Homeless

Vet Volunteers #2

by Laurie Halse Anderson

Sunita and her fellow volunteers at the Wild at Heart veterinary clinic become involved in efforts to save a bunch of feral and abandoned cats with the help of Dr. Mac.

Genres: Animals, Childrens, Middle Grade, Fiction, Realistic Fiction, Cats, Young Adult

144 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2000

About the author

UPDATE! Rebellion 1776 is out! The New York Times wrote, "Filled with immersive detail, expert delineations of complex characters, and both harsh and loving reality, Rebellion 1776 provides young readers with a true experience of a historic moment in time that resonates with today's world." Huzzah!

Laurie Halse Anderson is the New York Times-bestselling author of many award-winning books including the groundbreaking, modern classic Speak, a National Book Award finalist which has sold over 3.5 million copies and been translated into 35 languages.

In 2023, Anderson was named the Laureate of the Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award, long considered to be the de facto 'Nobel Prize for Children's Literature.'

A passionate spokesperson for the need to combat censorship, she has been honored for her battles for intellectual freedom by the National Coalition Against Censorship and the National Council of Teachers of English. She lives near Philadelphia. Go Birds!

Follow Laurie on Bluesky at @halseanderson.bsky.social, Instagram at halseanderson, and Facebook at lauriehalseanderson, or by visiting her website, madwomanintheforest.com.

Reviews

[Wendi Lee · Rating 4 out of 5]

*3.5 stars*

My library didn't have the first book in this series, so I'm hoping I didn't miss much by skipping to book two. I'm a big fan of Laurie Halse Anderson's YA novels, and interested in seeing what her early reader/pre-MG books are like. Not only that, but I'm looking for stuff my 8 year old might like after he's done with The Notebook of Doom series. We are both big cat fans, so this seemed like a good fit.

Strengths: Sunita is an Indian American protagonist (yay for diversity!) and obsessed with cats. She sees a lot of difficult things while volunteering for the veterinarian - I appreciated that Anderson didn't sugar coat anything for her younger readers. Sunita also doesn't shy away from some of the messier aspects of the veterinary clinic, including assisting in a handful of surgeries.

Weaknesses: There isn't a whole lot of character development here, and some passages read like nonfiction pamphlets about topics (rabies, feral cats, etc). I agree that this information is good for kids to know, but fitting it more organically into the narrative might be more effective. Also (crazy cat lady rant here!), I was surprised that the resident cat at the clinic was an indoor/outdoor cat. Right away, he goes missing, and while the vet talks about the dangers he might be experiencing (cars, feral cats, rabid animals), there isn't a discussion about why it might be safer to keep cats indoors. Whyyyy??

Overall, I think this is something my child will like, so I'll introduce this book to him and continue with the series.

[Verania Wolf · Rating 5 out of 5]

Vet volunteers homeless by Laurie Halse Anderson, this book get a 5 out of 5 stars. Something great great about this book is the realist characters they presented. As well as, how emotional attached you get to the characters and animals. Just by reading you could tell how much Sunita cares about the cats she takes care of. The description and detail they give about Socrates (the cat) really helps you imagine how he looks. Sunita desires to get a cat of her own which is continuously shown throughout the book.

I have nothing negative to say about this book that I could think of. I would definitely recommend this book to anybody who would like to become a vet in the future or just loves animals. It really helps you see through the the eyes of a vet, you see all the problems,love, technique,and fun it is to be a vet.

['Melanie Perdomo · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm not a fan of cats, but they do look pretty nice in the cover so I chose to read these books because of that, at first I didn't even think it would be interesting after I read it...it was fun...it had some fun moments and funny places in the story...some were confusing...and some were just not expectable...to expect to happen right away..

[Amorette Novoa · Rating 5 out of 5]

In the story,homeless (vet volunteers)by laurie halse is a really good book i would suggest you read this book if you love cats. In the book their is kids that help the little cats out and it's so cute. I am not kidding this book is so amazing it makes you feel like your in the book with them i also like who they give details i love this book i hope you like this book to.

[Kaley Catron · Rating 5 out of 5]

There's nothing like a light simple read. The Wild At Heart books are perfect for those. I had the first book of these for the longest time and just recently found book 2 and I loved it just as much as the first and I can't wait to find the next ones and finish the series(:

[寿理 宮本 · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the same cover and page count as Homeless, but I guess the listing is only counting to 126 NUMBERED pages? (There are 140 physical pages.) I don't know if there are any changes other than this one being a Scholastic direct market edition.

I admit that the American Girl branding makes me curious, since I thought every book under their name related to one of their dolls. However, I can't find a Sunita (the main character) in their line-up or from third-party sellers. What's the purpose of releasing just random books?

(I could probably find out with slightly more internet browsing than I spent looking for a Sunita doll, but my curiosity abandoned me after that one search. Unfortunately, I know how it is with the rabbit hole that is unlimited internet!)

Admittedly, the book starts out rough. The worry is that every book that starts with the main character is a kid who wants a [featured animal] for a pet, gets one (or more!), and while I expected that, Sunita ALSO started off being 100% convinced she could tame a completely feral cat.



