Hazel Has Her Hands Full

PAWS #4

by Nathan Fairbairn, MSASSYK (Illustrator)

More heartwarming and humorous adventures await in the fourth book of this graphic novel series that is the Baby-Sitters Club for pets!    Summer break is just around the corner, and the PAWS team is gearing up for a busy season full of dog-walking, travel, and fun! Gabby’s got a packed schedule with about a hundred different camps plus playing host to her mysterious cousin visiting from out of town. Meanwhile Mindy is headed to her dad’s house for a month-long stay. With so much going on, the girls are looking forward to scaling back and taking it easy this summer. . . with one exception.    When the opportunity to cat-sit two new fur babies arises, Hazel jumps at the chance. Their new client’s house is even wheelchair accessible! But when everyone’s hectic summer plans mean she would have to take on the job alone, Hazel knows her overprotective mother would never approve. On the other hand, managing a side business all on her own could prove that she is much more capable than her mom might think…    Hazel soon learns that juggling multiple cats and dogs along with her own physical therapy—while also keeping a big secret—is no easy task. When disaster strikes, will she have the energy to make everything right by herself, or will she be forced to reach out for help and risk getting into even more trouble?

Genres: Graphic Novels, Middle Grade, Fiction, Animals, Friendship, Childrens, Young Adult

176 pages, Hardcover

First published January 14, 2025

Reviews

[Stephanie Affinito]

I have found a middle grade graphic novel series that spoke right to my inner child and brought me back to my Babysitter’s Club days of reading. The PAWS series by Nathan Fairbairn and Michele Assarasakorn is a collection of middle grade graphic novels that follows four best friends who run their very own dog walking business. In Hazel Has Her Hands Full, Hazel secretly takes on her first solo PAWS job in an effort to prove to her over-protective mother that, despite her wheelchair, she is just as capable as her friends. This book and this series has it all: friendship, representation, understanding, a page turning storyline and inviting illustrations that draw the reader in. You'll not only find fun inside these pages, you'll find a bit of yourself and an important understanding of others too. This series has made it to the top of my favorite middle grade graphic novel series.

[Joanie Whittemore]

Excellent disability rep with Hazel in this book! Not only is her disability and the dynamics of her mobility displayed, we also learn the importance of letting disabled people have their own freedoms and create their own boundaries! Hazel has to deal with people judging whether or not she needs her wheelchair, then dealing with her Mom’s overprotective nature. Hazel knows what she can do when she puts her mind to it, but learns that it’s ok to ask for help and even use different mobility devices for extra help. I wish I could portray just how much I love this book…especially as a disabled person myself! And ugh the kitties are amazing in this book hah!

[Lisa Krigbaum]

My fav in the series so far! Mindfully written. 🩵

Great for middle grade readers.

[Marisa]

Another great PAWS book. Loved seeing Hazel’s POV and balancing a larger group of dog walkers, and seeing Hazel try to cat sit on her own. Great resolution.

[Ellen]

My daughter wanted me to read this and I was pleasantly pleased with how good it was. I liked that the main character was in a wheelchair—that was different and cool to see some of her life. We didn’t know this was a series when we read it, so we’ll be checking out more in the series.

[Ashley]

To be honest i didn’t have high hopes for this book but I actually liked it a lot more than some others. I enjoyed how there were so many small plots along with the big plot and they all blended together well. I liked how all the characters had their own stuff going on in their lives (realistic 🥲) but all end up helping each other to the best of their ability. I enjoyed this book quite a bit!

[Jade qcbooklover]

4,5 / 5

Wow I love this series so much

This one made me emotional, it was so beautiful to see everyone come together and help

[Margaret]

This is a really cute middle grade graphic novel starring a main character, Hazel, with spinal muscular atrophy who uses a wheelchair. I have not read the rest of the PAWS series. I read this with my daughter, and she typically only wants to read books with cats in them, so I knew she would not give the other books a chance until she read this one. I typically don't review the books we read together because I honestly just don't have the time, but I decided to an exception with this one since I often review children's books with disabled rep for websites, and because this one has so few reviews.

I really enjoyed it! Hazel is the newest member of PAWS, a group of girls who walk dogs and pet sit in their community. Because of her disability, Hazel's mom requires another child to always be with her while she's working. This time, however, a disabled neighbor and his husband wants her to watch their cats while they're away, and none of the other kids can do it. Since the home is wheelchair-friendly, Hazel knows she can do it on her own. But her mom would lose her mind, something she has a bit of a problem with. So Hazel decides to lie.

