Goats Don't Brush Their Teeth

Dosi Cotroneo is a freelance writer living in Manotick, Ontario.

Sisters Abby and Tess find that living in an apartment building with a
“No Pets Allowed” rule is really “dumb.” So the girls come up
with a great idea: to pet sit for their friends so that they can spend
some time enjoying animals.

Little sister Tess is so crazy about dogs that she actually thinks she
is one. When she buries her favorite plastic chew toy in the laundry and
digs up dirt in Mom’s plants, it’s just about enough for Mom to
decide that both girls have got to go. They are ecstatic when they’re
sent off to Grandma’s farm for a whole week. Now they can really enjoy
being around animals, and Grandma is also their favorite person in the
whole world—especially since Mom has been so grouchy lately.

Grandma has a few surprises in store for the girls when they arrive.
Not only did she buy some Spanish goats that have no ears, she also
renovated the attic, so each girl will have her own room for the first
time. Now Abby won’t have to worry about Tess sneaking a peek at her
diary. Or will she? Something strange is going on at the farm. Letters,
diaries, and toothbrushes are going missing and doors are being left
open. Is Grandma becoming forgetful or is Tess being a little snoop? The
mystery is solved when they discover that a little goat is responsible
for all of the mischief. The week at Grandma’s ends with a huge
surprise from Mom and Dad: as the girls are told there’s going to be a
new baby arriving.

This chapter book would be a good choice for beginning readers. The
plot is fast-paced, fun, and full of surprises. Highly recommended.