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The Invincible Girls Club #1
Home Sweet Forever Home
Lauren and her three BFFs find creative ways to help shelter dogs get adopted in this first installment of the relatable and empowering The Invincible Girls Club chapter book series—featuring backmatter with profiles on real-life animal activists!
Lauren is a huge dog lover and is over-the-moon excited when she gets to go to the local shelter to read to the dogs. While there, she learns that the older dogs are often not adopted, so she and her friends set out to find them homes.
Together, Lauren, Ruby, Myka, and Emelyn create a brilliant event, where attendees can eat delicious cupcakes while meeting adoptable dogs. But on the big day, it seems like everything goes upside down. Can the girls save the event and make sure their four-legged friends get a chance at their fur-ever homes?
Lauren is a huge dog lover and is over-the-moon excited when she gets to go to the local shelter to read to the dogs. While there, she learns that the older dogs are often not adopted, so she and her friends set out to find them homes.
Together, Lauren, Ruby, Myka, and Emelyn create a brilliant event, where attendees can eat delicious cupcakes while meeting adoptable dogs. But on the big day, it seems like everything goes upside down. Can the girls save the event and make sure their four-legged friends get a chance at their fur-ever homes?
160 pages, Paperback
First published May 4, 2021
17 people are currently reading
107 people want to read
About the author
Rachele Alpine
14 books182 followersRachele Alpine is a lover of binge watching reality TV, dogs, knitting, gummy peaches, and lots and lots of coffee!
One of her first jobs was at a library, but it didn't last long, because all she did was hide in the third-floor stacks and read. Now she's a little more careful about when and where she indulges her reading habit.
By day she's a high school English teacher, by night she's a mom and wife, and she writes during any time she can find in between!
Rachele lives with her husband and son in Cleveland, Ohio, but dreams of moving back to Boston, the city she fell in love with while attending graduate school there.
One of her first jobs was at a library, but it didn't last long, because all she did was hide in the third-floor stacks and read. Now she's a little more careful about when and where she indulges her reading habit.
By day she's a high school English teacher, by night she's a mom and wife, and she writes during any time she can find in between!
Rachele lives with her husband and son in Cleveland, Ohio, but dreams of moving back to Boston, the city she fell in love with while attending graduate school there.
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Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
September 10, 2022
A wonderful book about four third-grade girls who take action when they see something that needs improving!
After volunteering at the local animal shelter for a few weeks, Lauren and friends can’t help but notice that older dogs rarely get adopted. Along with some adult assistance, the girls come up with a plan to make sure those “oldies but goodies” will get noticed and find forever homes!
Such great information about what goes on behind the scenes at an animal shelter, and how volunteers can make a huge difference for the lonely animals. Totally inspiring literature for middle-grade readers, or for anyone who desires to make a difference in the lives of shelter animals!
After volunteering at the local animal shelter for a few weeks, Lauren and friends can’t help but notice that older dogs rarely get adopted. Along with some adult assistance, the girls come up with a plan to make sure those “oldies but goodies” will get noticed and find forever homes!
Such great information about what goes on behind the scenes at an animal shelter, and how volunteers can make a huge difference for the lonely animals. Totally inspiring literature for middle-grade readers, or for anyone who desires to make a difference in the lives of shelter animals!
