Seaglass Summer by Anjali Banarjee

For as long as Poppy can remember, her parents have taken her to India each summer to visit her grandparents, but this year, Poppy has convinced them to let her spend the summer with her uncle on an island off the Washington coast instead. This vacation will be different.  Poppy wants to become a veterinarian, so she has saved up enough money to buy her own professional veterinarian’s kit, which includes a stethoscope and a bendable thermometer. Poppy’s Uncle Sanjay owns “Furry Friends Animal Clinic, and as she rides the ferry to visit him on Nisqually Island, she can imagine herself assisting him in savings animals’ lives.  With Poppy, we gain insight into the challenges and joys of working with animals.  Yes, there are the tender moments of attending newborn puppies at the clinic, but there also are the tough moments when medical emergencies arise.  Sometimes it’s hard to deal with irrational pet owners who don’t want to cooperate.  This is a delightful, fast-moving summer story.  Anjali Banerjee has us laughing and crying with Poppy as she struggles to follow her dream of becoming a veterinarian to save the animals of the world.  Review by Trudy Walsh