A No-Sneeze Pet by Adriana Puglisi

Author:Adriana Puglisi
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: 9781404874992, 9781479518623, fiction, Picture Window Books, Pet Friends Forever, Social Issues/Friendship, Animals/General, Animals/Pets, Animals/Mice, Hamsters, Guinea Pigs, etc., Animals/Reptiles & Amphibians, Animals/Birds
Publisher: Capstone
Published: 2014-02-11T00:00:00+00:00

The Banana Beast

Dr. Blake’s clinic was closed on Saturday afternoons, so Kyle’s mom had volunteered to take Kyle, Mia, and Emma to visit another no-sneeze pet.

“You kids are awfully quiet today,” Dr. Blake told Kyle and Mia as she pulled out of the driveway. “Is something wrong? Do you want to talk about it?”

“I just don’t know what to do,” Mia explained. She shook her head unhappily. “Emma hasn’t found a pet she likes, and Charley is the last one on the list.”

Kyle shook his head. “I don’t think she’s going to like him,” he said.

“Let’s let Emma decide for herself,” Dr. Blake said.

Emma was waiting for them on her front porch when they pulled up. She hurried to the car and hopped in the backseat with Mia and Kyle.

“No luck finding a pet yet, Emma?” Dr. Blake asked. “What was wrong with the other pets on the list?”

“Fish just swim around,” Emma explained. “They’re kind of boring. And they don’t live very long. And snakes can get loose and they eat mice. I liked Mrs. Milton’s birds, but bird feathers carry allergens like fur.”

“You won’t have to worry about today’s pet eating mice,” Mia said. “Mr. Bernard’s pet is a vegetarian. He’ll live a long time, too.”

“And Charley is definitely not boring,” Kyle added.

“What kind of pet is it?” Emma asked.

“You’ll see,” Kyle said.

“We’re here!” Dr. Blake announced. She pulled into a driveway and everyone hopped out of the car.

There was an older man waiting for them on the front porch.

“Emma, this is Mr. Bernard,” Dr. Blake said. “He’s been bringing Charley to my clinic for years.”

“Nice to meet you, Emma,” Mr. Bernard said. “Dr. Blake tells me you’re looking for a pet that won’t bother your mom’s allergies.”

Emma nodded.

“I hope meeting Charley will help. Come on in, everyone,” Mr. Bernard said.

As they followed him into the house, Kyle turned to Emma. “Now, don’t freak out,” he warned her. “Charley isn’t as scary as he looks.”

“Scary? What is he?” Emma asked.

“He’s a —” Mia started to say.

“Dragon!” Emma squealed when she caught sight of the enormous lizard lounging on Mr. Bernard’s living-room sofa.

Dr. Blake laughed. “Close,” she said. “Charley is an iguana.”

“He looks a little like a dragon, though,” Mr. Bernard added. The bright-green iguana was five feet long from his nose to the tip of his tail, and he weighed twelve pounds.

Kyle grinned. “Don’t worry, I freaked out a little the first time I met Charley, too,” he said.

“Are all iguanas as big as Charley?” Emma asked.

Mr. Bernard shook his head. “He was only this big when I got him ten years ago,” he said, holding his hands about a foot apart.

“You’ve had him for ten years?” Emma asked. “That’s a long time.”

“He could live to be twenty,” Dr. Blake told Emma.

“Will he get twice as big as he is now?” Emma asked.

“I hope not! If he does, I’ll have to move out!” Mr. Bernard joked.

But Emma didn’t laugh. She glanced over at the cage in the corner.

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