Delightedly caring for a precocious abandoned pig, the Critter Club friends are surprised by Ellie's unusual streak of good luck, which she thinks may be related to the pig and fears losing if the pig is adopted. Simultaneous. - (Baker & Taylor)

The Critter Club cares for a precocious pig that might just be giving Ellie good luck in the tenth book of the Critter Club series.

When The Critter Club takes in an abandoned pig named Plum, the girls are really excited. They’ve never had a pig at the club before! They love learning how to take care of Plum. And they especially love watching Ms. Sullivan’s dog, Rufus, interact with the pig. But no one is happier about the club’s guest than Ellie.

Soon after Plum arrives, Ellie starts having some unusually good luck. She does really well on a test for her least favorite subject; she aces an audition for a play at a local theater; and she wins a prize at school! Ellie is sure that Plum is bringing her good luck. So when the rest of the girls tell Ellie that they’ve found someone to adopt the pig, Ellie knows she should be excited...but she’s not. Will Ellie’s good luck turn bad once Plum leaves?

With easy-to-read language and illustrations on almost every page, The Critter Club chapter books are perfect for beginning readers! - (Simon and Schuster)

Callie Barkley loves animals. As a young girl, she dreamed of getting a cat or dog of her own until she discovered she was allergic to most of them. It was around this time that she realized the world was full of all kinds of critters that could use some love. She now lives with her husband and two kids in Connecticut. They share their home with exactly ten fish and a very active ant farm.

Marsha Riti illustrated the picture book The Picky Little Witch by Elizabeth Brokamp and The Critter Club series by Callie Barkley. She lives in Austin, Texas, where she likes to take long walks, stopping frequently to pet neighborhood kitties. - (Simon and Schuster)

Horn Book Guide Reviews

When a pig named Plum comes to the shelter, everything starts going Ellie's way. When Plum is adopted, Ellie's luck changes for the worse. Was Plum Ellie's good luck charm? The Critter Club girls help Ellie see that it's really her hard work that helped her. This easygoing, generously illustrated chapter book fits right in with the rest of the sweet series.