MS Review – Phooey Kerflooey – middle school contemporary fiction
Wilks, Kristen Joy. Phooey Kerflooey : Three Kids And A Puppy vs The Squirrel Of The Apocalypse. 2024.
Guide to Categories : MS Review – review of books for older elementary-aged and middle school-aged children
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Summary
A puppy will fix everything.
A boring new house?
Boring house + puppy = adventure!
An attacking squirrel?
Evil squirrel + puppy = a squirrel-battle extraordinaire!
A daredevil brother who zooms into constant peril?
Rowdy sibling + puppy = calm days snuggling their furry friend!
What could possibly go wrong?
When Marcus’s dog dreams finally come true, something is indeed terribly wrong. Phooey Kerflooey is eighteen pounds larger than expected. She will only eat organic lunch meat and drink from a china teacup. Plus, she is terrified of absolutely everything, including his brother’s wheelchair and that troublesome squirrel.
How can Marcus find “perfect peace,” like in Isaiah 26:3, when God has given him a whole lot of chaos?
Through a raucous tornado of personal growth, the boys and Phooey work together to save the day. But when the dust (and squirrel poo) settles, can they convince Dad and Mom to let them keep their puppy princess?
Purchase Phooey Kerflooey on Amazon – https://amzn.to/4a2lbZn
My MS Review
Kristen Wilks is a new-to-me author, and Phooey Kerflooey won’t be the last book of hers I read. I loved that she used a boy in a wheelchair as a central character in the story – you don’t see that very often.
As the owner of a dog that “isn’t quite what we expected, but we love her anyway” I really appreciated that aspect of the story. Sometimes all dogs need is a little love and they’ll become the dog you need (even if it isn’t the dog you thought you wanted).
The story is full of excitement – mostly brought on by the wild squirrel who has taken over their home. Kids will enjoy the silly antics of both the squirrel and the dog – guess which one is scared of the other.
The story ends with the family (including the dog and the squirrel) moving to a new location. I feel like that is the perfect springboard to a series about this lovable dog and her two boys.
Phooey Kerflooey is perfect for a K-12 Christian school library. It is appropriate for both upper elementary and middle school students.
I received a complimentary copy of Phooey Kerflooey. This is my honest review.
Book trailer Phooey Kerflooey
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