My daughter LOVED this book! This is exactly her favorite kind of middle grade: light friend and family drama, humor, and CATS. Did I mention she likes cats? She asked me to check out more despite the other books centering dogs, so I have successfully found another series for her to devour.

I thought the disability rep was really well done. The authors, who do not share Hazel's disability, hired multiple sensitivity readers, and it shows. It's very nuanced and captured a lot of the challenges my wheelchair using friends have experienced.

[寿理 宮本]

This is my second impulse recommendation for a younger reader looking for "read for 20 minutes" homework books, and it apparently went over MUCH better than the other one, even despite being a book 4 in the series!

Said reader is apparently somehow really getting into Wings of Fire starting from the latest book, though, so I guess it's understandable that she would love this one, which is actually laid out well enough to be read on its own, like the Baby-Sitters Club (/Little Sister) (graphic novels). At least it gives me some hope that she didn't like Swim Team for the fact the story was just too much higher a reading level than the fact it's about specifically brown people, though the minorities in PAWS aren't as brown as in Swim Team.

Well, she loved a book about a wheelchair user, so that's something! Representation is definitely not a hinderance!

Naturally, *I* love the book, too, even despite Hazel's overbearing mom (haha, parents). It's very well-written, between the whole "if you can go without using a wheelchair for five seconds, you clearly don't need it at ALL" misconception—that's like saying, "you can walk from your house to your car, you clearly don't need a car at ALL"! The wheelchair HELPS the user save energy for when the short bursts of walking are more useful, like getting into a car vs. having to be loaded in by someone/something else.

It's hard to summarise all the good things about this book specifically! I'm so glad the young reader in my circle took to it so well! It feels nice having a recommendation land successfully! :D Recommended for pet lovers and/or readers with disabilities—visibility is great!

[Ms. Yingling]

E ARC Provided by Edelweiss Plus

After Gabby Gets It Together, Mindy Makes Some Space, and Priya Puts Herself First, we get to see the inner workings of the PAWS dog walking group from the point of view of Hazel. Hazel, who has spinal muscular atrophy, uses a wheelchair because standing and walking for too long is tiring, Her arms sometimes are tired, too, but she is glad to be able to move more quickly in her wheelchair, even if Nosy neighbors like Olga are condescending and pitying. She's not a fan of her mother's reactions to people like Olga, though, and wishes that her mother wouldn't get so angry. She also wishes that her mother would let her have a little more freedom as she is getting older. It's usually a good thing that the other PAWS members have to accompany her on their dog walking ventures, but when she gets a chance to cat sit for her friend Carlos in his wheelchair friendly house, she doesn't want to turn it down when none of the other PAWS members are available. The other campers have some challenges as well; Mindy has to spend time with her father and his new girlfriend, Heather, and Gabby has a housemate. Jill is from a farm in the country, and isn't impressed by anything about Vancouver, and even has horrible things to say about one of the dogs they walk, claiming a small dog is not a "real dog"! Cat sitting goes well for Hazel, but when her mother finds out that she is working on her own and goes to Carlos' house to check on her, the cats Eggs and Bobo get loose. The other members and their families scour the area, and do find both animals. Hazel comes clean to Carlos and his dad, who are understanding. Hazel makes her mother see her point of view, but also knows that it's time for her to use a motorized wheelchair on some of her longer journeys.

The authors did a great job using sensitivity readers and getting the information surrounding Hazel's condition correct. There's a lot of good wheelchair etiquette represented; the PAWS girls always ask Hazel if she needs help rather than just grabbing her chair and pushing her. I sort of wish that there had been a conversation with the unpleasant neighbor, because that could have been informative. I had a little trouble telling the other three girls apart, because it's been some time since I read the other books. These graphic novels are popular in my library, and I think they are quick, interesting graphic novels to read.

[Thompson McLeod]

Book Four in the PAWS series follows twelve-year old Hazel who has moved from Toronto to Vancouver. At first, she was worried she wouldn't be able to make friends or that some people might be mean to her, but she quickly makes friends with Gabby and Priya and later their friend Mindy. They happily welcome her to their PAWS group which stands for Pretty Awesome Walkers where the girls walk other people's dogs for pay. Even though Hazel uses a wheelchair, she can use her legs but only for short distances due to her spinal muscular atrophy.

With school almost out for the summer, the girls share their summer plans. Gabby is in too many camps to count, Mindy must visit her father for a month and Priya doesn't want to ride the bus twice a day to get to their clients' houses. Hazel is on her own: no one can help her with PAWS. Her mother has made it clear she is only to walk dogs with others, never alone. When a cat sitting job presents itself, Hazel takes the gig and lies to her mother telling her Gabby is helping her. Hazel worries her mom will find out, but she's too afraid to come clean.

