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Just Like Home #2
Kitten Delivery
The Babysitters Club meets Puppy Place in this heartwarming and fun middle grade series about a unique animal sanctuary, the full-time family (of both human and animal variety) who live there, and the rotating stable of animal guests who will come to the farm with an injury or challenge but will leave knowing what it really feels like to be loved and cared for.
Siblings Ruby and Henry have an unusual kind of home life compared to their friends. Their family operates an animal sanctuary with a unique collection of full-time pet a pig, a dog, the world's bossiest cat, two silly goats, and a llama who thinks he's a human. Not to mention, Ruby and Henry's mom is also a vet at the animal clinic in town. Let's just say, when it comes to animals, it's hard for Ruby and Henry's family to say no... especially when they stumble upon a litter of abandoned kittens on the side of the road.
With seven new house guests with seven very different personalities, it's only fitting to name them after the seven dwarfs. The hard part is going to be finding good homes for each unique kitten. If anyone can do it, it's Ruby and Henry.
But first, they're going to need to keep their new campers feeling safe and well taken care of while they grow big and strong enough to be adopted. And as it turns out, this will be harder than it seems...
Siblings Ruby and Henry have an unusual kind of home life compared to their friends. Their family operates an animal sanctuary with a unique collection of full-time pet a pig, a dog, the world's bossiest cat, two silly goats, and a llama who thinks he's a human. Not to mention, Ruby and Henry's mom is also a vet at the animal clinic in town. Let's just say, when it comes to animals, it's hard for Ruby and Henry's family to say no... especially when they stumble upon a litter of abandoned kittens on the side of the road.
With seven new house guests with seven very different personalities, it's only fitting to name them after the seven dwarfs. The hard part is going to be finding good homes for each unique kitten. If anyone can do it, it's Ruby and Henry.
But first, they're going to need to keep their new campers feeling safe and well taken care of while they grow big and strong enough to be adopted. And as it turns out, this will be harder than it seems...
- GenresMiddle Grade
165 pages, Kindle Edition
Published January 6, 2026
7 people are currently reading
18 people want to read
About the author
Erin Soderberg Downing
57 books276 followersI read and write lots of funny, adventurous, & heartwarming books for kids, tweens, and teens (and even a few romantic comedies for adults, too!) that are ultimately about finding your place, finding your people, and finding your voice. I always love book recommendations, so please send them my way. As a reader, I'm partial to contemporary romantic comedy, thrillers that keep the pages turning and have well-built characters, funny/original voices, quirky characters, and always kids' books with humor and heart.
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
February 16, 2026
Fun and loving pet story.
September 17, 2025
E ARC provided by Edelweiss Plus
Now that their foster puppy, Arlo, has a good home with their neighbors, Henry isn't as eager to do his after school chores taking care of the animals. When Ruby find SEVEN kittens near their home in the country, the twins ask their mother is they can try their hand at fostering them. Since the kittens appear to be six weeks old and can't be adopted until they are eight, their veterinarian mother agrees. With the help of neighbors Harriet and Will, the siblings clean up that barn and create a "kitten camp". They name the kittens after the Seven Dwarves, although one particularly pretty kitten is named Snow White. The kittens are a LOT of work. They need baths, feeding, and an environment with things to climb and toys to play with so that they can release their copious kitten energy. Henry is glad when Grumpy, who has some health issues, is willing to take a bottle from him. The family's cat, Smudge, and pig, Big Mill, step up to try to channel the kittens energy is appropriate ways, and Smudge helps with litter box training. The family plans a "kitten convention" so that the kittens can be matched with suitable adoptive homes, but right before it is to begin, Grumpy goes missing! The event can't be canceled, since the other kittens really need homes. The event is a success, and the twins feel good about all of their hard work. Henry even learns to rethink his approach to "chores", and thinks that he might feel differently if he frams his work as something he does to support the pets that he loves. Grumpy shows up, having been hidden away by Smudge and Big Mill, and the parents allow the twins to keep the cat. Another book seems to be in the works!
Strengths: Kittens are adorable, and the cover (whose artist I could not find) will insure that this book sees steady circulation. I loved that Will and Harriet have worked with Ruby and Henry to clear a path between their houses so that Arlo can visit, and that they all band together to spiff up the barn so that it can be used in the future for fostering other animals. Downing does a great job at realistically portraying learning experiences for both twins; Ruby at first just wants the kittens to be adopted, but realizes that the animals' personalities need to be matched up with those of appropriate adopters to secure a good outcome, and Henry decides that he needs to make lists of jobs that he must do in order to remember them. He's also open to Ruby's reframing of the purpose for doing chores. I'd love to see more of this kind of instructive coping skills incorporated into other middle grade titles, especially in such a natural and engaging way. I'm looking forward to another book in the series.
