISBN 978-0-8075-1018-6 (ebook)

  All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher.

  THE BOXCAR CHILDREN® is a registered trademark of Albert Whitman & Company.

  Printed in the United States of America

  10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 LB 26 25 24 23 22 21

  Illustrations by Craig Orback

  Visit The Boxcar Children® online at www.boxcarchildren.com.

  For more information about Albert Whitman & Company,

  visit our website at www.albertwhitman.com.

  CONTENTS

  1. Help Needed

  2. A Day at the Beach

  3. A Perfect View

  4. Rude Awakening

  5. More to the Story

  6. Helping Hands

  7. A Clue in the Sand

  8. Off-Roading

  9. A Blue Clue

  10. A Change for the Better

  CHAPTER 1

  Help Needed

  “I want to touch a shark!” called six-year-old Benny Alden.

  “Shh!” Benny’s sister Jessie put a finger to her lips. “The sign says we should whisper.”

  Benny put his hand to his mouth. Then he whispered, “I want to touch a shark!” just as excitedly, but quieter.

  The Aldens were at the Port Elizabeth Aquarium. In front of them, a shallow tank stretched across the room. Inside, small sharks and stingrays swam lazily among rocks and plants. A sign above read Touch Tank. That meant visitors were welcome to reach into the tank through the open top.

  Grandfather put his hand on Benny’s shoulder. “You’ll get a chance, but first we have to learn the rules.”

  “That’s right,” said Isaiah Young. “Listen to Kayla. She’ll explain.”

  Mr. Young was an old friend of Grandfather’s. The Aldens were staying with him while they visited Port Elizabeth. Kayla, his daughter, was their unofficial guide to the aquarium.

  “Thanks, Dad.” Kayla spoke softly. “We whisper so we won’t frighten the animals. You should also move slowly. Put your hand right under the surface of the water. Hold it there with your palm down.”

  Kayla wore a blue collared shirt and had black hair that hung down to her shoulders. She was a biologist and knew all about the animals they were going to see at the aquarium. It was clear she knew what she was talking about, and some other visitors even gathered around to listen.

  The four children followed Kayla’s lead. A stingray swam toward them. As it rose in the water, Violet’s hand stroked across its back. She tried to keep quiet but let out a tiny squeal of joy and excitement. “It’s smooth and slippery,” she said.

  “It didn’t touch me,” Benny said sadly.

  “Be patient,” Grandfather said.

  “Are there other rules?” Jessie asked. She was twelve and liked to make notes about everything she learned. She couldn’t write in her notebook with her hand in the water, but she’d try to remember what she learned for later.

  “Don’t try to grab the animals,” Kayla said. “And don’t try to touch their bellies or tails. Instead, touch their backs.”

  “What happens if you touch a shark’s tail?” Benny asked. “Will it bite?”

  Kayla smiled. “These sharks won’t bite. There are about four hundred species of sharks in the world, and most are small and gentle, like these. You can handle them easily.”

  “We still need to treat them with respect,” Henry said. At fourteen, he was the oldest of the Alden children.

  “That’s right,” Kayla said. “We should treat all animals with respect. Here at the touch tank, the sharks and rays will hide if you scare them. But if you are calm and gentle, they’ll get curious and come out.”

  “I don’t want to scare them,” Benny said. “I want to make friends.”

  Benny held his hand under the water. His body wanted to squirm, but he tried to stay very still. A speckled shark as long as his arm swam toward him. Benny held his breath. The shark nosed at his hand, and Benny got nervous. Then it slid past, letting Benny pet down its back.

  “I touched one!” Benny grinned and clapped his hands together. Water from his wet hand sprayed into his face. He wiped himself off with his shirt sleeve as the other children laughed quietly.

  After a few more minutes at the touch tank, Kayla asked, “Shall we move on?”

  Everyone agreed. They were excited to see the other animals at the aquarium. After the children had washed and dried their hands, Kayla led the way to the next room.

  Violet walked beside her. “We don’t get to touch wild animals very often,” she said. “I’ve been to a petting barn at the zoo, but those animals aren’t wild.” Ten-year-old Violet loved animals. She hoped she’d get a chance to draw some during their visit to Port Elizabeth.

  “You shouldn’t touch animals in the wild,” Kayla said. “It can be dangerous. They could hurt you, or you could hurt them. The aquarium chooses animals that are safe for the touch tank, and the tank gives them places to hide if they feel shy. The workers also keep the tank clean and watch for any sign of disease.”

  “That sounds like a lot of work,” Violet said. “Why not let people look but not touch?”

  “Good question,” said Kayla. “Many people are afraid of sharks and rays, but here they see these animals aren’t so dangerous. Maybe after this, your little brother will fall in love with sharks. Maybe he’ll become a shark researcher someday.”

  “I could do that!” Benny said. “I already made friends with that speckled one.”

