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Marvelous Middle Grade Monday
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Always in the Middle 

and #IMWAYR day 

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Unleashing Readers

Rice, Eleanor Spice and Wilson, Rob.

Your Pets' Secret Lives: The Truth Behind Your Pets' Wildest Behaviors 

May 28, 2024 by MIT Kids Press 

Copy provided by Young Adult Books Central

From the team that brought you Unseen Jungle: The Microbes that Secretly Control Our World comes a fantastic look into what makes pets of all kinds tick! Accompanied by Wilson's charming illustrations, there is information about a wide range of pets and their sometimes strange behaviors. 

As a dog lover, I appreciated that the book started with man's best friend... even if things got a little gross when talking about the different kinds of worms that dogs can pick up! Even though I am always good about giving my dogs heartworm medicine, it's very important to understand how easy it is for dogs to get worms, and I can see young readers convincing parents that this treatment for their pets is important, even if it can be expensive. There's a lot of information about cats, their nocturnal habits, and their hunting instincts, and even some discussion of whether or not your cat really likes you. (Even though I've made peace with my grandcat, I still believe that MOST cats just want to do me in!)

Dogs and cats aren't the only pets discussed. Why are birds such messy eaters? It's their job. It was especially interesting to read about the relationships that birds have with each other. I'm not convinced that I could make the life of a goldfish any better, but there are very convincing arguments for ways to do this. I wasn't surprised that gerbils and hamsters communicate through their odors, and I learned a few things about ferrets and rabbits as well. There's even a fascinating bit about reptile parthenogenesis, as well as information about tarantulas and lizards. 

This ends with information about jobs that are related to animal and pet care, making this a great book to read alongside French's How to Be a Vet. There are also a lot of source notes and internet sites for further research. There are several interviews with scientists who specialize is various pets as well. Rice is an entomologist, and does a great job of explaining science on a middle grade level. 

This was just the right length for pleasure reading even though it was packed with information. There's plenty of white space on the page, and Wilson't illustrations support the humorous and conversational tone of the text. Hand this to pet lovers and aspiring vets along with Keenan's Animals in the House, Brownlee's Cute, Furry, and Deadly, Mills' Guide to Kittens and Guide to Puppies, and books by Alexandra Horowitz, who has worked with Rice. 

Greenwald, Tommy, Greenwald, Charlie, and Pate, Shiho.

Best Day Ever (The Rescues #2)

September 17, 2024 by Red Comet Press 

E ARC provided by Netgalley

Moose and Bear, two rescue dogs, and their cat friend Tiger, are back after their adventures in The Rescues, settling in to their new home with Cathy. They have a trip to the vet that makes them a little anxious, but ends well. They fight over who gets to sit in the comfy chair, but decide that sharing is the best course of action. They also stay home alone when Cathy goes out, and have to deal with a very loud storm! The three friends make the best of every situation, and support each other with kindness. 

I'm a huge fan of all of Greenwald's work, and this collaboration with his son, Charlie, is delightful. It's about the length and complexity of an I Can Read book, and has illustrations that evoke definite warm and fuzzy feelings. I probably won't buy a copy of this for my middle school library, but will probably have to buy one for myself to go along with the first book that is sitting on my shelves. I am all in favor of any children's books that encourages adopting rescue animals! 

Palmer, Iva-Marie. Oh My Dog!

August 13, 2024 by HarperCollins

E ARC provided by Edelweiss Plus

Caroline Kline's life in Rockport, Texas has not been easy. The twelve-year-old lost her mother in a car accident, and Hurricane Emma wiped out not only her home, but her father Hank's florist business. Now, the two have an apartment, and Hank is working at the Fresh and Fine grocery floral department. Money is tight, and for her birthday, she and her dad go on a spree... but only for things she needs, and only at Bargain Styles. Caroline thinks wistfully about what life would be like if her mother were still around and things were just easier. When she is out skateboarding, she meets Stan George and his friendly dog Denver, and before she knows it, her father has talked to Mr. George and she has a job walking Denver twice a day for $20! This money will allow her to get some fashionable jeans, a new skateboard, and just make it easier to hang out with people like Kiki Page. Things go well until Denver starts to actually talk to her... in English. She doesn't believe it at first, and even after Denver makes a small miracle happen, Caroline would rather not talk to him. Caroline's best friend, Yumi, doesn't understand it when Caroline agrees to go to the mall with Kiki, and doesn't go even though she is invited. Caroline finds that Kiki is really nice, and has a good time talking to her other friends, but is worried about what Yumi thinks, especially after one of the friends says something mean about Yumi and Caroline doesn't stick up for her. Caroline and Kiki make a couple of funny TikTok videos with Caroline saying funny things about animals, and they get a lot of likes. Kiki even gives Caroline an old phone so that she can post more videos. When her father finds out, he tells her she has to give the phone back, but Caroline can't bring herself to do this. Denver keeps telling her that she needs to restore people's faith that the world is a good place, and that's why only she can hear him talk. It's a tough situation; Caroline needs other people in her life and wants to confide in Denver, but she is freaked out by the fact that she can understand him. When another hurricane threatens Rockport, Caroline is watching Denver while Mr. George goes to work on the levee. They decide to leave town and pack up the car, but at the last minute, Denver runs away. They both go chasing him... and a tree falls on their car. Hank and Caroline are both injured but okay, but they can't find Denver. When the storm ends, Caroline and Yumi go looking for the dog, and while they don't find him, they find other pets in need. They bring them to the courtyard of the apartment and take care of them. They alert the news, and make a big splash, which is good because Caroline had previously gotten some flack about her TikTok posts. The animals get adopted or returned to their owners, and when Mr. George comes back, Caroline finds out that Denver saved him, too. Caroline might not be able to restore everyone's faith, but she is doing what she can where she is. 

Strengths: I've been asking for more positive books, and this certainly is very positive. Palmer deftly steps around the faith/belief idea with Denver being sent "from the heavens" and not from god, which works well enough. The depiction of recovering from a hurricane is a good one, and the inclusion of friend drama makes any middle grade book better. I was so glad that Kiki was actually nice. The issue of social media and getting technology from a friend was handled very well. I loved that Caroline was willing to take care of lost animals after the storm, and that doing so connected her with a lot of new people. This was a fun, lighthearted story. 
Weaknesses: Even positive middle grade books still feel a need for a dead mother. I was a little surprised that Caroline didn't want to talk to Denver. If a dog had talked to me at any point in my life, I would have been perfectly happy to chat! Palmer makes Caroline's reaction make sense within the story; my objection is purely personal. 
What I really think: This is an excellent book for elementary school libraries, and the positivity is fantastic. I'm not sure if middle school students are going to believe that a dog would talk to them. I think my 6th graders would like this, but my older students probably won't pick it up. This felt a bit like a Patricia MacLachlan book.