Fight for Life

Vet Volunteers #1

by Laurie Halse Anderson

Maggie’s grandmother runs an animal clinic, Dr. Mac’s Place, so Maggie knows her way around animals who are in danger. When she learns that the abused and sick puppies flooding the clinic are from an illegal puppy mill, she knows that she has to find out who’s running it, where it is—and save the rest of the dogs!

Genres: Animals, Fiction, Realistic Fiction, Middle Grade, Childrens, Dogs, Young Adult

160 pages, Paperback

First published January 22, 2000

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

[Jacqueline · Rating 4 out of 5]

Maggie is a dyslexic middle school girl who lives with her grandmother, a vet who runs a busy clinic. Maggie is an orphan who craves her grandmother's attention and a bit anti-social. During the course of the story, she grows up quite a bit, learning to ask for help with her learning disability and the value of working with friends as a team. The plot revolves around the discovery of an illegal puppy mill and the tragic abuse of animals for profit. I did not know much about puppy mills before reading this book. It really opened my eyes. I even did some research about them because I was interested. I had no idea that chain pet stores sometimes sell dogs from puppy mills. It is disgraceful.

[Shiq1e3 · Rating 5 out of 5]

This story is all about a girl that lives with her grandmother and her grandmother owns a vets office. but when things get crazy grandmother cant do it alone so maggie her granddaughter gets some friends to help out with the work. Maggie MchKenzie is her name , She is great with dogs , but her homework is out of control . Dr Mac , her veterinarian grandmother, puts her on s short leash until her grades improve . Then four new voluteers show up to help gran in the clinic, but none of them knows a boxer from a pug. when the clinic is flooded with sick and dying puppies, Maggie has to find a way to help, no matter what gran says. Maggie is sure it can't be a coincidence - somebody must be running a puppy mill. If she doesn't find it soon, more puppies will die ....

[Yahaira · Rating 5 out of 5]

Vet volunteer Fight for Life is a really good book. If you want to become a vet this book/series will be great. This won't really tell you about vets,but it will tell you about 5 kids that volunteer to save animals. It will tell you about the adventures they have with the animals. The 5 help at a clinic,but 2 more kids joined. Zoe,Josh,Jules,Brenna,David,Sunita, and Maggie help out at the clinic. So if you want to read about how they save lives,and have adventure with problems this book/series will be great!

[Becca · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm giving this series to my 6 year-old niece for Christmas, so I wanted to read it to make sure she would enjoy it. The book is both informational and grabs the heart strings. A group of kids work tirelessly on behalf of animals with their mentor, Dr. Mac. This book spent time educating the reader about puppy mills. Overall, a good choice for a 6 year-old.

[Isabella]

I think that it is a very good book .I rate a 10 out of 10 it has some sad parts and it has a happy parts it is about a girl that her mom died when she was little and ,now she lives with her grandma and is now struggling with middle school and her grandma she volunteers and they are on a mission to save theses pups and when her cousins Zoe comes from New York city Brenna,sunita and Maggie are there to help

[Itzae · Rating 5 out of 5]

Vet Volunteers-Fight For Life is by Laurie Halse Anderson. I think everyone that loves animalsand likes helping them should read this book. This book showed me to never give up until you’ve suceeded what you wanted to suceed in. I think it was a super amaizing and sad book. I think it was an amaizing and sad book because its about 5 middle schoolers and a vet that help some pupppies that were in a bad habitat. These puppies had to go through a lot just to survive all these horrible things. The genre of this book is realistic fiction, it has 135 pages, and includes 1 chapter of vet volunteers series number 2. I think everyone should keep on trying until they’ve succeeded what they wanted to succeed.

[Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked it... It was about a young girl, raised by her Grandmother. It is about a puppy mill

[Yalonda · Rating 5 out of 5]

My second Blind Date With A Book and I loved it! This book was totally me! Well, not the part about having trouble at school :-) I believe that readers can connect with this book on a personal level. It is an entertaining story that can be finished in one sitting. The messages are clear: everyone is good at something, asking for/accepting help is never a bad thing, death is a part of life, take care of those who cannot take care of themselves, and never be afraid to stand your ground. I am definitely looking forward to the next book in the Vet Volunteers series!

[Jennifer · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was so sad that I cried the first time I read it. This book shows people what is happening to some animals out in the world. This book is told from Maggie, a little girl almost in middle school who helps her grandmother in her clinic. She gets involved in a case about puppies not being treated properly before being sold and she has to stop it. This heart warming story will catch any animal lovers heart and teach them whats going on in the world.

[Emily · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a great read aloud for my kindergartener. The tension was just the right level and she laughed out loud a few times. While there were some big veterinary words used, they were defined shortly afterward in the story. We finished this all in one day of snuggling and she is ready to find the next book in the series.

I think this would be great for a 8-9 year old to independently read if they have any interest in animals.

[Anika · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think the first book is much better then the 6th book. i had to start on the 6th book because i couldn't find the 1st but i read it! I think that the first book of this series (this one) is pretty good and now i know a bit more about the characters and how they started helping. I recommend this book if you want to be a vet or you just love animals.

[Amy · Rating 4 out of 5]

These are great books. Content is real life and interesting. Main character is dyslexic and of course struggles with reading but the author is careful about only making that one part of her life. She is a bright quick witted girl with a knack for animal care. The adults are a bit clueless and one dimensional but isn’t that how most kid books are?

[Alex Collins · Rating 5 out of 5]

I LOVED this book! I really want to become a vet someday so my mom thought i might like these book s and i did

[Jenn · Rating 2 out of 5]

Read to Maddy & Lilly

[Elizabeth Day · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good book for kids who love animals.
(PG rating)

[Dani Walters · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very cute and educational for younger readers

[Caitlin Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good book for taking notes

[Abbie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing

[寿理 宮本 · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm not sure this is actually a five-star book, but I'm having trouble thinking of a solid justification for docking a star (and half-stars aren't possible), so I'm rounding up as benefit of the doubt.

This story is pretty much exactly what I thought it would be, from the moment a puppy is brought in after only two days with his new owner, followed by two more puppies from—"coincidentally"—the same questionable breeder, and the fact that the main character (Maggie) is so proud of her place as the (in her mind) second-in-command of the veterinary clinic... until volunteers start to show up (and one temporarily live-in cousin).

Of course, the main lesson Maggie learns is that getting help is NOT shameful or a sign of weakness, as she learns the hard way from finding and busting the puppy mill that sold the sickly puppies, then struggling to save as many of the mistreated animals as possible, but also she turns out to have dyslexia, which is the reason she struggled so much trying to learn by herself, and something she definitely would NOT have figured out on her own like she wanted to do.

I kind of expected the "relate your lessons about how laws are made to something that interests you" to be the obvious "Isn't there a law against animal abuse?!" ...but she instead tried to relate it to basketball (and, of course, failed). That seemed odd, considering her preoccupation with the sickly puppies... I mean, she DID end up finding a relevant law, with Sunita's help, and wrote a report after the fact, but the narrative didn't give her an on-screen "Eureka!" moment, instead shoehorning it in at the end as part of the "friends are good to have" lesson.

Anyway, adventures in free labour! (Okay, you can argue that it's good for their future college applications, so I'll let it slide, haha.) Still, kind of hard to top this story, I feel. Future stories seem like they would be a walk in the park by comparison (which I'll gladly see for myself! ...if I find any more of this series).

Recommended for aspiring veterinarians—you should really have your eyes open to what is in store for you (which is exactly why I STOPPED wanting to be a vet, yikes).

[Jeanne · Rating 4 out of 5]

As an adult reading this book, it dies have problems. Dr. Mac is taking on a huge liability by letting these kids get involved in the medical care of pets in her clinic. And David gets on my nerves.

