What Happened to the ­Naked Mole Rat?

Gr 2-5–When the substitute teacher’s apartment has a no-pets policy, Carter is stuck with caring for his third-grade class’s naked mole rat, Mr. Pebbles, for the weekend, much to his dismay. After returning Mr. ­Pebbles to school on Monday and getting some breakfast, Carter returns to find Mr. Pebbles has died since he’s been gone, and his classmates are blaming him. With his grandmother’s magical necklace, Carter can see the ghost of Mr. Pebbles, and they team up to figure out what happened to the pet and clear Carter’s name using clues from what Mr. Pebbles can remember from before his demise. The art in this graphic novel is bright and fun. However, the deaths of pets, both class and personal, are often learning experiences for children, and Carter’s concern for only his consequences trivializes what should be a sad event. While readers might enjoy the humor of Mr. Pebbles and Carter’s enemies-to-friends relationship, the flippant attitude toward Mr. Pebbles’s care and subsequent death, and the suggestion a student may have caused his death, will only trigger more confusion around a topic that is already difficult for children. This book is the first in a series, perhaps involving another pet’s death in each volume, as another pet dies at the end of this book. Carter and his family are Black, and attention is paid to showing a diverse student body at the school.