The children in this story are adorable and fun. My nephews laughed at the names Nick and Grace (step-brother and step-sister) called each other. And Gus, Nick's best friend, is a riot. Even Accident, their dog, was a lot of fun and very much one of the characters. Lily, Nick's baby sister, is also super cute...and sort of the star of the story.

I have to say that Beverly Stowe McClure nailed the characters. She knows how to write for children and about children. She teaches young readers about gardening, tackles the topic of animal abuse when kids pick on a cat at the park, and also parents that leave their kids for whatever reason. In this story, Nick's real dad left because he had a drinking problem and became abusive. But all of this is done in a light way that kids can understand.

There's a twist at the end that brings the family together (Nick, Nick's Mom, Grace, Grace's Dad, Baby Lily, Accident, and even the cat...Pirate Eye).

This is a sweet story with important lessons.

The only thing was the slang was dated (right-on, spiffy).