Ants Don't Catch Flying Saucers (New Edition, 2010)

A new generation of readers can discover the beloved “Abby and Tess Pet-Sitters” series, with all new covers and inside illustrations. The fun-filled series features young Abby, an aspiring veterinarian, whose family lives in a “No Pets Allowed” apartment building. In order to spend time with animals of all kinds, she goes into the pet-sitting business with her precocious little sister, Tess. The girls learn lots of new things about animals and find creative ways to solve problems. These short chapter books are perfect for kids who love animals and mystery.

In Ants Don't Catch Flying Saucers, Abby has to deal with Dirk, the worst troublemaker in her class. Abby's stuck on his team for the Crazy Olympics, and on top of that, she has to pet-sit his ant farm over the weekend. Leave it to Dirk to have ants for pets! But Abby’s little sister, Tess, thinks the ants are great, and worse, she actually gets along with Dirk. Abby wants nothing to do with either of them, until she nearly knocks over the ant farm and discovers that Tess was right about ants being really smart. Is it possible she’s been too hard on Dirk and Tess? With the Crazy Olympics just a few days away, she still has a chance to make things right.

Extras:

Curriculum Links for the "Abby and Tess Pet-Sitters" series

Additional Formats:

• Large Print Edition (Read How You Want)
  
• eBook (Dedicated Teacher)

Reviews & Awards for the "Abby and Tess Pet-Sitters" Series:

"Our daughter - also an animal lover - has had lots of fun with this book. She giggled at the title and was glued to our side as we read a couple chapters each night … This is a cute, humorous story that weaves life lessons in the plot ... We've read other books about making mistakes, but our daughter immediately saw the lesson with this story ... Animal lovers and sibling girls will enjoy this humorous, life-like story of two sisters who are learning about growing up ... This has the potential to be a well-worn book, much like Nancy Drew was for many of us.” – The Reading Tub, May 2009

"Animal lovers will find the facts found in the books interesting and will perhaps be inspired by Tess’ research techniques. Young readers will look forward to the other titles in this Pet Sitter Series." - Resource Links, April 2009

"A new cohort of readers should also enjoy this tight and often humorous story of creative problem-solving, in which Abby learns a valuable lesson about responsibility." - Montreal Review of Books, April 2009

“... satisfying and fast-moving with quite a bit of factual information ... a good read for pet lovers.” – School Library Journal

“… reminiscent of Beverly Cleary’s Beezus and Ramona.” – Quill & Quire

“A really fun combination of weird animals and strong female characters that deals with the themes of responsibility and independence.” – kidscreen.com

“Nicely balances interest in mystery with the family dynamic, especially the issue of sibling rivalry ... a good choice for readers who are ready for chapter books, or young mystery fans.” – Resource Links

“A welcome Canadian alternative to Cam Jansen and Pee Wee Scouts ... The author’s integration of scientific information will appeal to many young readers as well.” – CM: Canadian Review of Materials

"The titles alone will grab young readers!" - The Reading Tub, April 2009

“There are several layers to this book, which would be an excellent choice for an elementary book club. The themes that stand out are sibling dynamics, responsibility, the ups/downs of owning your own business (can't pick your clients, working with others, etc.), and honesty.” – Scrub-a-Dub-Tub (book review blog), June 2009