February 18, 2025 by Penguin Workshop
Copy provided by Young Adult Books Central
In this latest installment of this early chapter book series, Miles is envious of the other students in his class. Ms. Taylor has gotten three frogs for the classroom, and at circle time asks the children to share about their own pets. Everyone seems to have one but Miles. He had asked his parents to consider getting a dog, and they agreed to think about it if he could be more conscientious about his chores around the house, which he was not. When his great aunt Dee plans to go away for the weekend, Miles sees a golden opportunity in watching her dog, Mo. He can hang out with the dog AND prove to his parents that he is responsible. He forgets to take Mo out because he is busy with other things, and there are some indoor accidents. He also gets the opportunity to watch his friend RJ's hamster Herbie, but he doesn't put the lif on the cage and Herbie gets out. Luckily, the hamster is found, but Miles realizes that he might not yet be ready for a pet. He does get another opportunity to watch Mo, and does learn a bit about what makes a responsible pet owner.
I enjoyed Lyons' note at the end that talked about her own pets, and acknowledged that pet ownership is not always easy. Most books for young readers end with children who want pets getting them, but that's not always the reality. As much as I love my dog, he can be a lot of work! It's good to offer a realistic portrayal of this experience to young readers.
Spencer's two color illustrations that are spread throughout are fun, especially since we get to see all of the pets! This has a larger font, which makes it perfect for readers of other early chapter books like English's Carver Chronicles, Mills' Franklin School Friends, or Dillard's J.D. and the Barber Battle.
Miles' father is a professor of African American history, so it's fun to see the historical facts and brief biographies of famous people spread throughout these. I'm a huge fan of early chapter book series, since they can offer readers a familiar and comforting face, and encourage them to continue reading books. The nice thing about Miles' portrayal is that while he is clearly in elementary school, both his attitude and his adventures are also interesting to emerging middle school readers who might struggle with longer books. I always look forward to his new adventures.
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