Marion Takes a Break

The Critter Club #4

by Callie Barkley, Marsha Riti (Illustrator)

When an injury slows her down, Marion counts on The Critter Club to help her realize what’s most important.

From violin lessons to training for an upcoming horse competition, Marion is scheduled to the max. Even though she always makes time for her duties at The Critter Club, she is beginning to feel overwhelmed. But when an accident forces Marion to slow down, Marion relies on her friends (the two- and four-legged ones) to cheer her up! As Marion’s ankle heals, she discovers a new talent -- and realizes that winning isn’t everything.

Genres: Animals, Childrens, Chapter Books, Realistic Fiction, Fiction, Middle Grade, Juvenile

128 pages, Paperback

First published July 9, 2013

Reviews

[Alana Robinson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really good book and the horse drawing are so cute! I also feel like they really talked about the animals at The Critter Club in this book. By the way, now I want to take horse riding lessons! :D and LOL

[Stacey · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed reading this with Ellie. This is a sweet series and perfect for young readers transitioning to chapter books. It is predictable, but that reinforces comprehension skills.

[Chloe (Always Booked) · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was so relatable! Marion sprains her ankle and can't ride in her upcoming horse show. There is so much she can't do and its kind of depressing but then she finds joy in what she CAN do. Love this series!

[Carina Martin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pretty good book but she needs a cast.

[Katt Hansen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've never been so happy to see a kid get injured. Seriously. Marion truly is overdoing it with all of her lessons and competitions and obligations. A badly sprained ankle is just what she needs to STOP for once and give the world around her a solid look.

A lot of kids will relate to this story I think. It's definitely a modern trend to make kids as busy as possible it seems, and having too many directions to run in can be a difficult challenge for adults, much less children. Seeing how Marion copes with time off (which can be harder than you think!) is fun and well-written. The animals make the story fun. I especially loved the moments with her friends. Definitely recommend for those kids who love animals and are just getting interested in reading.

[Laurel · Rating 5 out of 5]

It was not more challenging because they have a series.
It was a little challenging because there was hard words to read sometimes.
I did not pick another genre.
No because they have a series.
Yes because it was entertaining so I took more time and focus.
My favorite character was Marion because it was all about her.
when she broke her leg. And she was so sad because she was not able to compete in a horse show.
I would not change the ending because the ending was so happy because she got to watch her sister.

[Srinivas Nittala · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved the book because it had a nice starting and then a problem and then a solution in a mysterious and emotional way. I liked that Marion broke her leg and she couldn’t go to the horse show but her sister won the horse show and she was happy about it. When they got home she had a surprise get well party for Marion. Her sister got a great job party and they got a kitten from their friends and family.

[Niara Sangwan · Rating 5 out of 5]

This story is about four girls that are hosting a party to find a homes for kittens.
Marion, liz, amy, ellie belong to the critter club where pepole bring animals.
One of the girls, Marion is preparing for a horse show but breaks her lef.
The story is about how they complete the job with a team member's broken leg.

[Michelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Appropriate for: all ages!

My 3.5 year old really likes Critter Club and I do, too. The art is cute and the story always has a good message. I was happy this book focused pretty well on the Critter Club and the critters

[Chelsea · Rating 3 out of 5]

Read to Abigail tonight. This was a story about a real go-getter kinda girl who gets hurt and has to pivot and try some new things. Marion had some similarities in attitude to Abigail so maybe/hopefully she saw a bit of herself in the story.

[Boyles Kids Book Tracker · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm this book, Marion sprains her ankle, so she has to take a break from a lot of her favorite activities. In the end, she cheers for her sister, and her family adopts Ollie, a little tabby kitten with a hurt leg.

[Andrew · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great chapter book for beginning readers walking them through making decisions about priorities and dealing with failure.

[Awjtf · Rating 3 out of 5]

great series!

[Norah L · Rating 4 out of 5]

I like that at the end, Marion got the left kitty that no one else got.

[Grace Whitener · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved the baby kittens in it. Marion won 3 horse shows.

[Lydia Darais · Rating 5 out of 5]

GREAT BOOK!

[JoeAsia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ssshs

[Linn J · Rating 5 out of 5]

Den som stressar och presterar behöver ibland ta det lugnt... Och det enda som gör det är om man skadar sig, relaterar.

[Elena Gussman · Rating 5 out of 5]

All of the "Critter Club" books I read out loud to my four-year old sister and she enjoys them with me.

[Edward Loduca · Rating 4 out of 5]

This seems like a pretty good series and a pretty fast read. My 7 year old daughter hopes to be a veterinarian some day so it was perfect for her.

[Stacy culler · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read for my niece’s first ever book club! Will update after the meeting!

[Erica · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another Critter Club book that my daughter and I enjoyed. We didn't expect life to imitate art as I'm also recovering from a foot injury, fortunately without a cast.

[Jada Jackson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I think when you need to do something important you just need to chill and take a deep breath

[Tammy Landgren · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very cute book about dealing with your own disappointments, working within your limitations, and still managing to be happy for others who can do what you cannot.

[Creampuff · Rating 5 out of 5]

horse

[Megan Williams · Rating 4 out of 5]

A sweet little series for transitioning into chapter books! My daughter and I loved reading this together!

[Christiana Yablonowski · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent read aloud for my 4 year old. Characters are positive, friendly, and respectful. We can't wait to read more!

[Iyla Q · Rating 5 out of 5]

i like it

[Kate McGinty aka Caryn Caldwell · Rating 4 out of 5]

Marion spends her days rushing from activity to activity -- and excelling in each one she attempts. But when she sprains her ankle, this self-sufficient girl has to rely on her friends for help, while also making peace with her new, less-hectic pace.

As a character, Marion is fun and engaging, and the story itself is very accessible for young readers, with large type, short chapters, and plenty of lively illustrations. Many students in today's fast-paced culture will appreciate Marion's frustration when she has to dial things back a bit, while animal lovers will likely enjoy the kittens and horses that feature strongly in the story. Lessons on working together and finding ways to make a difference round out the story nicely, while not hitting the reader over the head with obvious morals. While this is the fourth in a series, it stands alone nicely.

[Carina · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm five and my mom is starting to read chapter books to me. The Critter Club books are a great starter series. We've read all the books leading up to this one already. In this book, Marion gets a serious sprain and has to wear a cast on her leg for several weeks. She'll miss her horse competition, dance classes, struggle with playing the piano, and have a tough time helping her friends at Critter Club. Luckily, her friends help her see that they don't love her because of all the stuff she does - they love her just because she's Marion. When the story used the word "envious," my mom paused and asked me if I knew what that word meant. I told her, "kinda angry and jealous." She was pretty impressed with my vocab skills!