Review: All Pets Allowed by Adele Griffin

Living on a farm, we definitely have our fill of animals. And maybe, that's why I enjoyed the first book in this series so much that I couldn't turn down the chance to read the second, too. It's meant for those readers, who are able to conquer chapter books but aren't quite ready to dive into middle grade novels. 

Animal lovers, let's head into today's review! 

ALL PETS ALLOWED

Blackberry Farm 2

by Adele Griffin

Illustrated by Le Uyen Pham

Algonquin Books

Children's Fiction

198 pages

More than anything else—even more than the best birthday party ever—Becket Branch wants a dog for her tenth birthday. But her twin brother, Nicholas, has secretly been wishing for a cat. Lucky for Becket and Nicholas, their animal-loving parents have an animal-loving surprise for them: they’re going to the local shelter and adopting both a cat and a dog. It should be the biggest BEAUTIFUL ALERT ever, but Becket’s dream dog, Dibs, turns out to be a super-shy scaredy-pooch who is going to need a lot of training. Meanwhile, Nicholas’s cat, Given, is more outgoing and attention-seeking than the just-for-him pet he was expecting.
 
Laugh along as Becket fishes mice out of Nicholas’s slippers, puts bullies in their place, and tries, and tries again, to train Dibs—all while learning new life lessons and keeping up with her other farm chores.
 
With black-and-white drawings throughout by award-winning illustrator LeUyen Pham (Real Friends), this second volume of the Blackberry Farm series offers a gentle message about embracing new friends who may not match preconceived expectations.

GOODREADS   /   BOOK DEPOSITORY    /    AMAZON    /    B&N

MY TIDBITS

Every page packs energy and surprises as this character refuses to be steered away from achieving her goals.

Becket and her twin brother are about to celebrate their tenth birthdays...and it just so happens to fall on the tenth of the tenth month. Convinced this can only be the true sign of luck, Becket decides to celebrate big time no matter what her brother's wishes are. She also has decided that the two of them will make a certain, twin-birthday wish. But things don't quite go as planned...they might just turn out better, but with surprises, she might or might not be able to master.

I did read the first book in this series, but it's not necessary to read it as a series. While the first book does set the stage for the farm, characters and such, it was still no problem to dive right into this book. In other words, it can be read as a stand alone.

To say Becket is full of spunk is an understatement. She's a character, which says what she wants and doesn't let others barely get a word in edge-wise. Her determination and energy are inspirational, although this is also what causes her troubles. She's got a good heart, but sometimes, looses sight of what others might feel around her. Her over-eagerness gets her into interesting situations, and it's hard not to feel for her twin brother as he tries his best to often steer clear. Still, the sibling relationship is golden and full of ups and downs. 

The text is appropriate for the intended audience, and thanks to the lovely illustrations sprinkled everywhere, tons of fun to read. There's never a boring moment.