Weaknesses: Would Smudge and Big Mill really hide Grumpy? While this reinforces my bias that cats are evil, I'm not sure that they would be able to anticipate the adoption and stow their favorite kitten out of view. Still, it makes for a great crisis, and a happy ending, so that is just a quibble.
What I really think: It's harder to find books about cats than it is about dogs, so feline fans will be glad to see that Henry and Ruby have a whole gang of kittens to care for. Mills' The Puppy Place sometimes has cats show up at the rescue, as does Peters' Jasmine Green Rescues, which also has a pig! Scholastic must have a soft spot for cats, since they also published Yamile Saied Méndez' Random Acts of Kittens and Wish Upon a Stray. If you have a lot of Warriors fans and are having a book fair, make sure you request extras of these books as well as the first Just Like Home book, Love Rolls In.
Now that their foster puppy, Arlo, has a good home with their neighbors, Henry isn't as eager to do his after school chores taking care of the animals. When Ruby find SEVEN kittens near their home in the country, the twins ask their mother is they can try their hand at fostering them. Since the kittens appear to be six weeks old and can't be adopted until they are eight, their veterinarian mother agrees. With the help of neighbors Harriet and Will, the siblings clean up that barn and create a "kitten camp". They name the kittens after the Seven Dwarves, although one particularly pretty kitten is named Snow White. The kittens are a LOT of work. They need baths, feeding, and an environment with things to climb and toys to play with so that they can release their copious kitten energy. Henry is glad when Grumpy, who has some health issues, is willing to take a bottle from him. The family's cat, Smudge, and pig, Big Mill, step up to try to channel the kittens energy is appropriate ways, and Smudge helps with litter box training. The family plans a "kitten convention" so that the kittens can be matched with suitable adoptive homes, but right before it is to begin, Grumpy goes missing! The event can't be canceled, since the other kittens really need homes. The event is a success, and the twins feel good about all of their hard work. Henry even learns to rethink his approach to "chores", and thinks that he might feel differently if he frams his work as something he does to support the pets that he loves. Grumpy shows up, having been hidden away by Smudge and Big Mill, and the parents allow the twins to keep the cat. Another book seems to be in the works!
Strengths: Kittens are adorable, and the cover (whose artist I could not find) will insure that this book sees steady circulation. I loved that Will and Harriet have worked with Ruby and Henry to clear a path between their houses so that Arlo can visit, and that they all band together to spiff up the barn so that it can be used in the future for fostering other animals. Downing does a great job at realistically portraying learning experiences for both twins; Ruby at first just wants the kittens to be adopted, but realizes that the animals' personalities need to be matched up with those of appropriate adopters to secure a good outcome, and Henry decides that he needs to make lists of jobs that he must do in order to remember them. He's also open to Ruby's reframing of the purpose for doing chores. I'd love to see more of this kind of instructive coping skills incorporated into other middle grade titles, especially in such a natural and engaging way. I'm looking forward to another book in the series.
Weaknesses: Would Smudge and Big Mill really hide Grumpy? While this reinforces my bias that cats are evil, I'm not sure that they would be able to anticipate the adoption and stow their favorite kitten out of view. Still, it makes for a great crisis, and a happy ending, so that is just a quibble.
What I really think: It's harder to find books about cats than it is about dogs, so feline fans will be glad to see that Henry and Ruby have a whole gang of kittens to care for. Mills' The Puppy Place sometimes has cats show up at the rescue, as does Peters' Jasmine Green Rescues, which also has a pig! Scholastic must have a soft spot for cats, since they also published Yamile Saied Méndez' Random Acts of Kittens and Wish Upon a Stray. If you have a lot of Warriors fans and are having a book fair, make sure you request extras of these books as well as the first Just Like Home book, Love Rolls In.
Review of advance copy received from Edelweiss+
Second in Erin Soderberg Downing’s new series for grades 2-5, Kitten Delivery is short in pages but long in warm fuzzy feelings. Henry and Ruby are still doing what they love-helping animals feel secure and comfortable-and this time it’s with 7 adorable bundles of fur found on the side of the road near their home. In book 1, the twins’ parents told them that their farm is full and while caring for needy animals on a temporary basis can continue, 3 chickens, 1 pig, 1 king-sized dog, 2 goats and a llama are definitely enough. Taking care of 6 week old kittens is a lot of work and Henry, especially, is having a hard time juggling school work, regular chores and the time so many active kitties demand. But with the help of his sister and nearby neighbors Harriett and Will, the group manages to get the litter of fluffballs healthy, comfortable around other people and animals, and confident enough to explore and play with all that the farm has to offer. In order to find forever homes for all 7, the hard-working group decides to host a Kitten Convention and allow potential kitten owners to see and interact with them so that each one will be matched up with just the right place to complement their unique personalities and needs.
