Obi: Gerbil on a School Trip

May 1, 2013
In this third volume to feature Obi, an endearingly flawed little gerbil who is always getting herself into trouble, the pampered pet accidentally hitches a ride to school. Obi shares her owner Rachel's love with two other pets, a golden retriever named Kenobi and another gerbil named Wan, but she is secure in the knowledge that she's Rachel's favorite. Or is she? When Rachel writes an essay about her favorite pet, the troublemaking mouse Mr. Durkins plants a seed of doubt in Obi's mind, and she becomes obsessed with discovering the subject of Rachel's essay. The determined gerbil winds up stranded in Rachel's backpack, eventually ending up at school, where she is left overnight. After all the kids have gone, Obi engages in silly hijinks with an assortment of school pets who make her pass the I'm-Really-Not-the-Principal's-Spy Test, but ultimately, she gets what she's after--a good look at Rachel's homework assignment--and learns her true place in the little girl's heart. Short chapters, interspersed illustrations and the funny narrative voice make this series a good choice for readers just wandering into chapter-book territory. Obi the gerbil's latest adventure is an uncomplicated, entertaining romp with a lesson about the trouble that follows when we allow others to stir up doubt about our most cherished relationships. (Animal fantasy. 8-11)

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