animal ark read-a-thon (books 6-10)
The world has been so heavy lately that chapter books have brought a much needed levity to my days. One thing that consistently surprises me about the Animal Ark series is the continuity it has developed going back to the very first book with references to each of the rescued kittens. Is this relatively unique to this series or was it a more common trait among scholastic books than I can recall? While you wouldnât be lost if you picked up a random entry, it has been fun to see how reoccurring characters continue to pop in, especially since small town community is one of the most important themes in the book.
Although I did notice this with the first few books, the role of religion, or at least the presence of the church, has become more noticeable through references to hosted events and characters like the vicar. Christianity certainly plays a role in the bookâs interest in family, morality, and community, but I wouldnât describe it as preachy. There are a few references to god, such as âgod created all animalsâ or reminders about attending church, but, at least for me as a reader, it functions more as a way to explain how this part of the world operates rather than to indoctrinate the reader into changing their own beliefs and behavior.
Also, there was a really funny review where someone said they didnât like one of the books in this batch because characters âtook the lordâs name in vainâ (James says âOh Lordâ when they get caught doing something) and because Mandy wasnât punished for misbehaving. My mom was so lax with letting us read whatever we want since she believed that reading was an inherently important and rewarding hobby so itâs strange to me what hang-ups people adopt.
With that preamble out of the way, letâs dive into the second batch, because there are some good ones here!
6. Badgers in the Basement by Ben Baglio
One of the central themes in this book is extending kindness to humans in addition to animals, which proves difficult when Mr. Bonser, a pig farmer, dumps off a very injured, malnourished terrier (who Mandy naturally becomes attached to and names Patch) not really caring if she receives proper treatment. Worse still, we learn that the Welford Wildlifers badger watch was canceled when itâs suspected that badger digging (a practice done to capture the animals for dog fights) drove out the last of the sett in Piperâs Wood. While searching the forest themselves, Mandy and James find an abandoned cub, later named Humbug, who they become determined to rescue.
As Patch gets better, Mandy becomes increasingly anxious about releasing her back into Mr. Bonserâs âcare.â She convinces James to go with her to scope out the farm where they find no pigs but can hear dogs whimpering and crying in a locked barn. Thereâs this side quest where they get a cast of tire treads left behind in the wood and Simon agrees to get a rubbing from Mr. Bonserâs truck when he comes by for the dog; meanwhile, the Hope grandparents are trying to look after Humbug who is quickly outgrowing his hutch. With slightly more evidence on hand, Dr. Adam calls the RSPCA and they send an inspector, Mr. Forrester, who actually recognizes Patch as âPaddyââa dog who went missing and was likely kidnapped for the digs and baiting.
The adults plan a stakeout with the local sheriffs and inspector, and some drama that leads Mandy, James, and her mom to Piperâs Woods when the diggers play a switcheroo on the location they plan to meet at. The suspects are chased off and Mandy finds a pair of tongs that helps them prove intent for badger digging. The book ends with the badgers happily returning to the sett, including Humbug reuniting with his mom and a sibling. Mandy briefly contemplates whether she might grow up to be a wildlife officer or RSPCA inspector, but she contentedly settles back to âvetâ upon return to Animal Ark.
Mandy makes a lot of decisions in this book that put her in dangerous situations, like going to the woods with James after they were warned by multiple people not to go there alone after the suspected dig or when she sneaks onto Mr. Bonserâs property to get a look around. She also crosses firm boundaries that her parents had in place by taking one of the animals at the clinic without permission from the owner when she borrows Patch to help find Humbug, who escaped and was driving her grandmother mad. Her heart is always in the right place, but sometimes she does push things a little bit far.
In contrast, one thing I loved in the book was seeing James shine in his element. Itâs clear that badgers are a specific passion for him and he was a big help feeding and caring for Humbug while reminding Mandy that they cannot treat him like a pet because he must be released into the wild when itâs safe. Both kids have a passion for animals, but a slightly different approach to how they prefer to handle difficult situations.
