Alexa and Tod dominate A Rumour of Otters. Alexa embodies the need for young people to make decisions for themselves and bear the consequences.

In an effort to prove her resolve to be her own person, Alexa sets off alone to verify a story told to her by Billy, a Maori herdsman, who has said that otters, long thought to be gone from New Zealand, inhabit an isolated mountain lake. Alexa's quest is ultimately successful but at a cost that threatens not only her own life but the lives of a family member, her horse, and her dog. To survive, Alexa grimly commits acts that she had never even imagined.

As for Tod, he must prove his skill as a musterer and his compassion as a brother. Both are tested severely as his hasty decision on the muster almost kills a valued dog, and...