September 30, 2021
On the whole, this is a great book for the chapter book crowd and the start of what looks like a promising new series. Love the focus that children can do important, helpful things-- things that would be important for anyone at any age to accomplish. In this case, the Invincible Girls Club puts together an adoption event to help older dogs find forever homes. Really appreciate that the book highlights that adult dogs can make wonderful companions, and can sometimes even be a better companion than a puppy depending on the human situation. (I volunteered at a cat shelter for many years and this book really touched my heart because we had the same situation there -- the kittens would be adopted out like lightning and so many wonderful adult cats, even those only a few years old, were passed over. It broke my heart.) The book is well written and has a diverse cast of characters. My one criticism is that I felt the "girl power" message was just a bit too heavy. The emphasis that girl power is better than anything... well, I just felt went a bit too far. I appreciate "girl power" and books that show girls are powerful, capable, intelligent, strong... but the implication that girls are better than boys is really not okay, any more than the message that boys are better than girls is not okay. I really don't think that this is the author's intent (she is the mother of two boys!) but it's something that bothered me. The only young boy in the story is the main character's older brother and he is constantly doubting their ability because they are only in the third grade. It would have been nice to see a supportive boy side character somewhere in the book. The overall positives of the story outweigh this negative (it's not a main focus of the story) and bonus points for the back matter that shows many "Invincible Girls" (and women) who are making positive differences for animals, I appreciate that the author includes women from diverse backgrounds and well-known to lesser-known figures (including some vegan activists).
May 23, 2021
Review by Turah Jones, age 8:
What did you like best?
I liked how they brought the dogs into Sprinkle n Shine. I thought the book was both happy and sad. Only sad because she couldn’t have a dog, but figured out how to help dogs with her friends.
Do you think other kids will like this book?
Yes! Because it’s fun and entertaining and you learn about real life invincible girls! I can’t wait to read book #2!
I enjoyed the book a lot!
What did you like best?
I liked how they brought the dogs into Sprinkle n Shine. I thought the book was both happy and sad. Only sad because she couldn’t have a dog, but figured out how to help dogs with her friends.
Do you think other kids will like this book?
Yes! Because it’s fun and entertaining and you learn about real life invincible girls! I can’t wait to read book #2!
I enjoyed the book a lot!
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March 19, 2024Reads with the little
July 25, 2023
E ARC provided by Netgalley
Lauren loves dogs, but her stepfather is allergic to them, so she can't one of her own. Luckily, her friends Ruby (who wants to be a reporter), Emelyn (the fashionable one) and Myka (who has a large family and likes sports) all agree to volunteer at a local rescue facility. Mr. Turner, who is in charge, is glad to have them read to the dogs to help socialize them and get the adjusted to being with people, but he also has the girls wash bowls, clean cages, and do other less glamorous jobs. Lauren notices that the dog to whom she reads, Rhett, is not getting adopted because he is older, and she comes up with an idea to help. After her step brother tells her that she is too young to really help the world (the girls are in the third grade), she decides to put together an event at her Uncle Patrick's cupcake shop to have people meet the dogs, eat cupcakes, and hopefully adopt a pet. Nothing goes smoothly, and the friends end up having an all day baking session at Lauren's home, but in the end, many of the pets do get adopted, and the shelter also has more people volunteer to help. At the end of the book, there are a quantity of two page biographies of a wide range of "invincible girls" who have done work with animals.
Strengths: Lauren is a very energetic character who does not let other people get in the way of getting things done! She and her friends take their task seriously, even trying to get their teacher to adopt a pet (in a really charming scene where the teacher thinks they are trying to set her up with a boyfriend!). I love the energy, and the fact that they don't shy away from working hard. Lauren's family, with her stepfather and stepbrother, seemed nicely realistic. Her uncle who owns the cupcake shop is gay, and the friends have diverse backgrounds. I really liked the short biographies, and am looking forward to the next book of the four book series, which brings in art. Fans of Coco Simon's different series will like the Invincible Girls and their club.
Weaknesses: Having just adopted an older dog, I love the message, but think that the shelter probably would have a much more stringent application process, and there might be health concerns about home baked cupcakes. Being an adult really takes the fun out of things, doesn't it?
What I really think: I will pass on purchase for middle school, but would definitely purchase for elementary school libraries. This would have been one of my favorites had I read it in early elementary school.
