{Synopsis} – There's a big surprise for the Shelter Pet Squad: A group of sato puppies has arrived! Satos are homeless dogs — of various breeds — from Puerto Rico. The kids will help them settle in until they are ready for adoption.
Suzannah plays with a pup named Paloma until the little dog falls asleep in her lap. It's puppy love!
That's why it's hard, the next week, when a line of people forms at the shelter to adopt the satos. Suzannah should be happy that Paloma will soon have a new home. The only problem is… she's not ready to let the dog go.
Is there any way for Paloma to get adopted without breaking Suzannah's heart?
Animal lovers will adore this third book in the irresistible Shelter Pet Squad series by Newbery Honor author Cynthia Lord.
{My thoughts} – First off I really want to make note of how much I hope Scholastic Press will continue this series. I enjoy that it’s about a group of children that help out at an animal shelter. It shows that children no matter their age are never too young to make a difference. It helps to show that if you put your heart into something that you can be rewarded in so many different ways. There are a lot of children out there that can’t have animals where they live and this series gives them an option of an idea of how they can be around animals and make a difference in the lives of animals. Helping out at a shelter not only is rewarding for the animal but also for the pets involved. Every living creature deserves the feeling of safety and love. This series also gives step by step instructions of how to make some of the crafts they do in the book for the animals and most are fairly inexpensive and children could easily make them and donate to their local shelter with their parents help. I will be sad if this series isn’t continued as myself and my children both enjoy it. We also help out at the local animal shelter from time to time and it’s a very rewarding experience.
{Book Review} – Suzannah is the only child in the Shelter Pet Squad that doesn’t have her own real live pet at home. At school they are doing a pet day where students can bring their pet and talk about it, bring a picture of a pet or write a story of a pet they have or wish they had. Suzannah decides to do her story on a puppy named Paloma from Puerto Rico. The puppy had traveled along way to get to the shelter she helps at and needs a home. Suzannah is hoping that by talking about the puppy to her class she may be able to help the puppy find the home it so desperately needs.
It is a given that cute little animals and children mix together so nicely. Suzannah becomes attached to Paloma and wants to be able to spend as much time with her as she can. However, she understands she can’t keep her and wants to help her find her forever home. When it is her turn to talk about the puppy at pet day she and the class get a surprise. The animal coordinator at the shelter she helps at brought the puppy for the whole class to see and spend time with.
Does the puppy find a home with one of Suzannah’s classmates? How does Suzannah handle knowing she has to let go of the puppy and let it start it’s new life with it’s new owners? There’s so much going on within the pages that it’s a fairly fast paced read. If you want to know the outcome please please read the book and the other two books in the series. They are incredibly well written and well worth the learning experience that takes place between the pages.
Final Conclusion: 5 Star Rating.
