Puggleton Park

Gr 2-4–Penelope has lost her owner, her beloved lady, and is now “a lone,” wandering Puggleton Park. Then she meets Lady Diggelton who takes it upon herself to find Penelope’s owner and help her return home. But as time goes by, Penelope finds herself struggling to even remember her former owner as she grows attached to the lovely Lady Diggelton. What will happen when Penelope’s original lady is found? Set in 1800s London, this chapter book has an overdramatic tone and uses a conversational style of storytelling. Readers will instantly fall for Penelope, the lovable pug who tries so hard to make others happy yet has a weakness for chasing the taunting Dreadful Squirrel. Secondary characters are flat: a Lady Picklebottom who tries to send Penelope away as quickly as possible and a self-possessed Mr. Weeby convinced of his own dog-training abilities. The true love lies between Lady Diggleton and Penelope, who rise above the odds to secure their friendship. Messages about accepting change and being who you are feel somewhat forced into the story, but the love between pet and person feels authentic and genuine. Sarcastic humor and higher-level vocabulary words target older elementary students while the plot itself skews younger.