Seaglass Summer

May 10, 2010
Eleven-year-old Poppy Ray's parents are headed to India on business. But since Poppy is "serious about becoming an animal doctor," she is sent to her Uncle Sanjay's home on a remote island off the coast of Washington State, where he runs the Furry Friends Animal Clinic. Poppy has prepared for this trip—even bringing her own first aid kit. She wants to dive right in and do a good job, but her actual experience with animals is limited, due to her mother's allergies. The bumpy truck ride that sends her suitcase and vet kit bouncing into a stream portends the rough road ahead. Banerjee (Looking for Bapu) covers some of the starker realities of pet care, from mopping up pee to the need to put an elderly cat to sleep. Sweet moments are interspersed, including the delivery of new puppies, though Poppy's rocky friendship with Hawk, the 13-year-old son of a cranky clinic worker, is not fully explored. While the scope and tone of the novel are simple, it's a quick, satisfying read that should have particular appeal for animal lovers. Ages 8–12.

June 1, 2010
Gr 3-6-While her parents are in India on business, 11-year-old Poppy Ray spends a month with her veterinarian uncle, Sanjay. She begins the summer with naïvely high expectations, planning to use her time healing and saving pets of all kinds. However, as her mother is allergic to anything with fur, life in Los Angeles has given Poppy no practical knowledge of animals or their peculiar owners. Her stubborn resolve to help Uncle Sanjay's clients brings her frustration, anger, and hurt, but a developing friendship with 13-year-old Hawk and meditation with a piece of seaglass slowly give her a more realistic understanding of animals, humans, and their relationships. In this realistic story, adults are pretty much hands-off, allowing Poppy to explore her new independence and grow with her experiences. Animal lovers will appreciate the warm, fuzzy moments, cry at the sad times, and feel at home in this rural island community off the coast of Washington state."Carolyn Janssen, Public Library of Cincinnati and Hamilton County, OH"

Copyright 2010 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

March 1, 2010
Grades 4-6 Eleven-year-old Poppy wants to be a veterinarian like her uncle Sanjay. So while her parents are in India visiting relatives, she spends several weeks with him on Nisqually Island, Washington, helping out at his Furry Friends Animal Clinic. Episodic chapters focus on the people and animals that Poppy meets, her efforts to do a good job, no matter whats thrown at her, and the difficulty she encounters in balancing dreams against some harsh realities. One terrific thing about this book is that theres no talking down, either to Poppy or the reader. Everythings on the table, from Sanjays fathers negative reaction to his sons career choice to the limits of care a vet can provide when a pet is terminal. There are many moving events here, and only the hardest of hearts wont soften when Poppy tries to comfort an elderly man whose beloved cat is being put down. Sometimes amusing, sometimes gross, and always true to itself, this should find a wide readership. Pencil illustrations enliven the chapter headings.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2010, American Library Association.)

July 1, 2010
A precocious eleven-year-old with an ambition to help sick animals, Poppy Ray gets a chance for some hands-on experience when she visits her uncle, a veterinarian and the owner of the Furry Friends Animal Clinic. With the help of her new friend Hawk, Poppy discovers that working with animals means dealing with everything from persnickety owners to life-threatening emergencies. A choice read for animal-lovers.

(Copyright 2010 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)