Pets, Vets, and Marty Howard

by Joan Carris, Carol Newsom (Illustrator)

In this sequel to When the Boys Ran the House, 12-year-old Marty Howard decides he wants to become a veterinarian, and when he lands an after school job at the local vet's hospital, he discovers there's more to caring for animals than he thought.

186 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1984

About the author

Joan Carris published more than a dozen books for children as well as four textbooks. She also taught graduate-level writing at Duke University. She lived in Beaufort, North Carolina.

Ms. Carris passed away in December of 2023.
https://www.virginiacremate.com/obitu...

Reviews

[Ruby Hollyberry]

The title of this is actually "Pets, Vets, and Marty Howard" and it is a sequel to When the Boys Ran the House, changing protagonists from the eldest to the next-eldest boy. Marty is the family brain and fascinated with nature and animals. A seventh-grader, he has landed a part-time job with the local veterinarian - a wonderful gray-haired lady called "Doc" by all. He grapples with the question of work cutting into his school and play times, debates his career plans daily (based on whether he is doing something gross or wonderful - holding newborn pups after a Caesarean is his fave of all), and most of all confronts the issue of homeless pets head-on, valiantly rallying his friends and the town to find homes for abandoned puppies and kittens! Very true to life.

[Lana Kamennof-sine]

A fascinating story for any who love animals & want to see them well treated. This tale is of a young boy who volunteers at a vet clinic and experiences first hand all the joys and sorrows that can entail. He personally took on the challenge of finding homes for animals who were dropped off, or the puppies & kittens that were born there.

[Katya Voss]

Super sweet and cute; loved the story and Marty's tender heart as he tries desperately to find a home for all the extra puppies and kittens in the world. The ending and solution were very clever and sweet too. Felt like a more modern James Harriet.

[Cheryl]

Marty wants to be a vet. He gets an after school job helping the local vets. But when he tries to find home for pets dumped at vets office he is overwhelmed. Between school work, his job at the vets and hiding the animal from his parents he has no time for fun and friends.

[Partridge Public]

Carris, Joan

[Tommyb]

Fiction,Children's fiction