Kids’ Book Review: Review: Millie and Stella
Ten-week-old puppy Fergus, is being trained as an
assistance dog.
His trainer, a friend of Granpa’s, has been called
away to a family emergency. A temporary carer is needed until he recovers from
an operation.
Stella overhears the conversation and having longed
for a dog of her own, convinces Grandpa that she and her best friend Millie,
will be happy to take care of Fergus.
The girls decide that this will be their Project
of Choice theme, one of the many which their class has been allocated to
research.
Being the Project of Choice means they must
take Fergus to school with them to allow him to assimilate to all the social skills he
needs to know, such as being with other people and animals, birds and sounds. Above all, to obey commands and be toilet trained.
There is a lot of learning, adjusting and change
for Fergus, Stella, and Millie.
Regardless of the amount of enthusiasm and
dedication the girls put in, disruption – of the class and other people’s
projects, cannot be avoided.
For Gwyneth, a former antagonist of the two friends,
has chosen Mindfulness and Meditation in Schools as her project. There
is little of that with Fergus around.
Just when the pair believed that the three of them
had arrived at a meeting place, Gwyneth declares war again. She finds
Fergus a constant distraction and demands that he be sent away.
Will Stella and Millie be able to overcome the difficulties
that arise, and prove they are responsible dog trainers and carers?
By referring to things in the first book, The
Lost Ponies, a sense of continuation is formed. Complementing illustrations
by Jedda Robard again add to children’s interest.
The prose in this series is positive in language
and approach. It presents different ways of addressing problems, how to deal
with conflict, and proves that perception is everything in any situation.
Challenges are handled with patience, kindness, and
logical explanation.
Instructions on how to train a puppy are cleverly
inserted throughout the dialogue and storyline. This allows children who long for
a dog of their own to gain an insight into the responsibly and care needed to
own and train a pet. It also affirms that nothing comes easy.
The Puppy Project is
the second book in the fantastic Millie and Stella – Best Friends Forever
series.
Title: Millie and Stella Best- Friends Forever : The Puppy Project
Author: Josephine Moon
Illustrator: Jedda Robard
Publisher: Penguin Random House, $16.99
Publication Date: 2 September 2025
Format: Paperback
ISBN: 9781761346507
For ages: 6+
Type: Junior Fiction