7. Cub in the Cupboard by Helen Magee
The next follows a similar story about hunting and animal cruelty. Within the first chapter, Mandy overhears crying and, sure that it is an injured animal, follows the sound to a terrified mama fox whose leg is injured in a steel trap; though sheâs able to free the vixen, only one of her newborn cubs has survived. James runs off to fetch Dr. Emily who warns them that there a significant chance that neither animal will survive being moved, especially since the birth was premature from the injury. Since Animal Ark is far away, they head to the Spry Sisters home where Dr. Emily cleans and stitches the wound for a safer journey back.
For two weeks, Mandy helps bottle feed Lucky the cub who thrives in her care; the mom, however, struggles to recover and needs more time. Dr. Adam reminds Mandy that they are both wild animals and now that Lucky is eating well, itâs time to step back and refrain from handling them. In parallel to the animal recovery, thereâs also a plot involving fox hunting in Welford. While delivering medication, they learn that Sam Western and Dennis Saville want to start a fox-hunt on the Spry sistersâ land since their father used to host such events; they also overhear confirmation that the steal traps were Samâs, but they lack proof to do anything about it.
Back at the clinic, Lucky has escaped and made himself comfy in the pantry so the kids need to find a temporary home for him. While asking around town, they find a second steal trap on Mrs. Ponsonbyâs property and her dog Toby very narrowly saved Pandora from getting caught in it. They also manage to trick Ernie with their classic reverse psychology to build a hutch even Lucky canât escape from. Things are going well until Lucky disappears again at the Cub Scouts auction, where he had been approved as a mascot on his lead; they learn that one of the younger scouts put him in the china cabinet that grandma sold to the Spry sisters and panic ensues as they worry that he will find the cub before anyone else does.
They bike over as fast as they can, discover a bunch of traps in the boot of Westernâs car, and are refused entrance into the house. Undeterred, Mandy and James sneak round the back and find Lucky, but are discovered by Western and his bulldogs. Initially, the dogs rush after Mandy and the cub, but when Patch gets frightened and tries to run away, they turn on the cat instead; this sets in motion the Spry sisters standing up to Mr. Western by firmly rejecting his request to hunt going so far as to say that their father was wrong to hunt in the past. They are so moved by Mandyâs passion for wildlife that they request for Lucky and his mom to be released on their land when they are ready. Thereâs a big send-off at the Spry sisters house.
What makes this book charming is all of the returning guests: the once deeply shy Spry sisters standing up for themselves and even hosting a busy event at their home; Mandy and James wondering who would have donated such an ugly vase and then turning to each other and saying âMrs. Ponsonbyâ in unison; Ernie being deeply generous with his abilities but still being a curmudgeon about protecting his pride and appearance; and thereâs even a running narrative about how disobedient Blackie is until Mrs. Ponsonby acknowledges publicly that âobedience isnât everythingâ while thinking about how Toby nipped at Pandora to keep her from getting ensnared.
Is it a little redundant after Badgers in the Basement? Maybe, but I found it deeply enjoyable as a more slice of life story with walking Lucky around town on the leash and assembling items for the auction. Plus, the Spry sisters telling Sam to suck it (obviously paraphrasing with liberty) was deeply satisfying.
8. Piglet in a Playpent by Jenny Oldfield
The book opens with a typical scene at Animal Ark with Mandy and her dad treating patients. Shortly after James arrives with his kitten, Eric, their classmate, Brandon Gill, comes bursting out of the clinic. Dr. Emily says that he was worried about his farmâs pig, Pauline, who recently had piglets and has been actively hostile toward the runt of the litter. Upon hearing that Brandon named the little one Ruby, Mandy and James are thrown by the contrast between the intimidating boy they know at school and the concerned farm boy their mom described. Dr. Emily agrees to send Mandy to the farm with a packet of food when the group discuss the possibility that Brandon couldnât pay for them leading to his quick exit.
