"Ellie McDoodle: Best Friends Fur-Ever" by Ruth McNally Barshaw

Ellie McDoodle, a hybrid of Greg Heffley ("Diary of a Wimpy Kid") and Amelia ("Amelia's Notebook"), faces the challenges of pet-sitting for a neighbor's parrot, a class project and hive-inducing presentation, and the threat of letting someone down in this quirky chapter book aimed at the tween set. Profusely peppered with animal facts, pet jokes, humorous doodles / visual musings, and simple instructions for making critter crafts, this book would appeal to the visual reader who has a short attention span for lengthy text. Although the animal anecdotes and factoids weigh heavily on the overall storyline and slow it down somewhat, they do provide particular appeal for those kids out there who just can't get enough of this kind of information. Ellie's family is endearing and their unique dynamics provide another fun layer to the humor in this book. Ideal for 8-12-year-old girls who love animals and drawing, it also provides a nice introduction to new vocabulary and fun jokes that are sure to make their way into the reader's social repertoire.