Aces Wild

Gr 4–6—After proving herself responsible enough to get her own puppy in When Life Gives You O.J. (Knopf, 2011), Zelly is back in this fun and heartwarming tale. She has a lot to balance this time around with Ace-the-dog and Ace-the-grandpa both getting into all sorts of trouble. Having moved from Brooklyn to Vermont last year, the 11-year-old is still having trouble fitting in and desperately wants to be invited to the sleepovers the other girls are having. The only way her parents agree to let her have one of her own, though, is to reenroll Ace in obedience school and have him pass the test. Her grandpa must accompany her, which isn't always easy since he is a rambunctious, sometimes embarrassing character who, among other things, is dating three different women. Readers will laugh along with this sweet story that is chock-full of relatable characters. Zelly's story is essentially a coming-of-age tale about moving to a new place, dealing with grief, and learning what is important in life. The end of the book includes Zelly's guide on how to train a dog as well as a glossary of Yiddish vocabulary and phrases used by Grandpa Ace. This book stands on its own, although readers will certainly be interested in what happened the summer Zelly took care of an orange-juice bottle in the previous book.—Kerry Roeder, Professional Children's School, New York City