At the farm, they coo over the pigs, but Brandon doesnât look happy to see them. After talking about the pellets, and watching Ruby enthusiastically feed, he relaxes and Mandy warms up to him in return. Things are going well until the piglets cause a ruckus chasing Ruby leading to a boar knocking Ken, one of the older farmhands, over and injuring his leg. Later on, Mandy and her grandmother go to visit Ken, who is staying with his hyperbolic sister Dora. He talks about how David, Brandonâs father, might close down the pig farm since he doesnât think his son can handle it on its own and it hasnât been paying off financially. Sure enough, Brandon brings Ruby around the clinic after she is bullied by her siblings again and he reveals his concern that his dad sees them only as dollar signs.
At school the next day, Brandon brings Ruby to his English class as part of his oral report on pigs. The kids start of by teasing him, but fall in love with how adorable Ruby is when she wanders around snuffling their shoes. At the end of class, Brandon reveals to Mandy that his dad has ordered him to put her down. This sparks them to initiate Operation Saddleback to hide Ruby long enough that she can grow big and strong. In the barn, they find an old playpen used for the younger Gill children and James MacGyvers extra protection to make it escape proof and weighted down. Her gains are consistent, but one day she escapes and Mandy and James go after her while Brandon keeps his dad distracted. Itâs not long before she slips out and the dynamic duo find her being fed sandwiches by Mrs. Ponsonby who agrees to keep their secret since she has always been fond of the Gillâs famous show pigs.
Ken stops by for a visit while on crutches and helps Brandon pick up training techniques and agrees to look over Ruby who manages to impress him. However, Mr. Gill tells Ken that the field is fallow and they donât have the space to move the herd while it recovers; both Ken and Brandon leave looking dreadful that this is the end of the line for not just Ruby, but the whole farm. In the next chapter, Dr. Emily gets a call from Mr. Gill: one of his pigs needs help delivering her litter and while praising Brandon to his father, she accidentally lets slip that Ruby is still alive and, well, thereâs a dramatic chase scene that culminates at Lydiaâs goat farm and she makes an official offer for the Gills to use one of her fields until theirs recovers.
In contrast to Mandyâs initial bad impression of Mr. Bonser being proven right, I really loved how she came around to Brandon and Mr. Gill after getting to know them and the dire financial circumstances of their farm. Brandon is deeply passionate about pigs and even though the kids at school, including Mandy and James until they visited the farm, found him off-putting, he really shines in his element. Likewise, itâs interesting that Mr. Gill is presented as having two sides: the pragmatic, hardened farmer trying who needs to keep his family afloat and the friendly, warm man who greets Brandonâs friends with a smile.
9. Owl in the Office by Sue Welford
Itâs autumn and we meet our titular animal, a baby owl, on the second page as Mandy scoops him up from the ground to bring back to Animal Ark since she and James could not spot a visible, reachable nest. Simon disapproves that she moved the chick and reminds her that with wild animals, nature does have its own course. However, he offers to call Betty Hilder at the animal sanctuary for assistance. After a quick exam by Dr. Emily, the kids pile into the car to the sanctuary. Itâs interesting during this chapter to experience Mandy expressing remorse because sheâs worried that her love for animals has led to her to do the wrong thing this time. Her mom turns it into a teachable moment asking her to seek advice first before acting.
However, there is bad news when they arrive: the sanctuary is short on funds and Betty has to close to the general public. She still takes in the owl agreeing to feed him until heâs well enough to be taken to the Longmoor Owl Rehabilitation Center, explaining to Mandy that this rehab process requires people with licensed requirements who follow a specific handling protocol so that he can be properly released to the wild. This will also be her last client since the sanctuary needs ÂŁ500 to cover maintenance repairs and meet the rent increase from Sam Western. At her grandmotherâs cottage, Mandy and James plan a fundraiser so that the animals wonât have to be put down and Betty can continue her important service; Grandma Hope suggests a pet show and James names the project SOS: Save Our Sanctuary. They go on quite a journey to find a hosting site for the event, but eventually receive an offer from Mr. Hadcroft at the vicarage gardenâso long as they pay ÂŁ1 for the church roof fund.
