Ivy Takes Care by Rosemary Wells (review)

Fifth-graders Ivy and Annie have been friends for forever, but their lives are actually quite different, a fact made increasingly apparent as working-class Ivy watches Annie become more absorbed in making friends with the popular kids at school and with the girls at the exclusive New England camp she attends every summer. Ivy is sad to see her friendship with Annie fade, but she finds solace in caring for animals, both the injured wild ones she finds near her working ranch home and the animals she begins caring for through the pet-sitting business she creates. Set in the midcentury Southwest, the book is divided into three sections based on three animals Ivy cares for: Chestnut, a pony; Inca, a German Shepherd puppy; and Andromeda, a retired thoroughbred who once beat the great Seabiscuit. Wells’ narrative voice is as thoughtful and dependable as Ivy herself, and she capably evokes the historical and geographical settings, giving just enough detail to make the surroundings intriguing without distracting readers from the main threads of Ivy’s story. Animal-loving youngsters who dream of becoming vets will be in heaven here, and girls with their own friendship troubles may also relate to Ivy’s difficulties with Annie. Final art not seen.