Anjali Banerjee,
Seaglass Summer
Wendy Lamb Books, 2010.

Ages 7-10

While her parents go to India to visit family, eleven-year-old Poppy Ray is staying with her Uncle Sanjay, a veterinarian on an island off the Washington State coast. Poppy wants to be a veterinarian so she can’t wait to help her uncle at work, even if her responsibilities are limited to animal grooming, cage cleaning and other basic tasks. Over the course of the summer Poppy gets to know her Uncle Sanjay better, and slowly develops a friendship with Hawk, son of the gruff woman who manages Uncle Sanjay’s office, as the two work together and explore the island. Poppy also discovers that her uncle’s work involves more than just caring for animals—it’s about being part of a community, and his relationships with people are just as important. She also learns that being a vet is emotionally demanding. It can mean helping a severely injured animal that may or may not recover, or euthanizing someone’s beloved, but aging and ailing, pet – a plot element handled with realism and compassion. This breezy, appealing novel is written with a light touch but plenty of substance, including a strong cast of intriguing secondary characters.

Megan Schliesman
October 2010