New dog, no tricks!
Becket Branch has one birthday wish—a dog! Dogs are outgoing and friendly, and they live life loud, just like Becket. Becket’s twin, Nicholas, wants a pet more like him—a peaceful, quiet indoor cat. When their parents take them to the shelter to choose a dog and a cat, it should be Becket’s biggest BEAUTIFUL ALERT ever. But Becket’s dream dog, Dibs, turns out to be a super-shy scaredy-pooch. Meanwhile, Nicholas’s kitty, Given, loves being the center of attention and greeting visitors to Blackberry Farm.
Can Becket and Nicholas learn how to love Dibs and Given as they are—even if they aren’t exactly the pets the twins dreamed of?
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.
Adele Griffin is the National Book Award-nominated author of numerous books for middle grade and young adult readers, including the popular Oodlethunks, Witch Twins, and Vampire Island series. She lives in Brooklyn, New York, with her husband and two children.
LeUyen Pham worked in animation before turning to children’s books. She is the illustrator of the Caldecott Honor book Bear Came Along as well as the Princess in Black series, Real Friends, the Freckleface Strawberry series, and many other books for young readers. She lives in San Francisco with her husband and two sons.
“This attractive early chapter book [is] a welcome addition to the engaging Blackberry Farm series.
—BooklistPraise for THE BECKET LIST: “Charming and beautifully humorous . . . A sparkling story of weathering change.”
—Booklist, starred review “Becket is an outgoing, refreshingly self-confident protagonist . . . Readers will appreciate her ability to bounce back from whatever life hands her. Pham’s sketch drawings scattered throughout enhance the energy and humor of the story.”
—School Library Journal “Becket is a regular laundry list of confidently delivered safety sayings, and it's just one of her many original and sparkling traits . . . the storyline is warm and amusing as Becket and her two siblings navigate their new life on a farm.”
—Kirkus Reviews “An enjoyable novel for young readers beginning to explore the world on their own terms.”
—The Horn Book Magazine “Becket’s narration vibrates with energy and cheer…Pham’s black and white illustrations…have just the right amount of comic flair to match the vibrant humor of Becket’s story.”
—The Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books “Perfect . . . This fun and colorful novel will surely make you happy and brighten up your day.”
—Newsday
