The McNifficents

April 24, 2023
A proper miniature schnauzer and self-appointed nanny seeks to tame his unruly charges in a lively role-reversing family story by Makechnie (Ten Thousand Tries). When an event on the first day of summer sees the McNiff clan again ejected from the local lake, pup Lord Tennyson, “a short, middle-aged gentleman with white whiskers and a royal pedigree,” resolves to change things by season’s end. The children—ranging from 18 months to 13 years—each serve up their own style of disorderly conduct, however, while their free-spirited, largely hands-off parents are often in the wings. But keeping constant watch and employing well-timed barks, frowns, licks, and tugs is only the beginning for Tenny. In addition to doing nanny research and attempting to teach the children basic dog-care tasks, he must take on rescue missions (e.g., pulling toddler Sweetums from the lake) and check his raw canine instincts around the family’s baby chicks. Makechnie invites readers into a sometimes frenetic household that’s frequently suffused with love and laughs. Humor abounds in quirky details—avian creatures named after Downton Abbey characters, Tenny’s formal inner dialogue and love of the film Mary Poppins—while the siblings’ bickering, teasing, and supportive interactions ring true. The human family reads as white. Ages 8–12. Agent: Zoe Sandler, ICM Partners.

May 1, 2023
Miniature schnauzer Lord Tennyson is in charge of the six rambunctious McNiff children. This precocious dog has his paws filled teaching the children to mind their manners, curb their fighting, and ride their bikes. The children's bumbling father directs community theater productions, and their absent-minded mother is distracted by her gardening and baking--which leaves this accomplished canine in charge. As if six children weren't enough, the family, who live in a pink New Hampshire farmhouse, also have two bunnies, six chickens, and a snake. It is summer vacation for the McNiffs, who are cued White, and chaos reigns, especially between the two oldest girls, Mary, 11, and Annie, 13. In fact, their mutual animosity is venomous; some readers may be distressed by the meanness on display and find it difficult to feel compassion for them, while others may relate all too well. With bed-wetting, a stolen diary, and graffiti involved, even the Sibling Council cannot repair their fractured relationship. Lord Tennyson must find new tricks to bring the children back together into a united pack before summer's end. When Pearl, one of the younger McNiffs who will be entering kindergarten, goes missing, the drama switches gears as Lord Tennyson truly proves his dedication and value to his family. The writing is strong, and Lord Tennyson has an arch, competent manner in keeping with his professional role model, Mary Poppins. Final art not seen. Chaotically entertaining. (Fiction. 8-12)

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