  They made their way into a glass tunnel. On the other side of the glass, water filled a huge tank. It felt like they were underwater with the fish! This tank held larger animals. Some of the fish were as long as a person was tall. At the bottom, crabs scuttled between sea urchins and coral.

  Violet pointed through the glass. “Oh, that one is pretty. It looks like an orca, but it’s too small. Is it a baby?”

  “That is a Hector’s dolphin,” Kayla said.

  The dolphin was mostly black. It had white from its chin down its belly. The black-and-white pattern had reminded Violet of an orca, which she knew was the largest member of the dolphin family.

  “Hector’s dolphins are the smallest marine dolphins in the world,” Kayla said. “They are very rare and very endangered.”

  Benny frowned. “Are they in-dangered from people?”

  “The word is endangered,” Jessie said.

  “Endangered means a species is at
very great risk,” Kayla said. “Only about seven thousand Hector’s dolphins still live in the wild. If we don’t help them, they might all die out. Then they would be all gone—extinct.”

  “That’s awful,” Benny said.

  “Don’t worry, Benny,” said Henry. “Lots of people help protect animals. Right, Kayla?”

  “That’s right!” Kayla said. “There are many conservation groups that help. I work for one called Protectors of Animals Worldwide, or PAW.”

  Violet watched the dolphin as it swooped through the water. It swam close to the glass. Then it turned on its side, flicked its tail, and zipped away. It circled back around and wiggled as it passed by once more.

  “It’s dancing!” Benny said. He went up to the glass and started wiggling, trying to copy the dolphin’s moves.

  “You called this a marine dolphin,” Violet said. “Marine means it lives in the ocean, right?”

  “That’s right,” Kayla said. “Most dolphins live in the ocean, but a few live in rivers.”

  Benny spun around. “Will we see one of these dolphins in the ocean?”

  “I don’t think so.” Kayla smiled. “Hector’s dolphins live near New Zealand.”

  “That’s on the other side of the world,” Henry explained.

  Benny sighed. “That’s a long way. Maybe someday we can go.”

  “That would be quite an adventure,” Grandfather said.

  “I like adventures!” Benny raised his arms over his head as a sea turtle swam up to the glass. It looked like it wondered what Benny was doing. “We’ve had a lot of adventures,” Benny told Kayla.

  “Oh really?” she asked.

  “It’s true,” Henry said. “We like to help people and solve mysteries.”

  “We like to help animals too,” Violet added.

  “I try to help animals,” Kayla said. “I don’t think I’ve ever solved a mystery though.”

  Benny smiled up at her. “That’s okay. Maybe we’ll find one for you while we’re here.”

  Kayla laughed.

  Grandfather said, “Don’t be surprised if it happens. My grandkids always find something to get into.”

  The Aldens’ adventures had started when the children ran away from home. After their parents had died, they’d heard their grandfather was mean, so they hid in the woods and lived in an old boxcar they found. That had been their first adventure. Then they met their grandfather and found out he was very kind. He brought the children to live with him in Greenfield, Connecticut. The children still liked to hang out in the boxcar—and they still had plenty of adventures.

  Benny skipped through the room. “Maybe someday I’ll get to travel all over the world. I’ll see animals and help them.”

  “Those are very good goals,” Kayla said.

  Jessie pulled out her notebook. “Can you tell me more about conservation? It means trying to protect nature, right?”

  Kayla nodded. “PAW has programs around the world. We try to save animal species, and that means we have to protect the land. After all, you can’t protect animals if they don’t have a safe and healthy place to live. Everything in nature is connected.”

  “What do you mean?” Benny asked.

  “Say a factory dumps chemicals onto the ground,” Kayla said. “The chemicals can wash into a river. They can flow into lakes or all the way to the ocean. What happens if you drop a plastic bag outside? It might blow miles and miles to the coast. It could get into the water and choke a sea turtle or seal.”

  “That’s terrible,” Violet said.

  “We’re always careful to throw away our garbage,” Henry said.

  “That’s important,” Kayla said. “Environmental groups like mine try to educate people on things like that. We work with local communities. We work with governments. Like I said, everything is connected. People are part of that web.”

  Violet looked back at the dolphin and drew in her sketchbook. It was hard to draw something that moved so quickly. “I hope more people come and see animals like the Hector’s dolphin,” she said.

  “Many people love dolphins,” Kayla answered. “Most people don’t know about all the different dolphin species. They don’t realize some are so rare they might disappear forever. Aquariums help teach people about all the animals in danger.”

  “It’s sad that there are so many of them that need help,” Violet said, putting down her pencil.

  Kayla put her hand on the girl’s shoulder. “It is sad. But isn’t it nice that people want to help? Come on to the next room. We’ll meet another species. This one is really cool.”

  Benny dashed ahead. “Penguins!”

  In the next room, penguins played in a large area behind glass. They waddled across rocks and dove into a pool of water. Through the glass, visitors could see them swimming underwater. Violet plopped down cross-legged. She held her sketchbook in her lap and drew.

