Recommended Ages: Gr. 4-6

Plot Summary: On a family walk, Becca finds a tiny, runty pig in a bush. She wants to take it home but the pig has mange. Dad uses one of his shirts to wrap up the pig and they bring the tiny pig to the vet, who says it's a bad case of mange and the piglet might not make it. Becca knows it's her job in this world to take care of this pig and she jumps in wholeheartedly, thinking of the pig constantly and visiting the pig at the vet. Finally, they get to take the pig home after a warning from the vet that the pig will get very large. Becca is devastated; she doesn't want to have to give up the pig ever but refuses to spend too much time thinking about it. Instead, she cares for her pig, which can be a lot of trouble after Saucy destroys the kitchen, the cupboards, and more. Becca makes a list of the things that she needs to fix or replace and promises to follow through. Her brothers (they are quadruplets) end up sleeping in the kitchen with her and helping her care for the pig. On a family walk past the place they found Saucy, they discover there are lots of long buildings, likely holding lots more pigs. Will Becca ever be able to give up Saucy to the santuary? Will Becca and her brothers figure out the secret about those buildings where they suspect Saucy came from?

Setting:

Characters:
Becca - 11 yo,
Bailey - Becca's brother, in a wheelchair,
Jammer - Becca's brother, loves soccer
K.C. - Becca's brother, thinks about an alternative world
Grandma -
Mom - falls in love with the pig easily,
Dad - works, on Becca's side at the beginning and lets her keep the pig
MacKenzie - Becca's former friend

Recurring Themes: confidence, pet, siblings, family, hobbies, money, accountability,

Controversial Issues:
pg 97 Holy frick
pg 236 crap

Personal Thoughts: We tried to listen to this one on a road trip but didn't get hooked (kids were 6&8). I understand why. It's written in such a way where you don't totally believe you are the characters and there is a big plot change at the very end that seems rushed compared to the first third of the story. I don't like that the characters are only each known for one thing, although I do like how connected the siblings are in caring for Saucy. I do like the conversations of accountability and responsibility that Becca has and I like that her brother is in a wheelchair and it's not a big deal, but there's little mention other than Jammer carrying him to and from his wheelchair and his therapy is the most important thing in the family.

Genre: realistic fiction

Pacing: slow
Characters: not super well developed, mostly known for just one thing each
Frame:
Storyline:

Activity: ( )

When I first started reading it, I thought it was cute and I was excited to read more.... then I got about half way through. I don't think it really had much of a plot. Yes they find a pig, the pig is cute and destructive but very little actually happens. Then the book kind of just ended. I personally wanted it to be better. However, I might be in the minority. The illustrations were adorable and really brought something to the book. ( )

Becca is the sole girl in a group of quadruplets and also the only child who feels like she doesn't have a defining characteristic. One brother is a dedicated hockey player, another writes and sings music, and the third has a very scientific mind. But Becca feels rudderless -- that is until a chance encounter during a family walk when she notices a sickly piglet in the bushes. The family takes in the pig, nicknamed "Saucy" because of her sassy attitude, and Becca feels an immediate devotion for her. The problem is, Saucy isn't a miniature pet pig but a farm pig who will grow to be hundreds of pounds large. Can Becca convince her family to keep Saucy for as long as possible? Or will Saucy's inadvertently destructive nature send her away?

This was a very odd book. In some ways, it was more interesting than the other two books I read by this author. (Well, really, just about anything is more interesting than her hockey-based book Checked.) It also seemed to be for a slightly younger audience, although I had trouble identifying exactly the right age range for this title. It always feels like Kadohata writes down to children, which I don't appreciate. I am also not a fan of her overuse of exclamation points in an attempt to create excitement and tension in moments that don't have it.

The parts about Saucy and the family's (mis)adventures trying to keep her as a housepet were mildly funny and I could see as being appealing to kids who like animal stories, particularly Charlotte's Web. The story took a turn towards the end when the family discovers the factory farm from where Saucy originated and the inhumane treatment of the pigs there. The children take on a risky adventure and pull in other friends and neighbors to help expose the farm's bad practices, although this storyline didn't exactly feel wrapped up. There's also a plotline introduced early, mostly abandoned for the crux of the story, and then picked up again near the conclusion about Becca's ex-best friend whose mother went to prison. We never learn why the seemingly sweet mother went to prison, but Becca feels intense guilt over having dropped the friendship when her pal clearly needed it the most. One of Becca's brothers is convinced they are living in a "simulation" run by aliens, which is a super odd thing to introduce in a children's book and it is a running thought commented on by both Becca and her brother repeatedly.

Small black-and-white pencil illustrations are peppered throughout and are a nice addition but not strictly necessary. Becca and her family are noted to have at least some Japanese heritage. Illustrations show another family to be Black. Becca's one brother has cerebral palsy and uses a wheelchair at times. So the book does at least score points for showing diversity in a few ways. That being said though, I'm not sure if I would recommend this title or to whom. ( )

I received and advance copy of this book from Simon & Schuster. Thank you.
This was a good book with lots of spunky kids. Becca and her three brothers are quadruplets. She's in a slump right now. Her best friend has moved and right before that they had had a fight. Becca didn't defend her friend, and now wishes she had. She feels all of her brothers have something special about them, where as she's just plain, boring and a bad friend. Her brother Bailey has a great wheelchair, and is very musical, her brother KC is very into math and science and everyone thinks he's a genius, and her brother Jammer, lives, breathes and thinks hockey. Most night her family takes a walk and one night Becca hears a noise in the bushes. It's a adorable baby pig, who clearly has been neglected. Her parents let her take it home, and to the vet. The family rallies behind their new pet as they nurse it back to health. The vet warns them that the pig will eventually get to be 600 lbs. Naturally a pig in a house is wildly disruptive and many things get destroyed. This worries Becca because she knows money is an issue for her parents. She knows she can't keep the pig, Saucy, forever, but is determined to keep her for as long as she can. She and her brothers ban together to make the pig happy, and soon she is getting too big, and she's not even 100 lbs. They also wonder where she came from and how she was allowed to get into such bad shape. They return to where they found Saucy and make an alarming discovery. The kids come up with in idea, and with their parents OK, they round out the whole community to help them. Uplifting and hopeful. ( )

Becca is the lone girl of a set of quadruplets. Her brothers all have activities that focus them but Becca feels more like a jellyfish, "floating here and there." She also doesn't feel like a good person, feeling regretful about the way she treated her former best friend. When the family comes across a stray pig on their walk, Becca insists they need to take it home. She finds purpose and love in taking care of Saucy. Becca learns later that Saucy came from a pig farm of inhumane conditions, and she is propelled to take action. This is an animated and lighthearted story (baby pigs!), not especially substantial, but would be ideal for a family read-aloud or suggested to a gifted reader. ( )