As in the first installment in the Just Like Home series, Ruby and Henry continue to display strengths and weaknesses that are unique to both and sometimes those differences clash, but a real partnership exists providing a great model for real life siblings. The twins’ parents both work and the way all four team up to keep everyone, people and animals, fed and happy is comfortable and feels like it is the way things should be without coming across as unrealistic. In the first book, a secondary problem centered on Ruby and her difficulty interacting with the kids at school and making friends. Book 2 also has a sideline conflict with Henry’s trouble prioritizing all the things he has going on in his life and that will definitely ring true with most kids these days.
Highly recommended series for classroom, school, home and public libraries serving grades 2-5. Kitten Delivery is free of profanity, sexual content and violence. The kittens were abandoned, a fact that is mentioned just briefly, but they were not injured or abused which will bring a sigh of relief to the more sensitive readers. Very few physical descriptions of any of the humans in this series and without any of them being pictured on the cover, readers can imagine them in any skin, hair style, or body shape that pleases them. No characters with physical challenges, neurodivergence or LBGTQ+ lifestyle although one household who adopts a kitten is made up of two women, 1 child and 2 dogs.
Thanks for the eARC, Edelweiss.
As in the first installment in the Just Like Home series, Ruby and Henry continue to display strengths and weaknesses that are unique to both and sometimes those differences clash, but a real partnership exists providing a great model for real life siblings. The twins’ parents both work and the way all four team up to keep everyone, people and animals, fed and happy is comfortable and feels like it is the way things should be without coming across as unrealistic. In the first book, a secondary problem centered on Ruby and her difficulty interacting with the kids at school and making friends. Book 2 also has a sideline conflict with Henry’s trouble prioritizing all the things he has going on in his life and that will definitely ring true with most kids these days.
Highly recommended series for classroom, school, home and public libraries serving grades 2-5. Kitten Delivery is free of profanity, sexual content and violence. The kittens were abandoned, a fact that is mentioned just briefly, but they were not injured or abused which will bring a sigh of relief to the more sensitive readers. Very few physical descriptions of any of the humans in this series and without any of them being pictured on the cover, readers can imagine them in any skin, hair style, or body shape that pleases them. No characters with physical challenges, neurodivergence or LBGTQ+ lifestyle although one household who adopts a kitten is made up of two women, 1 child and 2 dogs.
Thanks for the eARC, Edelweiss.
March 4, 2026
This was one I grabbed at the Scholastic Book Fair. We loved The Quirks....same author!
...but we almost abandoned this one. It was not very exciting....we were glad we stuck with it though because it was wonderful to see all the kittens get good homes.....even Grumpy.
Just Like Home is a series. I also got Love Rolls In, but I'm not sure it'll make a good read aloud. I better read it ahead of time.
They're super cute kittens though!
...but we almost abandoned this one. It was not very exciting....we were glad we stuck with it though because it was wonderful to see all the kittens get good homes.....even Grumpy.
Just Like Home is a series. I also got Love Rolls In, but I'm not sure it'll make a good read aloud. I better read it ahead of time.
They're super cute kittens though!
March 5, 2026
This is a fun new series. The story is short and sweet and written for animal lovers. The main characters are in 5th grade, but I think middle school students who struggle with longer books will enjoy the books, especially if they dream of working with animals one day. The characters learn how to lean on others for support and how to use their strengths when working as a team.
April 21, 2026
My 11-year-old says:
“This book had a lot of cats but you don’t have to remember all their names. The twins in the book were taking care of the cats but the chapters switch between their point of views. I think that if you read the first book, you would understand the characters a bit more, but you don’t have to.”
“This book had a lot of cats but you don’t have to remember all their names. The twins in the book were taking care of the cats but the chapters switch between their point of views. I think that if you read the first book, you would understand the characters a bit more, but you don’t have to.”
January 11, 2026
Listened on audio - Pete Cross and Cassandra Morris made me feel like I was hearing my own story for the first time. They are the perfect narrators for Henry and Ruby (my own twins, Henry and Ruby, fully agree and approve!).
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews