Acting Out

Vet Volunteers #14

by Laurie Halse Anderson

An all-new book in acclaimed author Laurie Halse Anderson's series for younger readers!

Zoe is back in Ambler after living with her mom in Los Angeles, and she doesn't know what to feel about it. It's fun to be back with the Vet Volunteers, but Zoe misses her mom, who is filming a movie in Canada. Meanwhile, there seems to be a rash of animals being poisoned by antifreeze across the town, and Zoe fears that David's new adopted cat, Rover, might be one of them. So the gang works to raise awareness about antifreeze poisoning, and Zoe's mom has a special surprise in store for everyone.

Genres: Fiction, Childrens, Middle Grade, Realistic Fiction

144 pages, Paperback

First published July 19, 2012

About the author

UPDATE! Rebellion 1776 is out! The New York Times wrote, "Filled with immersive detail, expert delineations of complex characters, and both harsh and loving reality, Rebellion 1776 provides young readers with a true experience of a historic moment in time that resonates with today's world." Huzzah!

Laurie Halse Anderson is the New York Times-bestselling author of many award-winning books including the groundbreaking, modern classic Speak, a National Book Award finalist which has sold over 3.5 million copies and been translated into 35 languages.

In 2023, Anderson was named the Laureate of the Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award, long considered to be the de facto 'Nobel Prize for Children's Literature.'

A passionate spokesperson for the need to combat censorship, she has been honored for her battles for intellectual freedom by the National Coalition Against Censorship and the National Council of Teachers of English. She lives near Philadelphia. Go Birds!

Follow Laurie on Bluesky at @halseanderson.bsky.social, Instagram at halseanderson, and Facebook at lauriehalseanderson, or by visiting her website, madwomanintheforest.com.

Reviews

[Tara · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love these books. This one discusses the dangers of antifreeze poisoning for pets and children. But it also discusses the hardships of being separated from a parent, even if you’re in a good situation. I like the insights that are shared on both subjects. And it’s just a good, interesting, well written story.

Everyone should know
Antifreeze is poisonous
To all living things.

[Books Kids Like · Rating 4 out of 5]

When Zoe’s mom lands an acting job in a British Columbia, she brings Zoe back to Dr. Mac’s place in Ambler. Zoe feels quite insecure at first wondering how Maggie feels about having her back and worrying about fitting back into school mid-year. The lack of any real communication between herself and her mother frustrates Zoe, too. Just after Zoe comes back, a young kitten is brought to the clinic. The kitten dies from the effects of antifreeze poisoning. Then, a dog comes in with the same symptoms. The vet volunteers find out that several other pets and some wild animals have died as well. There’s even a suspicion that David’s cat, Rover, has fallen victim to the poison. Zoe welcomes the chance to jump in and help her friends find the source of the poisoning. She, also, works up the details for an awareness campaign complete with a simple website and a script for a public service announcement. The other volunteers don’t cooperate with her efforts to film the PSA, and Zoe is about to give up when she gets help from an unexpected source.
©2024 Kathy Maxwell at https://bookskidslike.com

[Amandal · Rating 5 out of 5]

Its a great book that contains a lot of facts, i think that this book is a lot about friendship. The characters where well described and i almost cried sometimes. Its a GREAT book.

[Matchedmeow · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great story and brilliantly written!

[Jessica · Rating 3 out of 5]

See the first book in the series for a full review.

[Alexandra Lindner · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved it!!

[Mariana Morales-Titla · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really liked it a lot.