But, as a school librarian, I think my 3rd - 5th graders will love this series. I like the growing friendship between the kids and the chance for them to take on responsibilities and grow and learn. I'm curious about the storyline with the narrator having undiagnosed dyslexia. The book is very informative, including lots of information about pet care and dog breeds, but not overwhelming or preachy. The medical crises keep the book suspenseful. And, of course, the puppies are adorable!

[Steph · Rating 5 out of 5]

Didn't think much of it in the beginning because the main girl (maggie) was a little annoying with how she refused help. She reminds me a little of myself, so that probably explains why. Luckily, she redeemed herself toward the end with the rescue. Anyway, I love it! a story about teamwork to rid of the EVIL that exists. It's not just about rescuing pups; it also speaks on getting out of your comfort zone to accomplish the greater good. I can see this being a great read for a young person. I know I would have enjoyed this when I was much younger.

[Marilyn Showalter · Rating 5 out of 5]

Realistic Fiction
3rd-5th grade reading level
I loved this series as a child, and it is still wonderful today. There is so much for students to connect to or learn through this book. If a student loves animals or wants to be a vet someday, this is the perfect series for him/her to read. It also connects with students who are struggling in school or have family issues. I would highly recommend this book to any student who connects in some way to the content, and it could even make a good chapter book read aloud for a class.

[Little Seal]

I don't think I'll pick up another one of these books again (though I am eyeing the 'Manatee Blues' one, so maybe I will) but it was a cute read. Plus it is by Anderson, and I really do love Anderson as an author. On top of that, it's an American Girl book so I had to give it a chance.

Maggie originally annoyed me quite a bit but I am positive that she has a learning disability, specifically dyslexia and dyscalculia, and it bugs me that the teacher has not picked up on that. So I can't blame her entirely for her pushing my buttons and being whiny.

[Makenna stull · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fight for Life by Laurie Halse Anderson ( vet Volunteers, #1). Maggie lives with her grandmother who owns a vet office. when things get crazy they get some friends to help them with the work. recommended for kids and elementary school students who like informational reads. I really like the concept of this book.

[Hana · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this when I was about 12, and it was one of my favorite series. It inspired my want to volunteer at an animal rescue, and it strengthened my conviction that animals are wonderful and deserving of our love. Give it to the kids in your life, or if you are a kid who is interested in animal welfare stuff, read it.

[Ava · Rating 4 out of 5]

There are so many books of " Vet Volunteers " but I decided on "Fight For Life" because of how touching of a book it is. Let me tell you a little bit about it. There is a girl named Maggie shes supposed to be focused on school but, once she hears about the clinic suddenly getting flooded with sick puppies. She gets off task from school and starts focusing on trying to help the puppies.

[Sean Harding · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fun little story from Laurie Halse Anderson is the first win the Vet Volunteer series, each book is focussing on a different character with different animals and set around the same animal care clinic. A nice story which I passed on to a young avid reader named Erin - and I am assured she loved it. Number two coming soon Erin!

[Ariana · Rating 3 out of 5]

Found this book in an old bookshelf in a forgotten corner of my house, and legit did a big gasp. It's one of those books that, had I not seen it with my own eyes, I wouldn't have remembered its existence or reading it. I was about 9-10 when I read them. I know I loved these books, but I can't remember enough to give a proper review.

[Sam · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm reading these books with my daughter as our own little book club kind of a thing. We have been reading these out of order so even though this is the first book in the series, this is the fourth one that we have read. But I really loved it! I wish I would have read it first because it is a great first book to this series. I highly recommend this book!

[Hailey Corey · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was a really cute and heartwrenching story. The descriptions of how horrible the puppies' condition really made me hate the man responsible, and i was greatly satisfied when he was arrested and the puppies rescued. This book also had some information for aspiring vets, such as the names of equipment and how to spot different illnesses.