Balancing walking the dogs while her friends are gone and cat sitting for her new clients, Hazel begins to get fatigued. She worries she got herself into a real mess. When the cats accidentally escape, Hazel turns to her friends and their families to help her search for them. One thing she knows for sure: In a crisis, people get together.

Highly recommended for fans of graphic novels and readers of the series. It is not necessary to read the first three books to understand book four; however, most readers may want to find the first three after reading Hazel Has Her Hands Full.

Grades 5 and up.

[Becky B]

Hazel is really enjoying being a part of PAWS and the friend group. They don't treat her any different just because she has to use a wheelchair most of the time. As summer draws near, the girls work to coordinate their schedules to make sure Hazel always has a partner for her jobs, like Hazel and her mom prefer. But when neighbors ask Hazel to cat sit for them while they are on vacation, and none of the other girls can do it, Hazel decides to try and do it on her own. She plans to tell her mom about it, but it never seems to be a good time. Hazel is too afraid of how her mom will react, but she also wants to prove that she can do some things on her own. Is this going to end horribly?
I understand why Hazel was reluctant to tell her mom about this, but it did make parts of the story cringy as you just wait for Hazel to get busted. On the other hand, I do feel like it was quite realistic, I know that many kids even with very loving parents feel weird talking to them about certain topics. I do like how the book ends, and the growth Hazel experiences and the growth in her relationship with her mom. They both learn important lessons.

Notes on content:
Language: None
Sexual content: None
Violence: None
Ethnic diversity: Hazel is white Canadian, her fellow PAWS members are Korean Canadian, Indian Canadian, and Thai Canadian I believe. Others in the community have a variety of ethnicities.
LGBTQ+ content: The neighbors Hazel pet sits for are 2 men who live together and have a pride flag out front so I assume they are a couple.
Other: Withholding information from a parent and doing something they may not approve of.

[Lori]

PAWS: HAZEL HAS HER HANDS FULL shines the spotlight on Hazel, one of the members of the PAWS dog walking/pet sitting group. While Hazel’s mobility is limited due to spinal muscular atrophy and she uses a wheelchair, that doesn’t keep her from taking an active role in the group. Hazel’s cautious mom insists that one of the other group members go with Hazel on their jobs. When the opportunity arises to cat sit for her friend Carlos in his wheelchair accessible home and none of the other PAWS crew is available, Hazel decides to take on the job on her own without telling her mom. Things are going great—until her mom finds out.

While Hazel is the focus of the book, the other girls in the PAWS crew are facing challenges of their own over the summer, including Gabi having a conflict with her cousin who’s visiting for the summer and Mindy visiting her dad and getting to know her future stepmother.

The book is a welcome example of representation of individuals with disabilities. Hazel is portrayed as a full-fledged, equal member of the PAWS team, but attention is also given to some of the challenges she faces as a wheelchair user. It is clear that the authors have taken care to learn about Hazel’s condition. The mix of friend and family drama paired with pets and a powerful message about standing up for yourself makes for another fun installment in this series perfect for fans of animal stories and friendship stories.

[Kay S.]

This is a really heartwarming book - centring a disabled character but not really making their disability the plot is hard. This book managed to make Hazel's disability part of the plot and the reason for it, but the real story is about her finding herself and helping her and her mom gain the confidence to let her do things on her own. Hazel goes through a lot and proves herself to her mom while, at the same time, showing her mom that her friends can be trusted. Hazel's mom does just as much in terms of character growth as she does!

As always the art is wonderful and colourful! I loved getting to see the girls' lives outside of school and how their small business is flourishing in new and interesting ways.

[Stacey Adams]

Hazel is asked to cat sit for two weeks and she's excited to do. She always has someone with her when she dog walks, she promised her mother. But when everyone is busy and there isn't anyone to help will Hazel's mom let her do it alone? Her mom is always upset and over reacting. Hazel tries to ask for her permission but the time is never right. Before you know it she's sitting for the cats and lying to her mom about it. But she'll never find out the truth will she? Hazel's doing a great job but is getting over worked and is very tired. Wanting to be independent, to see if she's capable, to try things alone has Hazel hiding from her mom who over protects and is worried about Hazel all the time. How can Hazel fix this?

[Me]

This is one book in a series dealing with a group of kids who pet sit/dog walk as a side hustle. The book abounds with diversity. For this segment, Hazel explains her disability of spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) in terms of how it affects her on a daily basis. The language is easy to understand and would be appropriate for ages 7 and up. Most importantly, Hazel is portrayed as a regular kid who just happens to use a wheelchair frequently. She is not to be pitied, nor is she an angelic, unrealistic kid. At the end of the story, the author presents a diagram/picture of the wheelchair with all of the parts labeled. This is age-appropriate as kids are very curious about how wheelchairs operate. There is also an author's note showing the consultant, an elementary-aged girl with SMA.

