Pet Project By Lisa Thompson ALLERGIC Illustrated by Michelle Mee Nutter Maggie is feeling lonely. Her parents are preoccupied with the imminent arrival of a new baby, and her younger twin brothers have each other. She yearns for a puppy. While she’s finally allowed to choose one on her 10th birthday, her dream is shattered when she breaks out in hives and learns she has severe allergies. One of the things I love about this graphic novel is the way it tackles an emotion we all experience: disappointment. Maggie is utterly devastated when she realizes her allergies have ruined her chances of ever owning anything with fur or feathers, but she keeps positive and tries to come up with another kind of pet. How about a fish? (She gets one and it dies within days.) A lizard? (Her brothers bond with it first.)