Pet Sitter (Miles Lewis #5) By Kelly Starling Lyons – YA Books Central
About This Book:
From the award-winning author of the Jada Jones chapter books comes an illustrated spin-off series perfect for STEM fans!
When Miles and his classmates welcome a few frogs as class pets, it’s a reminder that what he really wants more than anything is a dog to call his own. But his parents don’t think he’s ready, and his attempts to show them that he truly can care for critters all end in disaster. Can Miles pull it together and prove that he’s responsible enough for a pet once and for all?
*Review Contributed By Karen Yingling, Staff Reviewer*
Pet ownership isn’t easy
Good Points
I enjoyed Lyons’ note at the end that talked about her own pets, and acknowledged that pet ownership is not always easy. Most books for young readers end with children who want pets getting them, but that’s not always the reality. As much as I love my dog, he can be a lot of work! It’s good to offer a realistic portrayal of this experience to young readers.
Spencer’s two color illustrations that are spread throughout are fun, especially since we get to see all of the pets! This has a larger font, which makes it perfect for readers of other early chapter books like English’s Carver Chronicles, Mills’ Franklin School Friends, or Dillard’s J.D. and the Barber Battle.
Miles’ father is a professor of African American history, so it’s fun to see the historical facts and brief biographies of famous people spread throughout these. I’m a huge fan of early chapter book series, since they can offer readers a familiar and comforting face, and encourage them to continue reading books. The nice thing about Miles’ portrayal is that while he is clearly in elementary school, both his attitude and his adventures are also interesting to emerging middle school readers who might struggle with longer books. I always look forward to his new adventures.