[Seorin]

Would recommend reading this for yourself, children or siblings.


Wonderful things i have liked about this.

1. The ARTTTTT is so satisfying to see
2. The representation is outstanding. i loved how the characters were Canadian and not only that but they were as diverse as the country itself.
3. i loved the wheelchair, and i loved how they pointed out the interactions between the granny and the mom as it is unfortunately a very common.



Wonderful friends ✔️
Kids being outside, and making memories ✔️



I am not good with reviews but i will be coming back to read this book. might as well read it to my kids one day. THAT IS HOW MUCH I LOVED IT.

[Pam]

Graphic Novel
The PAWS girls are back and ready for the summer. This book focuses on Hazel and the challenges she faces with her mom. Readers will understand why her mom is overprotective and will also relate to Hazel wanting more independence. She takes on cat sitting all by herself but doesn't tell her mom. When the cats accidentally get out, everyone sees how Hazel is able to implement a plan and handle everything. I love how the girls and their families come together to help in the search. Looking forward to the next adventure.

[Jill]

This was a really good installment of this series. I love all the characters that we've gotten to know over the course of these books. The illustrations are super cute as always. The plot was pretty basic and I could figure out everything but I am an adult and if I was a kid reading this I don't think I would have been able to see where the story was going. I'm looking forward to reading more about the PAWS girls in the next book!

[Crystal books_inthewild]

LOVE this series and absolutely loved the focus on Hazel this time! She is such a strong, thoughtful character who wants to “be good” and listen to her mom, but also wants to advocate for herself to her mom, her friends and others.
Fabulous story all about inclusivity and accessibility, and done in such a relatable way.
Well done to these amazing authors- they know how to write a story kids will love, create illustrations that will WOW, and pack in a message that speaks about big topics!

[Judithcaryn]

A graphic novel that will surely engage middle schoolers with its relatable cast of characters and multiple story lines. This fourth book in the series has the PAWS Team preparing for their summer. Hazel is determined to become a cat sitter and this requires her to be very independent and take on a lot of responsibilities. Fortunately Hazel has good friends that believe in her and she learns to trust in herself



Recommended for ages 11 to 14 by the SEPA Book Reviewers

[Barnaby Haszard]

Yet another book in this series that seems to be following a predictable line -- Hazel lies to her overbearing mum so she can take on more responsibility with the club -- then surprises me with how the tension is resolved. These are really well-written characters, idealised but believable, and they get to where they need to go by talking. Or shouting, in Hazel's case. Like it was about time someone listened.

[Shelley]

Hazel is an ambulatory wheelchair user whose mother is overprotective and disabled-warrior-mama-ish, and she loves being part of a pet walking business. But her mother won't let her do anything alone, and no one else is around to go with her to cat sit, so she lies and does it solo. Mom, luckily, learns her lesson. Honestly, this surprised me in a good way; Hazel is a clear character with her own agency, and her disability isn't her focus nor is it ignored. I hope there are more Hazel books.

[Sarah]

I adore this sweet series. It's thoughtfully written, and it encourages positive friendships, open communication, entrepreneurialship, and teamwork among youth. I would say it's for the younger middle-graders. My now 9-year-old loves this series. It's great for kids who love helping animals and others.

[Ellon]

4 stars (I really liked it)

It took me a bit to remember some of the details about the PAWS girls but once I was able to jog my memory, I got really into the book. I like Hazel and her plot line a lot (although lying to her mom probably wasn't the best decision). I will definitely be continuing to read and purchase this series for my school library.

[Krystie Herndon]

I found this book while on vacation, in King's Park Public Library, Springfield, VA, where my sister works. I really appreciated the story, and considering life from the viewpoint of a youngster dealing with physical challenges. The graphic novel format was super!

[Cynthia]

Now I love the Paws series but this one is the best! Such a well done look at disabilities and how normal their lives are with some challenges. Not for pity but also room for accommodation! Well done!

[Riley]

Good read with realistic conflict and character dynamics. I like that, despite not having read the previous books in the series (didn't realize it was book 4), I was able to follow everything really easily!

[Jennifer]

Fun addition to the series. These are consistently good and very similar to the BSC graphic novels. I would say that these are stronger in some ways because they aren't trying to bridge the gap between generations.

I also liked that this one focused on cats to mix things up.

[Wanda]

This is my favorite book of the series.