I have loved seeing everyone’s kids in their back-to-school photos these past couple of weeks. You know those cute photos with a little sign that tells the child’s age, grade, and what they want to be when they grow up? I’ve been struck by how many kids I know aspire to be vets or zookeepers – we truly have generations of animal lovers coming up. So for those kids, here are some suggestions of chapter books about pets!
Apple and Annie the Hamster Duo by Debbi Michiko Florence. Also available as an e-book in the Indiana Digital Library. Annie and Apple are a pair of chatty, restless dwarf hamsters from the animal shelter who are being fostered by eight-year-old Kaita Takano and her family. Kaita can’t wait to find forever homes for the inquisitive furballs; but first, she has to find them!
A Boy Called Bat by Elana K. Arnold. Also available as an e-book and downloadable audiobook in the Indiana Digital Library. For Bixby Alexander Tam (nicknamed Bat), life tends to be full of surprises—some of them good, some not so good. Today, though, is a good-surprise day. Bat’s mom, a veterinarian, has brought home a baby skunk, which she needs to take care of until she can hand him over to a wild-animal shelter. But the minute Bat meets the kit, he knows they belong together. And he’s got one month to show his mom that a baby skunk might just make a pretty terrific pet.
Dog Days by Karen English. It’s tough being the new kid at Carver Elementary. Gavin had lots of friends at his old school, but the kids here don’t even know that he’s pretty good at skateboarding, or how awesome he is at soccer. And when his classmate Richard comes over and the boys end up in trouble, not only does Gavin risk losing his one new friend, he has to take care of his great aunt Myrtle’s horrible little dog as punishment. To make matters worse, Gavin seems to have attracted the attention of the school bully. Will he be able to avoid getting pounded at the skate park? And how is he ever going to prove he’s cool with a yappy little Pomeranian wearing a pink bow at his side?
Frankie Sparks and the Class Pet by Megan Frazer Blakemore. Also available as an e-book in the Indiana Digital Library. The best thing EVER is happening in Frankie Sparks’s third grade class: They are getting a class pet! Their teacher, Miss Cupid, tells them they will vote on their pet, but it has to meet some “parameters.” Their pet must: 1. Fit in an aquarium. 2. Cost less than $50. 3. Be easily portable. 4. Be able to be left alone for the weekend. Frankie thinks that a rat–just like the rats in her beloved Aunt Gina’s lab–would be the perfect fit. But her best friend, Maya, doesn’t think a rat would be great at all. They are kind of gross and not as cool as a hermit crab, which is Maya’s top choice. Using her special workshop, can Frankie find a way to convince her teacher and her best friend that Team Rat is the way to go?
Happy Tails Lodge by Dee Romito. Jax and his twin sisters are getting kittens! The new four-legged members of the family will be coming home any day. And Fort Builders, Inc., has a new project…pet forts! Together, they know they can come up with the purr-fect hangout for the tiny felines. But they hit a major snag in their testing phase. None of the forts they test out is quite right. Can the team manage to build the best pet palace imaginable in time for the kittens’ arrival?
Mindy Kim and the Birthday Puppy by Lyla Lee. Also available as an e-book or downloadable audiobook in the Indiana Digital Library. All Mindy Kim has ever wanted is a puppy of her very own. After all, having all the toy dog plushies in the world isn’t quite the same thing as a real one! She wants a dog to take on walks, teach tricks, and cuddle with. She knows she has what it takes to be the perfect pet owner, and she thinks a dog would be a perfect gift for her upcoming birthday. But her dad isn’t so sure she’s ready for the big responsibility. Can Mindy prove to her dad that she can handle a new addition to the Kim household?
Sadiq and the Pet Problem by Siman Nuurali. Sadiq’s third grade class has no classroom pet! Not only that, but Sadiq has never had a pet of his own. So Sadiq gathers some classmates to help him solve this problem. What kind of pet would be perfect for their class? A lizard? A bunny? A parakeet? Soon it’s up to Sadiq and friends to convince their teacher and classmates that they have found the perfect pet match.
8 Class Pets + 1 Squirrel / 1 Dog = Chaos by Vivian Vande Velde. Also available as an e-book in the Indiana Digital Library. Running into the school to escape a hungry owl was easy. But with the door locked and an angry dog chasing him, how will Twitch the squirrel get back out? He’ll need a hand, of course. . . . and maybe a paw, a fin, and a wing, too. Can the classroom pets–including Sweetie the library rat, a snake named Angel, and the first graders’ Green Eggs and Hamster–help Twitch get back to his cozy home in the trees?
