Pighearted

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Title:

Pighearted

Alternate title:

Pig hearted

Author:

Perry, Alex, 1990- author.

Summary:

Jeremiah's heart skips a beat before his frist soccer game, but it's not from nerves. It's the first sign of a heart attack. He knows he needs to go to the hospital, but he's determined to score a goal and not let his heart condition get in the way. Charging after the ball, he refuses to stop...even if his heart does. J6 is a pig and the only one of his five brothers who survived the research lab. Even though he's never left his cell, he thinks of himself as a therapy pig, a scholar, and a bodyguard. But when the lab sends him to live with Jeremiah's family, there's on new title he's desperate to have: brother. At first, Jeremiah thinks his parents took in J6 to cheer him up. But before long, he begins to suspect there's more to his new curly-tailed companion than meets the eye. When the truth is revealed, Jeremiah and J6 must protect each other at al costs--even if their lives depend on it. This charming story about family, sacrifice, and survival--set against the backdrop of boundary-pushing science and the ethics behind it--will inspire readers to never stop figthing for the ones they love.

Audience:

008-012. Little, Brown and Company.

Edition:

First edition.

Physical Description:

290 pages ; 20 cm

Subject Term:

Swine -- Juvenile fiction.

Human-animal relationships -- Juvenile fiction.

Heart -- Abnormalities -- Juvenile fiction.

Transplantation of organs, tissues, etc. -- Juvenile fiction.

Siblings -- Juvenile fiction.

Genetic engineering -- Juvenile fiction.

Publisher:

Little, Brown and Company,

Publication Date:

2021

ISBN:

9780316538770

Publication Information:

New York : Little, Brown and Company, 2021.

Call Number:

J PERRY

Holds: Copies:

Available:*

Item Barcode	Collection	Call Number	Status	Item Holds
33607003585471	Juvenile Fiction	PERRY	Searching... Unknown	Searching... Unavailable

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Summary

Charlotte's Web meets My Sister's Keeper in this charming story told from the alternating perspectives of a boy with a fatal heart condition and the pig with the heart that could save his life.

Jeremiah's heart skips a beat before his first soccer game, but it's not nerves. It's the first sign of a heart attack. He knows he needs to go to the hospital, but he's determined to score a goal. Charging after the ball, he refuses to stop...even if his heart does.

J6 is a pig and the only one of his five brothers who survived the research lab. Though he's never left his cell, he thinks of himself as a therapy pig, a scholar, and a bodyguard. But when the lab sends him to live with Jeremiah's family, there's one new title he's desperate to have: brother.

At first, Jeremiah thinks his parents took in J6 to cheer him up. But before long, he begins to suspect there's more to his new curly-tailed companion than meets the eye. When the truth is revealed, Jeremiah and J6 must protect each other at all costs--even if their lives depend on it.

Author Notes

Alex Perry used to teach middle schoolers in Houston, but now she writes for kids everywhere. She currently lives in Arkansas with her family. Pighearted is her debut novel. She invites you to visit her at alexperrybooks.com or follow her on Twitter @Alextheadequate.

Reviews (1)

Publisher's Weekly Review

Jeremiah, 12, is a cued-white Houston boy born with a bad heart; his need for an imminent transplant becomes apparent after a soccer field collapse. Jeremiah 6 (known as J-6) is a lab pig chimera injected with human DNA and growing a human heart, who doctors believe can save Jeremiah's life. When, three months before Jeremy's scheduled surgery, he receives J-6 as a gift from his parents, claiming the pig is a therapy animal, the boy has no idea of the newfound pet's fate. Predictably, the two soon bond and become loyal brothers as Jeremiah learns some of J-6's remarkable skills, including understanding human language, spelling, and reading. By the time Jeremiah realizes his beloved pet is going to die on the day he receives a new heart, he's willing to do anything to save J-6's life--even if it means risking his own. The parents' behavior feels a bit callous, but debut author Perry, exploring the ethics of animal experimentation, offers two compelling first-person perspectives, alternating between a dying boy and an anthropomorphic pig and providing a sweet, if slightly farfetched, resolution. Back matter includes an author's note and resources. Ages 8--12. Agent: Melissa Nasson, Rubin Pfeffer Content. (Oct.)