MEGAN THE PET WHISPERER
Megan's World, Book 3
Sonny's Legacy Publishing
by Pamela Foland
Middle Grade Contemporary
81 pages
Megan Thompson is delighted when Dr. Newton asks for her assistance caring for a rescued capuchin monkey, Monty. The rest of the vet staff is terrified of Monty; but from the first moment they met, he and Megan have a special bond. Three days at the clinic allows Megan to see the inner workings of a vet. Hearing about all the scared boarding animals, Megan wants to help them all. Unfortunately, the vet staff sees Megan as an annoying little kid not part of the team. How can Megan earn the staff's trust? Will she ever be allowed to handle any other pets besides Monty?
MY TIDBITS
This is the third book in a series, and although it can be read fairly well as a stand-alone, it does build a bit on certain characters and situations from the first two books.
Megan and Jill are getting their petting sitting service off of the ground, but immediately run into a snag. The dog they are sitting has hurt its leg—something the owners are sure not to like. But Megan remains responsible. At the vet, not only is the dog helped, but she meets Monty, a monkey called Monster because of his fierce behavior. When Monty immediately warms up to her, the vet requests that she help watch over him for a few days. Megan can't believe her luck, but it's only the beginning of her adventures.
I love how these books take a girl and various pets, and manage to bring across an exciting adventure while never leaving this thematic. Megan's world revolves around animals, and her care and consideration for them is inspiring. The author makes sure that the problems and solutions are true to life, which means young pet lovers also learn something along the way. In this book, Monty the monkey brings an exotic flare, but he isn't always on center stage. There's a lot going on, insuring there's never a boring moment. It's an engaging read the whole way through, which is sure to even grab the interest of those who don't necessarily have a super strong interest in reading about animals.
While Megan is a very kind, down-to-earth character, her obsession with animals is impossible to overlook. It's all she thinks and cares about, which makes her comes across a little unrealistic at times. Her best friend does add a dash of young teen reality, but this comes only in very small bursts. Megan doesn't really fit in with her peers, but this doesn't bother her, isn't part of the drama in the book and, honestly, doesn't matter for the plot in any way. Megan also has a tendency to speak like an adult, although her actions and thoughts fit better to her age. Although it makes her a little awkward, she's still an amazing character. Plus, it does leave the message that it's okay to be yourself and chase your own interests and dreams.
I can only recommend this book. The adventure does grab and is sure to make animal lovers' hearts melt. . .and maybe inspire them along the way. With it's short length, it's a quick read which won't scare more reluctant readers away and even keeps a quick pace the whole way through. It's a book especially girl readers ages eight to twelve, who have a weakness for animals, are sure to enjoy.
And here she is. . .
Pamela Foland grew up in Plano, Texas. Her love of animals started at a very young age. As a child, she was constantly bringing home stray dogs, and injured birds. She graduated from the University of Texas at Dallas with a Bachelor of Science degree in Biology and a minor in Business in 2005. As an adult, her love of animals has only grown stronger. Pamela has worked in numerous pet hotels as a dog trainer and is certified to teach pet first aid and CPR. All her experience with pets culminated four years ago when Pamela found and raised an abandoned litter of day-old kittens. Not able to part with any of these now-grown babies, Pamela enjoys going home to her "little munchkins" every night. This experience gave Pamela the inspiration for her series debut, Megan's Munchkins. Pamela will always have a special affinity with Megan because of their shared experiences. She truly believes there are few experiences in life more compelling than saving the life of another being.
www.megansworldbookseries.com
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