Review: All Pets Allowed (Blackberry Farm #2)

Title: All Pets Allowed (Blackberry Farm #2)
Author: Adele Griffin, LeUyen Pham (illustrator)
Genre: Middle Grade, Contemporary
Publisher: Algonquin Young Readers
Source: Publisher via NetGalley
Format: Ebook
Release Date: August 31, 2021
Rating: ★★★★

Goodreads Synopsis:

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.

Review:

Becket and her twin brother Nicholas are turning ten on their October 10th birthday. Becket wants them to make a joint birthday wish for a dog. However, Nicholas secretly wants a cat. When they’re taken to the animal shelter, their parents surprise them with both getting the pet they want. Becket’s dog is quiet and shy, like Nicholas, while his cat is outgoing like Becket. The twins discover that having pets isn’t as easy as they thought.

This was a fun story about getting a pet. Usually, children’s books show the part leading up to getting the pet, but not necessarily the challenges after the pet is brought home. Becket’s and Nicholas’s pets had personalities that were actually more like their twin. Becket’s dog would go off to have quiet time, just like Nicholas did, and Nicholas’s cat liked to be the life of the party like Becket. They had to adjust to these new lifestyles.

Becket and Nicholas also had to get used to new chores that went along with their pets. Becket had to train her dog, and get him fed in the morning so he would settle down. Nicholas had the shock of finding a dead mouse in his room, a gift from his cat. These are some challenges that come along with a new pet.

All Pets Allowed is a fun middle grade story!

Thank you Algonquin Young Readers for providing a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

What to read next:

Other books in the series:

• The Becket List

Have you read The Becket List? What did you think of it?