Olivia and the Real Live Pet - Hardcover

Gr. 2^-3, younger for reading aloud. Olivia can't wait to get a real live pet for her eighth birthday. But her delight in her new parakeet is dampened by Kevin, a boy in her class whom she used to like but who now sneers at her and makes her miserable. The emotion in this first chapter book is heartfelt. Kids will be held by the excitement of the birthday celebration, the suspense about what kind of pet Olivia will get as her present, and the drama of the angry quarrel. Religion is a natural and unobtrusive part of Olivia's life: she says her prayers and goes to church and dreams of her pet. She's part of a warm, loving home. Both her parents and her teacher are exemplary; in fact, they're a bit too perfect to be true, but her snarling hostility with Kevin is realistic and the resolution of their quarrel grows right from the emotion of the story. Hazel Rochman