Martha Speaks

 By Susan Meddaugh

This is a classic.  It has its own show.  I'd heard of the book first, but I saw the show before I read it.  The show is delightful.  The book is less so, but only because the developments that were made later in the series really add a lot to it.  As a book on its own with no expectations, it's still fantastic.

The idea of alphabet soup going to Martha's brain instead of her stomach is so simple and ridiculous that there's no need to question it.

 There isn't  lot of plot.  It's just a book about all the adult things that Martha can do that are silly.  She eventually upsets her owners who very rudely tell her to shut up.

But she redeems herself by getting a burglar arrested.

I'm really tired of this plot point in books about pets at this point.  But what are you going to do.  I'm also really disappointed that the original has the family drawn as a ginger haired white family, while in the cartoon they're biracial.  I was really hoping the book would be the same.  But I guess that would be too wild.

It's still a good book.