PET PROJECT

A fostered Jack Russell terrier brings both charm and chaos into a young do-it-yourselfer’s life.

The assertive and vivacious narrator of the opener, Squad Goals (2022), returns in a more subdued version for a round of doggy mishaps and relationship chess. The former is delivered by a winning but opportunistic pup aptly named Buster on loan from the shelter where seventh grader Mackenzie volunteers. The latter arises from finding both she and new friend Sheera have feelings for the same boy, Mackenzie's longtime buddy Dickens, and also getting caught between Sheera and Yasmin, once-close cousins driven to feud over mysterious conflicts. Then Mackenzie’s already stressed mom is laid off, which further challenges her conviction that, as a maker, she can fix anything. Drawing on both of the themes in the series name, Papademetriou gives her protagonist turbulent emotional waters to navigate and also has her crafting cute chew toys (instructions for readers included) to sell at the shelter’s upcoming Pet-A-Palooza adoption promotion. The author also introduces even more of Sheera’s extended Pakistani American family whom Mackenzie and her mother, who both read as White, are getting to know and tucks in thought-provoking commentary from Sheera about why she wears a hijab and how it feels to be judged for it. Along with canine hijinks, the load is lightened by a concluding whirl of pet adoptions, repaired relationships, and other good results.

More conventional than the opener but still a fun romp.