Just as theyâre in a positive mood, they witness a german shepherd named Sheba get hit by a car. Dr. Adam is summoned to the scene where Mark, a city guy hoping to move to Welford to purchase land and care for animals, explains the dog belongs to his uncle, Clive Moon. Later on, Mandy and James brainstorm for the pet show including the items theyâll need (such as a tent in case of rain), donations for prizes, and the competition categories. As they wrap up, Clive, who Mandy recognizes as a watercolor painter who recently moved to town, arrives to check on his dog.
Things start looking up as they acquire a tent through the Scouts, an agreement to put their fliers in the morning paper, help brainstorming prizes from Walter, and even though Ernie suggests pet shows are boloney, he might do the repairs himself. Itâs around this time that Mandy sees a magpie and Jean says theyâre bad luck; whether by coincidence or fate, things take a turn. For example, while scoping out the vicarage garden, Mandy discovers a lump on the viacrâs cat, Jemima, and agrees to bring her to Animal Ark. Dr. Emily discovers a tumor and requests permission to have it removed and sent for lab study. As they discuss the possibility of cancer, Mandyâs mom points out that sometimes the most humane thing is euthanization, which Mandy has a hard time reconciling. Dr. Adam also says itâs expected to rain the day of the show. As a brief silver lining is when Mark says he might know someone famous who can give out the prizes and draw in a bigger crowd, Mr. Pickard has acquired actual gold medals, and Mr. Moon donates a painting of Sheba as a raffle item. In her excitement to show the painting to her parents, however, Mandy leaves the medals on her windowsill and when she returns they are missing.
In the morning, Dr. Adam tries to cheer her up with the newspaper headline says âPop star to present prizes!â Throughout the book, Mandy had been thinking that Mark looked familiar and it turned out that he is a famous pop star. Mandy also learns from a neighbor that magpies like to steal shiny objects; with quick-thinking, and a borrowed ladder from James, Mandy retrieves the medals from a nest and the sun even begins to come out. The only thing bringing her down during set up is that her parents have been at Sam Westernâs farm on an emergency visit all morning and sheâs worried they wonât be back to judge; but they arrive just as droves of people and pets begin to show. From there, all is good fun and cheer: the prize for most unusual pet goes to a boy with a roly poly named Valerie, the lab results for Jemima turn up benign, Ernie offers to repair the pens for the cost of materials, Mark agrees to adopt some of the animals from the sanctuary, and they raise over ÂŁ600! After Mandy is announced as the raffle winner, Betty also tells her that the owl has been taken to the rehab center where he will be released in 3-4 months. All is well!
This was an interesting book because it actually had less to do with the owl himself than it did with the importance of animal sanctuaries and how communities can come together to fight against capitalist scum like Western and provide each other aid in times of need. Thereâs a lovely passage in the last chapter where Mandy reflects on the importance of this practice: âMandy stood at the edge of the parade ring. She suddenly realized just how many of the people walking around were her friends. And their pets were her friends, too. She felt proud to know them. They had all turned out to support her and James in their bid to save the sanctuaryâ (168). The familiar faces in this book werenât just fun easter eggs for the continuity the ghost writers have been weaving; so many people had stories about in connection to animal sanctuaries. Even Mr. Moon, who hadnât been living in Welford for very long, mentioned that Sheba was a sanctuary rescue and that supporting such non-profits is very close to his heart. Everyone pitched in what they could, no matter how small the contribution, and thereâs something charming and heartwarming about thatâespecially in the face of an increasingly pessimistic world that tries to convince us that we are too small in our neighbors to make a difference.
