SuitabookBagels on board
Joan Betty Stuchner
- Reading
- Read alongside the child, pausing after Bagels reaches the ship to predict what might happen. Afterwards, separate the fun of the adventure from whether hiding a pet and lying were sensible choices.
- Themes
- Adventure and animal mischief: Bagels repeatedly escapes care and turns up on a cruise ship where pets are not allowed, creating the central predicament. The book leaves its stance open to more than one reading.
- Secrecy and responsibility: Josh and Becky try to keep Bagels hidden and, according to a reader account, lie about where they are going. The behaviour is clearly part of the problem-solving, but whether the story endorses, criticises or resolves it responsibly remains unclear.
- Mystery and suspicion: An onboard mystery involves two potential spies and a mysterious woman carrying a secret envelope; Bagels may help solve it. The premise uses suspicion as an adventure engine, but the seriousness and resolution of the alleged spying are unclear.
- Worth knowing
- Pay particular attention to the contrast between exciting problem-solving and the children’s deception. The story’s final judgement of those choices, and the intensity of the mystery, remain unclear.