Haves and Have Nots — Arthur Mills

In The Haves and Have Nots, Arthur M. Mills, Jr. has written a modern day ant-and-the-grasshopper-style fable that speaks to the greatest concerns of our times, including politics, the economy, and the environment.

Tolmie State Park seems like a paradise for the birds and woodland animals who reside there with enough fruit, nuts, seeds, and acorns for everyone. Enough until one day, Mitch the chipmunk, observes an unfamiliar group of blue birds arrive, which he soon learns are blue jays. At first, the blue jays appear friendly, even warning Mitch before Coyote can pounce and make a snack out of him.

But things take a turn for the worst as winter approaches and the chipmunks try to warn the blue jays to prepare for it. When the chipmunks discover someone has been stealing from their own hard-earned stores, conflict ensues in Tolmie State Park and the repercussions look like they will be devastating for all the creatures and the park itself.