Lauren loves dogs, but her stepfather is allergic to them, so she can't one of her own. Luckily, her friends Ruby (who wants to be a reporter), Emelyn (the fashionable one) and Myka (who has a large family and likes sports) all agree to volunteer at a local rescue facility. Mr. Turner, who is in charge, is glad to have them read to the dogs to help socialize them and get the adjusted to being with people, but he also has the girls wash bowls, clean cages, and do other less glamorous jobs. Lauren notices that the dog to whom she reads, Rhett, is not getting adopted because he is older, and she comes up with an idea to help. After her step brother tells her that she is too young to really help the world (the girls are in the third grade), she decides to put together an event at her Uncle Patrick's cupcake shop to have people meet the dogs, eat cupcakes, and hopefully adopt a pet. Nothing goes smoothly, and the friends end up having an all day baking session at Lauren's home, but in the end, many of the pets do get adopted, and the shelter also has more people volunteer to help. At the end of the book, there are a quantity of two page biographies of a wide range of "invincible girls" who have done work with animals.
Strengths: Lauren is a very energetic character who does not let other people get in the way of getting things done! She and her friends take their task seriously, even trying to get their teacher to adopt a pet (in a really charming scene where the teacher thinks they are trying to set her up with a boyfriend!). I love the energy, and the fact that they don't shy away from working hard. Lauren's family, with her stepfather and stepbrother, seemed nicely realistic. Her uncle who owns the cupcake shop is gay, and the friends have diverse backgrounds. I really liked the short biographies, and am looking forward to the next book of the four book series, which brings in art. Fans of Coco Simon's different series will like the Invincible Girls and their club.
Weaknesses: Having just adopted an older dog, I love the message, but think that the shelter probably would have a much more stringent application process, and there might be health concerns about home baked cupcakes. Being an adult really takes the fun out of things, doesn't it?
What I really think: I will pass on purchase for middle school, but would definitely purchase for elementary school libraries. This would have been one of my favorites had I read it in early elementary school.
January 4, 2023
SYNOPSIS: "Lauren and her three BFFs find creative ways to help shelter dogs get adopted in this first installment of the relatable and empowering The Invincible Girls Club chapter book series—featuring backmatter with profiles on real-life animal activists!
Lauren is a huge dog lover and is over-the-moon excited when she gets to go to the local shelter to read to the dogs. While there, she learns that the older dogs are often not adopted, so she and her friends set out to find them homes.
Together, Lauren, Ruby, Myka, and Emelyn create a brilliant event, where attendees can eat delicious cupcakes while meeting adoptable dogs. But on the big day, it seems like everything goes upside down. Can the girls save the event and make sure their four-legged friends get a chance at their fur-ever homes?"
Lauren is a huge dog lover and is over-the-moon excited when she gets to go to the local shelter to read to the dogs. While there, she learns that the older dogs are often not adopted, so she and her friends set out to find them homes.
Together, Lauren, Ruby, Myka, and Emelyn create a brilliant event, where attendees can eat delicious cupcakes while meeting adoptable dogs. But on the big day, it seems like everything goes upside down. Can the girls save the event and make sure their four-legged friends get a chance at their fur-ever homes?"
July 7, 2021
I think the author did a fabulous job in showing how a group on children can overcome some real life obstacles that are relevant to kids their age. Empowering children to make a difference is great as long as it isn't too heavy on their shoulders. Children wanting to help shelter dogs and finding realistic solutions to the realistic obstacles to make it happen is achievable for this age group. Well done!
August 12, 2021
I loved this book and am so happy it’s a series!!! Great for both elementary and middle school readers. Love the girl power message and the short bios of inspirational women at the end. I will def be making some #LiteracyInspiredCrafts for this book.
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February 3, 2022Mom & Emme
August 24, 2024
I like books about awesome girls. And I recommended this series to the 9 year old I nanny
December 22, 2024
A fun read about the power of girls and friendship. If you have a reader that likes The Baby-Sitters Club, they’ll like this.
December 31, 2024
I read this with a prek who is an early reader. I’ve introduced chapter books and thought this was a fun story to share and to take turns to read.
December 15, 2021
It would be a good book if I was 8. I am older then that, so it's to short for me.
December 5, 2024
Read with my 4 year old at bedtime. She loved it. Moving into book two.
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews