Scary Stories for Young Foxes

Mia is a clever young vixen who goes to lessons each day with her siblings.  Ms. Vix is the best teacher they could hope for, and life is happy until the day the yellow shows up.  They can all smell it, that strange scent, unlike any natural fox scent.  They may not understand it, but the quickly realize it makes creatures act strange and violent.  Mia and her mother are the only ones to escape, but escape means they are now without a home and vulnerable to other dangers.

Uly was born was an undeveloped forepaw.  He can't even clean his own ears without falling over, let alone hunt.  His sisters take every opportunity to mock and tease him, but it isn't until his absent father returns that he knows real fear.  Mr. Scratch doesn't tolerate weakness, especially in his own son, so Uly must run for his life, but how long can a fox with only three legs survive on his own?

The trials and adventures of these two young foxes are told as a series of stories to a group of young fox kits who cower at the thought of all the dangers in the wild.  Each story seems worse than the last, and it is hard to believe Mia and Uly will survive.

Christian McKay Heidicker's book is a different kind of scary story with animals as protagonists and the very real dangers of life as wild animals from rabies, to larger hunters, to a very creep story about a Ms. Potter that had me doing some research.  This is for the young reader who likes a creepy story and won't balk at some realistic animal behavior--like eating baby squirrels.