First published 2023
Nine-year-old Iggy faces a familiar problem. His parents refuse to get him a puppy because they claim he lacks maturity and responsibility. Adults confuse him completely. They obsess over babies while demanding that kids his age act grown up. They grumble about getting older but push children to mature faster. Iggy decides to show his mom and dad just how wrong they are about him. His solution requires careful planning, absolute secrecy, and one chinchilla. The strategy seems foolproof until things spiral into chaos. Screaming ensues, though Iggy insists none of it is his fault. His elaborate plot to demonstrate his readiness for pet ownership takes unexpected turns. Whether Iggy ultimately gets his dream puppy remains the central question driving this final adventure of the beloved troublemaker.
Genres: animals, family-life, contemporary
Vibes: emotional, thought-provoking, whimsical
Tropes: found-family, unreliable-narrator
128 pages · Library Binding · G.P. Putnam's Sons Books for Young Readers