LUCKILY, this isn't the kind of book where the characters have such powerful magical thinking that everything just *snaps* perfectly into place—Sunita DOES end up getting *temporary* cats, after much rational explanation of why (what she suspects are) her mother's fears about cats are less of a concern as she's afraid of, BUT—she DOES only come to the realisation that her dream about taming a feral cat is just a dream... because she has a nightmare about it.

I mean, it's a curiously prescient dream state. I sort of think it would have been better had her mother or, even better, Dr. Mac had explained to her that to a feral cat, humans are as scary as—say—GIANT TEN-FOOT SPIDERS would be to us. Imagine if a GIANT TEN-FOOT SPIDER offered you food and petting. Would you like that?

If so, you're a tameable feral cat! Otherwise, FERAL FOR LIFE.

The other thing is the twist with Sunita flagrantly disregarding Dr. Mac's instructions and trying to pet the feral cat... which BITES her. I mean, I think it's great to show that, as a way to illustrate just how much feral cats just do not trust humans, besides the rabies vaccination shots she has to get as a precaution. It's some of the subsequent reactions to that that sort of rub me the wrong way, especially the journalist in their faces about it.

...okay, the OTHER other thing is the twist with Cat Land: Why did the ANIMAL CONTROL specialist have to be informed about TVSR? (unless it's like informing him about an update to TNR) Then the whole "homeowners complaining about the cat colony" issue being resolved by an ACTUAL rabid animal (raccoon) suddenly attacking the two children taking care of Cat Land, and the cats fighting off the raccoon giving them a sudden change of heart. SUPER stretch of plausibility.

It's... a read, anyway. I didn't hate it, but I do sort of roll my eyes at the third act. I absolutely sympathise with Sunita, though, but my holdout is an allergic spouse, so it's significantly less likely I'll get the same ending as she did. :(

[Shazza Maddog · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sunita loves cats. Loves them. She wants a cat more than anything. She volunteers at the local vet's office, Wild at Heart, to have a chance to help take care of cats. The vet's office cat, Socrates, who is not the friendliest, loves her. But when he leaves the yard, chasing after an obviously-pregnant black and white cat, Sunita and her friends run after him and find a large colony of feral cats.

Some other kids have been doing their best to take care of the cats but their Mom hates cats - much like Sunita's. In fact, Mrs. Frazier has called Animal Control to come and capture the cats - and euthanize them since they're feral. Sunita and her friends - and Dr. Mac - work out a plan with one of the ACC workers to trap, neuter, and release the cats back to the colony. And they do manage to trap some of the cats - but one of them is hurt and needs more care than just being neutered. Tiger has to have a surgery and Sunita believes she can help him realize that being a house cat is better than being a feral.

When something horrible happens with Tiger, Sunita learns that not all cats are ever going to be friendly - and also that she can still take a stand for the feral colony.

A great book for tweens and cat lovers.

[Amy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was a read. Main character is an Indian American girl who loves cats. I was so exited to read a book in which my daughter could see herself! The reading level was a bit above my 8 year old, especially the vocabulary surrounding the veterinary clinic, vaccinations and a feral colony therefore it made it a perfect book for us to read together.

I appreciated the story line of kids who love animals mixed with veterinary science. The author didn’t sugar coat the action and it kept my young reader interested.

[Emily · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fantastic read out loud. The story is lovely and engaging enough to keep an adult interested. Like the first in the series, this incorporates vet science which is just the right level and explained perfectly for young elementary. The writing is fantastic and I really enjoyed it.

[jessi · Rating 5 out of 5]

A short read, but entertaining! Cat rescue is my passion, so I would have loved this book as a kid. At times it is a bit graphic for a small child, so I'd say it's best for 10+ year olds, but a great book to give older kids who are interested in animal rescue.

[Cheyann · Rating 3 out of 5]

this book homeless was about a girl who truly love cats. who decided to work at a clinic just to be around cats because her mother don't like them nor won't allow her to have one as a pet.she believes that they are to sneaky.

what i liked about the book was how she really liked cats and you could tell because even after she got bit by one hard to where she had to go to the hospital afterward she was making sure the cat that bit her was okay and she was blaming herself and still wanted to check on that cat and others at the clinic.what i don't like about this book is that people was so ready to get rid of the feral cats even when they didn't harm anybody .

people who likes cats or wants a animal that there parents is not letting them get should read this book because you could relate to this book really good but for people who doesn't like animals or even cats and doesn't really care about cats shouldn't read this book.

[Abbie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing!

[Kelly · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read it aloud to my girls (6 and 8). They loved it and learned a lot about cats and veterinary care. They've requested another of the "cat books" from this series.

[Carol · Rating 2 out of 5]

000 - 2007 - Trade - Have It - Read It

[Summer Schmidt · Rating 3 out of 5]

Quick easy young author book. Cleaning out my classroom library and the cover caught my attention. Perfect for animal lovers & advocates.