10. Lamb in the Laundry by Helen Magee
Originally intending to take the day off, Dr. Adam, Mandy, James, and Blackie decide to pay a visit to the Spillers sheep farm before having a picnic. The Spillers recently moved to raise their family and are in the midst of their first lambing season while Mrs. Spiller is ready to give birth herself any day now. At the gate, little Jenny Spiller says through tears that her mother isnât well and her dad isnât home. After a quick look, Dr. Adam returns and tells Mandy that Mrs. Spiller is going into labor and sends her off to find Mr. Spiller. The second she tells him, the sheep farmer runs back to the house. The lot agree to help out with lambing on the farm, and to watch Jenny, while the couple are at the hospital. This initiates the major theme of the book: neighbors helping one another during hard times.
The first half of the day goes well with several lambs born and a delicious picnic as a reward; however, Jess, the Spillersâ collie, indicates that she wants Dr. Adam to follow her. They are led to a ewe suffering from calcium deficiency; Dr. Adam gives her medication, but sheâs also close to birthing twins. After a successful birth, Mr. Spiller arrives home to announce that his son was also born. Following this episode, Mandy agrees to help with two projects: learning about lambing from Mr. Spiller so she can help out on the farm and assisting her grandmother with saving the cottage hospital.
For a few weeks, Mandy and James dedicate their time to both tasks, but trouble strikes at Fordbeck Farm when a ewe rejects one of her twins: a tiny, wooly black lamb. Mr. Spiller tells her that with his wife and baby, named after Dr. Adam, back home, they wonât have the time or energy to hand rear a lamb so another home needs to be found ASAP. Mandy uses her usual charm to convince her grandparents to take in the lamb, but disaster continues to strike: the lamb and Jenny are both missing and thereâs a huge crash outside announcing the collapse of the old shed. Blackie barks and whines at a fallen piece of corrugated iron and it takes all their effort to move it, revealing an unconscious Jenny. The Spillers get her to the cottage hospital just in time for her to have a blood transfusion. This lights a fire under Grandma to expand her campaign to a national level.
On their way to visit Jenny, almost everyone in town that morning passes on a gift for Mandy and James to deliver, but the little girl isnât interested in presents; all she wants is Blackieânot Jamesâs dog, but the little black lamb who she hid in the old shed. Mandy and James panic knowing that Mr. Spiller planned to bulldoze what was left standing. They make it just in time to warn him and he finds the lamb beside a missing baby bottle. Theyâve already got in trouble with the head nurse for bringing a dog to the hospital, but Jenny insists on seeing her lamb. Mandy and James sneak him in just as a film crew enter for an interest piece on saving the cottage hospitals. It ends up working in their favor, however, as the crew discuss a piece on petsâ corners in hospitals and how they can help patients recuperate. The nurse swallows her pride and enlists the kids to help her make a plan for the pet corner and a newspaper runs an article called âLamb Saves Hospitalâ as Blackie becomes the official logo for Grandma Hopeâs national campaign.
This was a breezy, simple book, but the scene with Jenny in the shed was tense and really drove home the messaging that small towns need resources like the cottage hospital. While other books have relied on the almost cartoonishly evil Sam Western as an antagonist, this time it was the British government itself focusing more on urban areas and leaving out more rural communities. Jenny was the central story, but there are a few others that come, too, such as Mrs. Spillerâs labor and delivery and the two other children in Jennryâs ward (one with a broken leg and another who had an emergency appendectomy.)
There are some repeated lessons in this one since the Spillers learn to accept help, similar to the Lydia and the Gills, but heâs much more receptive to Mandyâs aid early on in the book rather than that being the big final lesson. Instead, Grandma Hopeâs passion to fight for her ideals, even allowing them to blossom into much bigger projects, itâs good to see. Between Dr. Adam abandoning his one day off to help out with lambing and Grandma Hope being elected to the national committee for saving cottage hospitals, itâs clear where Mandy gets her own passionate spirit.
Thank you for reading! Ęáľá´ĽáľĘ
Want to share your thoughts? Reach out to me via email!