  “The aquarium has African penguins and rockhoppers,” Kayla said. “These are the African penguins. Rockhoppers have funny yellow feathers on their heads.”

  “They’re adorable,” Jessie said. “Are they endangered?”

  “Sadly, yes,” Kayla said. “Of the eighteen species of penguin, ten are endangered. Others are vulnerable. That means they aren’t endangered yet, but there aren’t as many as we’d like. Rockhopper penguins are vulnerable. African penguins are endangered.”

  The group spent some time watching the penguins, then Kayla led them outside, where a railing surrounded a huge pool. Inside were the biggest animals yet. “These are beluga whales,” Kayla said. “They are found around Alaska and other northern areas.”

  The Aldens watched the three pale-gray whales swim. One came close to peer at them. It had a bulging, rounded forehead. Its mouth seemed to be smiling.

  “I thought whales were really, really big,” Benny said.

  “These are one of the smaller whale species,” Kayla said.

  Jessie read the sign. “They’re still eleven to fifteen feet long. That’s twice as long as Grandfather is tall, and the adults weigh more than one thousand pounds!” She made notes.

  “I bet they have to eat a lot.” Benny rubbed his stomach. “Like me.”

  “They are so cute!” said Violet.

  Kayla leaned her elbows on the railing. “They sure are,” she said. “I love coming to the aquarium to see the whales. But we can’t forget about the animals that aren’t as popular or as cute. All species are important.”

  “Right.” Jessie looked up from her notebook. She thought she understood what Kayla was saying now. “Like you said, we are all connected. Bees pollinate many foods we eat. Snakes eat mice that would eat farmers’ grain. Some people don’t like bees or snakes, but we need those animals too.”

  “Every animal should be protected,” Henry agreed. “Not only the biggest or cutest ones. I’d like to know how to help those other animals too.”

  The other children nodded.

  Kayla smiled. “I have just the idea. But we’ll have to leave the aquarium. Are you ready for a new adventure?”

  “Always!” Benny said. “But maybe lunch and then an adventure, okay?” He rubbed his stomach again. “I’m hungry!”

  CHAPTER 2

  A Day at the Beach

  After lunch Grandfather and Mr. Young left to go catch up on old times. Kayla took Henry, Jessie, Violet, and Benny to the Port Elizabeth waterfront. They walked along docks, where shops looked out over the water. Wooden piers on thick pillars stretched out into the ocean. Some piers had small boats pulled up to them. Others had people fishing or taking photos.

  Benny jumped from board to board on one of the piers. He liked the way the wooden boards bounced a little every time he landed.

  “Watch out!” a fisherman called out. The man wore an orange life preserver and a flat-brimmed cap.

  Benny stopped. He hadn’t been very close to the man. He wasn’t going to bump him or his fishing gear. Still, Benny said he was sorry.

  Henry stood next to hi
s brother. “He didn’t do anything wrong.”

  “Well, maybe not.” The man lifted his cap and pushed back his blond hair. “I guess I was afraid the bouncing might make my fishing pole fall.” The man had a patch of sunburn on his nose. Benny noticed his burned nose almost matched his orange life preserver.

  Kayla and the girls gathered around. The man held out his hand to Kayla. “I’m Austin Green. I’ve seen you around.”

  Kayla introduced herself and shook his hand. Then she introduced the children.

  Benny looked at all the man’s gear. A fishing pole leaned against the wooden railing. A big tackle box sat at the man’s feet. It was open, showing hooks and fishing line. A closed cooler sat next to it.

  “You have a lot of fishing stuff,” Benny said.

  “I have a lot more than this,” Austin said. “That’s my boat over there.” He pointed to a blue fishing boat tied to the pier.

  Benny tilted his head. “Your boat is blue, but your name is Green. You should have a green boat.”

  “Well, I like the color blue,” the man said.

  “I would call that navy blue,” said Violet. “That’s a good color for a boat, Benny. The Navy goes out to sea.”

  Benny tilted his head the other way. He hadn’t thought of that.

  “If you have a boat, why are you fishing here?” Henry asked. Henry motioned to the man’s life preserver. He thought it was strange Austin was wearing it on shore. “Are you going out soon?”

  Austin looked down. “Oh this?” He looked a little embarrassed. “No, I guess I wear it out of habit. Port Elizabeth is having a big striper fishing tournament right now.”

  “What’s that?” asked Benny.

  “Striped bass,” said Austin. He led the Aldens to a sign nearby. “The tournament is a shoreline fishing competition. No fishing from boats. That helps make it an even playing field for everyone. When I win I’ll prove I’m the best fisherman in town.”

  An older man standing by the sign chuckled. He had a fishing pole with a line in the water. “Wait until you make it to the top of this leaderboard before you start bragging. You’ve never won before.”