[Sparrow Delman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sunita is truly an amazing girl. I can't even explain everything I loved about this book, it is one you need to read yourself to find out.

[AS · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very sweet book that does not water things down but keeps the tough subject matter age appropriate without condescending the young reader's intelligence.

[beth mccullough · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very good!!

I have nothing negative to say! It was a very good book. I could imagine most of the book in my head.

[Viviennegloria · Rating 5 out of 5]

Vet Volunteers: Fight for Life
Laurie Halse Anderson

Maggie is a dog lover, she happens to live in a vet clinic, run by J.J. Mackenzie, her veterinarian
grandmother. She loves to help but sick pups are piling up! There is a puppy mill! A puppy mill is a place where people sell sick puppies on purpose just to make money. The story is about a girl who likes dogs and she helps the dogs by helping her grandmother take care of the sick dogs. There are just sick puppy after sick puppy one week because someone is running a puppy mill at the Penn Street farmers market. Maggie and the vet volunteers find out what street he is on and call everyone on that street, they find him, and go to his house. They help stop the puppy mill because they call the police and make sure the puppies are OK because they also call the shelter. Maggie makes sure the police arrest the man. I'd suggest it to the dog lovers like Maggie.

[10-11 kacie · Rating 5 out of 5]

sunita is a very cat loveing person. so whent out to the rescue clinct and got a voeering teerie job to help dr.mac. she became very close to socrates the clinic's pet animal. she took him home one day and there was another cat at the house and socrates became violent and starting attcting the other cat. after the fight they both ran away and sunita became very worriod that something had happened to him and the other cat (she was pregant) so they were even more worried. when they were looking for them they came upon cat land were a lot of ferel cats live. the did the TVSR on almost all the cats that live in cat land and then they released them back into cat land and neiboriers were not very happy and they started a fight. when all the audults were fighting a raccon came upon the 3 chrilden and it had rabies it kept inching closer when socrates and 2 other cats started attcting it and it gave the chrilden enough time to escape. socrates flew out of the fight and was very badly injured. they took back the pregant cat and socrates and helped each one of them. they all lived and sunita was relived to get a cat of her own.

[Books Kids Like · Rating 4 out of 5]

Maggie, David, Brenna, and Sunita look everywhere for Socrates after he runs away following a cat fight. In the process, they find close to thirty feral cats living in an abandoned boxcar with Cat Land written on the door. As they watch the cats, two neighborhood children bring cat food. The children’s mother tells them that the county is coming soon to take the cats away. Sunita desperately wants to save them all so they can be domesticated and find good homes. Dr. Mac helps Sunita realize that these cats can’t be domesticated, but she suggests that they try TVSR- Trap, Vaccinate, Spay, and Return. Despite a major communication glitch, a rabies scare, and neighborhood animosity, Dr. Mac and her crew are able to save the feral cats and find them a new home. Best of all, Sunita’s hope for a pet cat is realized.
©2024 Kathy Maxwell at https://bookskidslike.com

[Speak to the Book · Rating 3 out of 5]

Another of Anderson's great animal stories for young readers. Homeless focuses on Sunita and her desire to have a cat while teaching readers about the difference between pets and feral/wild animals. Through Sunita's gradual understanding of the distinction between domestic and feral, children can learn about the different ways that stray animals relate to people and learn a lesson about being cautious in animal encounters.

[Suzanne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Same stories in Anderson's Vet Volunteers series. All these stories are so much better than the run-of-the-mill cute animal chapter books out there. They are just as enjoyable for their readers, much more informative, and address current issues. I am using them to help animal organizations plan programs for kids in grades 3-5.

[Mai · Rating 4 out of 5]

4,5 / 5 ⭐️
I love cats <3
I loved Clara's pov, it was great and cute !

[Shanell · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cats love Sunita Patel, and she loves them back. Since her mother won't let he have a cat of her own, finding a feral cat colony is a dream come true. But Animal Control is going to destroy all of the cats unless Sunita does something drastic.

[Lex C · Rating 4 out of 5]

Again another beautiful story i read as a young reader (5th grade). I loved this one more then the 1st one because i found this one more sad. I hate seeing homeless pets. They dont deserve it. Plus i like kitty's...hehe.

[Beverly · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cats

It is always important to educate yourself on the species or pet you are planning to add to your home and family. Keeping your new member clean,fed,and healthy is very important. A pet can teach responsibility as well as love and compassion.

[Sheri · Rating 3 out of 5]

It seems every year I have at least one student that wants to be a veterinarian. Although I worry that some of my struggling readers will get caught up in the technical language and medical terms of this story, it's a story that shows the many ways to get involved with helping animals.

[Tara · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really like these books. This one is centered around the problem of stray cats. I learned a lot, even just about regular cats. I love the characters and storylines in these books. I can’t wait to read the next one.

[Anisia · Rating 5 out of 5]

i love this book 'cuz its 'bout cats and how they get "saved" for anyone who wanted to read it, well it was at the book fair at corte sierra