An appealing, doggedly upbeat tale.
In this first of a new series—a spinoff from Butler’s popular Kayla and King books—a young girl’s summer is suddenly filled with dogs.
When her grandmother falls ill, 9-year-old Hazel and her mother travel from their home in Chicago to Minnesota. Grandma runs a doggy daycare out of her barn, and Hazel and Mom are here to step in while she recovers. Grandma prefers dogs to people, and she’s less than thrilled at their arrival (“Guests, like fish, begin to smell after three days,” as she puts it). Still, she begrudgingly accepts their assistance, and everyone pitches in—including Mom’s longtime friend Mallory and her children, 11-year-old KC (who uses they/them pronouns) and 7-year-old Jonah. Butler balances doggy antics with gently presented moments of emotional awareness. When Hazel struggles under the weight of keeping a secret from her mother, Jonah points out that “tattling isn’t always bad.” And when Jonah inadvertently shares the secret with his mother, Hazel astutely observes, “Sometimes it’s hard to know what to do when you have a secret.” Authentic depictions of friendship and family dynamics and realistic opportunities for responsibilities and problem-solving are smoothly and entertainingly combined here. Hazel and her family appear white in Kote’s cheerful, clear cartoon illustrations; the visuals add to the charm and hint at some diversity among the other humans.
An appealing, doggedly upbeat tale. (Fiction. 8-11)Pub Date: April 7, 2026
ISBN: 9781682637234
Page Count: 128
Publisher: Peachtree
Review Posted Online: Dec. 26, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 2026
Certain to elicit both gales of giggles and winces of sympathy (not to mention recognition) from young readers.
First volume of a planned three, this edited version of an ongoing online serial records a middle-school everykid’s triumphs and (more often) tribulations through the course of a school year.
Largely through his own fault, mishaps seem to plague Greg at every turn, from the minor freak-outs of finding himself permanently seated in class between two pierced stoners and then being saddled with his mom for a substitute teacher, to being forced to wrestle in gym with a weird classmate who has invited him to view his “secret freckle.” Presented in a mix of legible “hand-lettered” text and lots of simple cartoon illustrations with the punch lines often in dialogue balloons, Greg’s escapades, unwavering self-interest and sardonic commentary are a hoot and a half.
Certain to elicit both gales of giggles and winces of sympathy (not to mention recognition) from young readers. (Fiction. 9-11)Pub Date: April 1, 2007
ISBN: 0-8109-9313-9
Page Count: 224
Publisher: Amulet/Abrams
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 2007
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
SEEN & HEARD
PERSPECTIVES
Wholesome? Yes. Proper hard work and teamwork values in place? Yes. Paint by numbers? Oh, yes.
Olympic gold medalist Morgan runs down the celebrity-sports-fiction checklist in this series opener: New school? Check. New friends? Check. New boyfriend? Maybe! New soccer team? Check. Inspire said team to take on snooty archrival private school? Check.
Quickly shedding perfunctory initial reservations, Devin sails into seventh grade at Kentville Middle School, makes instant connections in class and at Kangaroos soccer tryouts. She meets requisite bully Mirabelle at the latter, then goes on to be elected team co-captain. After a disastrous start to the season, she helps her team’s members and even the less-than-rigorous coach land on the same winning page. Following a sleepover, a dance, team-building drills and exercises, pep rallies, minor problem-solving and motivational strategizing, Devin prods the Kangaroos into position to beat the haughty Pinewood Panthers in a climactic rematch while also schooling Mirabelle, who has jumped ship to join the rival team.
Wholesome? Yes. Proper hard work and teamwork values in place? Yes. Paint by numbers? Oh, yes. (soccer glossary) (Fiction. 8-10)Pub Date: May 7, 2013
ISBN: 978-1-4424-8570-9
Page Count: 176
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: March 26, 2013
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2013
BOOK REVIEW
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