If you have, The School for Talking Pets is the book you’ve been waiting for.
In The School for Talking Pets, Rusty Mulligan has a pet blue-tongue lizard called Bongo. His adventure begins when a talking cat appears on television and introduces Miss Alice Einstein (Albert Einstein’s great granddaughter!) and her new and exclusive school that teaches pets how to talk.
Five kids from across the world get the opportunity to spend one week at the prestigious school with their pets, and Rusty is one of the fortunate ones to be chosen.
But while Alice guarantees she can teach any pet to talk, Bongo is a special kind of lizard, and Rusty fears Bongo just isn’t the kind of pet who can speak. There are also some very shifty characters hanging around the school, and while Rusty is keen to teach Bongo to talk, he also wants to find out who the mysterious strangers are.
Can Rusty and Bongo find out who’s sneaking around the school? Will Bongo ever learn to talk?
The School for Talking Pets is a fun adventure filled with mystery, action and loads of fantastical. This is a book that goes deep into the detail, deep into the world. As Rusty goes on his adventure, we get to attend classes, meet new people and learn heaps about the ins and outs of the school.
I love this kind of story. It’s Harry Potter-like in its ability to immerse the reader in the story world and leave you craving to be a part of it for real. The details are lavish and they make you feel like you’re in the classroom alongside all the characters.
Peppered throughout the book are stunning sprinkles of black and white illustrations by Beth Harvey. Super fun and a lovely addition to this great book.
If you love junior fiction filled with adventure, rich characters and cool quirks, you’ll love The School for Talking Pets by Kelli Anne Hawkins.
Title: The School for Talking Pets
Author: Kelli Anne Hawkins
Illustrator: Beth Harvey
Publisher: HarperCollins, $16.99
Publication Date: 1 September 2021
Format: Paperback
ISBN: 9781460759202
For ages: 8+
Type: Junior Fiction
