Rachel Elizabeth Cole

Some books are just so much fun that you just know they will make a fantastic series. The Rabbit ate my homework is absolutely one of these books. Drew Montgomery is an 11-year-old boy who learns pretty quickly that honesty is the best policy. Of course, knowing and doing are two different things and all it takes is his little sister’s blackmail to get him in over his head with a pet rabbit with an appetite for destruction and mayhem.

As a once upon a time kid, I have to agree with Drew’s assessment. All rabbits do is sit in their cages, eat carrots, and poop. Of course, if I had had a rabbit like Tiny, maybe I would feel differently. As a mom, I cringed knowing that the first thing that the rabbit was going to do once in one of the kids’ beds was pee. I was super pleased to see a realistic portrayal of kids handling the stresses of pet ownership while trying to keep it a secret. I know my own kid would give it up about 30 seconds in.

Drew and his little sister Libby have a serious Charlie Brown/Sally vibe and their relationship, while typical of their age group was also sweet to read. One gets the idea that Drew probably would have given in to her demands even without the blackmail hanging over his head. Drew is obviously not a bad kid, he just doesn’t think things through and one lie gets out of control pretty fast.

The Rabbit Ate My... Series… (mere)

Drew and his little sister Libby are like most brothers and sisters, he thinks she is annoying and she wants to spend time with him. When Drew and his father are supposed to go for a bike ride, he gets upset because his father won't keep his word and go bike riding in the woods with him. Drew decides then to go by himself, even he knows he is not supposes to go into the woods alone. When he jumps with his bike, the bike's suspension fork breaks. Drew hides his bike in the woods while trying to come up with a solution. Libby, who followed him sees the whole thing, but does not tell him that she is.

When the following day they find a little bunny in a box, Libby wants in bring it home. Drew explains that their parents would never, ever let them have a pet. Libby threatens Drew with telling their parents about what happened with his bike if he doesn't help her to hide the bunny. That's how Tiny ends hidden in Drew's closet, peeing everywhere, especially on his bed and eating everything he can find. The troubles continue to mount when their father realizes Drew's bike is missing and calls to report it to the police. How is Drew going to set things straight?

This story was very engaging even for me as an adult. The main characters are likable and the secondary characters add humour and help to develop understanding of Drew's character. The pace of the story was good with short chapters. The solving of the situations in the story was done in a positive way with the message of being honest coming through. There were a few black and white illustrations in the book which added to the story. I am looking forward to reading the next book in this series, This book is geared to independent readers grade 3 to 6. A great read aloud for younger kids.

I received a copy of this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.… (mere)

In The Rabbit Ate My Homework, we meet Drew, Libby and their parents. This is the book that introduces us to Tiny, their rabbit, a Flemish Giant. In this second book in the series their adventures continue as quick and humorous as in the first.

Drew and Libby's parents are heading off to Hawaii so their mom can attend a conference. They are going to spend the week camping with their grandparents, Nana and Papa. Drew is not crazy about theis idea as the new video game he has been waiting for is going to be released. Libby does not want tro leave Tiny at home alone, so she sneaks him into the camper to accompany them on their trip. gThe fun and laughs start right away when she keeps asking Papa to stop so she can use the bathroom. Once they realize that Tiny is aboard, it is too late to turn around so he is now/ part of the trip. Of course Nana and Papa do not want Tiny to run loose in the camper so they buy a cage, that Tiny hates. Lots of situations occur at the campground involving a dog, some mean boys, Nana and Papa's friends and Tiny's skills with opening cages. There are some more rabbits and some new friends. Despite the embarrassing situations, the messy ones and the wild chases, the camping trip is deemed a success by both Drew and Libby.

Th only thing I did not like about this story was that Libby defies her parents by sneaking Tiny into the camper and then blackmails Drew into helping her "rescue" some rabbits that did not belong to them and even though there was a minor consequence, it may give children the wrong idea. Definitely a discussion about this if it is a read aloud would be beneficial. This is a great early chapter book for readers in late primary, early junior grades. It would be a good addition to classroom, school, family and public libraries.

I received a copy of this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.… (mere)