By KELLY NIX

THE TALE of two girls on a quest to find an elusive wild buck in Del Monte Forest — and all the magnificent distractions they encounter along the way — is the subject of a new children’s book by a Pebble Beach author.In the “The Wild Buck,” written by Maxine Carlson, sisters Molly and Fern live in a “sprawling” house atop Huckleberry Hill in Pebble Beach but frequently venture outside, which leads them on a search for a mysterious wild buck.“The book really features the flora and fauna and unique setting of Pebble Beach,” Carlson told The Pine Cone about the book, which is illustrated by Drew McSherry.The girls, during their exploration of the forest, come across many other natural elements typical of the Monterey Peninsula; quail, woodpeckers, banana slugs, honeysuckle, huckleberries, Monterey pines, and the aroma of the Pacific Ocean.“And always misty fog,” Carlson said.The book, Carlson explained, features an important and relevant message for 21st century, tech-savvy kids, who are often glued to their electronic devices: get out and enjoy nature more often.“Have adventures wherever you are and really explore your environment,” she said. “You can’t do that if you are only doing screen time.”Carlson, 47, based Molly on herself, and Fern on her real- life sister, Francine, 45, both of whom grew up in Pebble Beach and were regularly encouraged by their grandmother, Frances Davi-Cardinalli, to go into the open and play. When they were growing up, iPods and iPads weren’t invented yet and the forest was their playground.“Back then we were always outside, and that’s what kept our imagination going,” she said.Nonna, as they called their grandma, was a good cook, and coming together to eat as a family was an essential part of their Italian heritage and culture. That’s why Carlson decided to include some of her Nonna’s recipes in “The Wild Buck.”The story is the first in the Huckleberry Hill Adventure Series, which Carlson said includes three written but yet-to- be published tales also set throughout the Monterey Peninsula, including one in Carmel.