Zoey & Me facts for kids

Zoey & Me is a fun series of children's books. It was written by Mallory Lewis, whose mom was the famous puppeteer Shari Lewis. The books are all about the adventures of 11-year-old Molly Miles. Her new "baby sister" is Zoey, a young orangutan from the Los Angeles Zoo.

The Story of Zoey & Me

Book 1: There's an Orangutan in My Bathtub

Zoey came to live with the Miles family when she was just a baby. Zoey's mom, an orangutan named Lucky, didn't know how to take care of her new baby. This was because Lucky had grown up in the zoo and never saw other orangutans raising their young.

So, little Zoey needed special care. Mrs. Miles, Molly's mom, is a primatologist (a scientist who studies primates like monkeys and apes) at the zoo. She had the time and patience to become Zoey's foster parent.

Molly tried hard to get used to her new family member. She even made Zoey her school project about current events. But Zoey caused a lot of trouble! She destroyed Molly's homework and took up all of her mom's time. Molly started to wish things could just go back to normal.

One day, Zoey accidentally drank a bottle of shampoo. She had to be rushed to the hospital. This scary event helped Molly understand what it truly means to be a big sister. She learned to care about Zoey, no matter how much trouble the little orangutan caused.

Meet the Characters

The Miles Family

Molly Miles: Molly is the main character and is 11 years old. She has red or reddish-brown hair and freckles, just like her family. Molly loves Star Wars, Clint Eastwood, and movies. Her best friend is Tyler. As she gets older, she starts to like him more than just a friend, but he doesn't know. Molly is trying her best to be a good big sister to Zoey.

Mrs. Miles: Molly's mom works at the LA Zoo as a primatologist. She helped Zoey's mom, Lucky, when Zoey was born. Later, she became Zoey's full-time caregiver. Mrs. Miles sometimes gets annoyed with Molly's plans involving Zoey, especially at school. But she loves her daughter very much.

Mr. Miles: Molly's dad is a pediatrician, which is a doctor for children. He is a kind man and tries to keep his promises. However, he often has to break them when the hospital calls him for an emergency.

Brad Miles: Brad is Molly's 14-year-old brother. He loves baseball and dreams of playing it professionally one day. Brad likes to tease Molly, especially about how she and Zoey both have red hair. He is starting to grow up and think more maturely. He even had a serious talk with Molly about how he felt when she was a baby.

Zoey: Zoey is a baby orangutan who joins the Miles family. Her own mother couldn't care for her. Zoey is super playful and curious. This often gets her into tricky, and sometimes dangerous, situations. She loves to rip things apart, especially Molly's homework! She also throws food and makes messes. Because of this, she needs to be watched very carefully, just like a human toddler. After she got sick from drinking shampoo, Molly rushed her to the hospital. This event helped Zoey and Molly form a strong bond. Zoey learns a lot from Molly.

Other Important People

Tyler Matthews: Tyler is Molly's best friend. They grew up together and live next door. He has blond hair, blue eyes, and wears glasses. Many girls at Molly's school like him, including Molly when she turns 12. Margie Lussman especially likes him and doesn't like seeing him with Molly. Tyler doesn't enjoy Molly's plans involving Zoey because they often get him into trouble too. But he still helps Molly a lot.

Margie Lussman: Margie is a spoiled and stuck-up girl in Molly and Tyler's class. Her favorite thing to do is tease Molly about being Tyler's friend, not his girlfriend. This is because Margie has a huge crush on Tyler. She became even more unpleasant after Zoey scared her at school. Margie's behavior adds humor to the series.

Mrs. Hurwitz: Mrs. Hurwitz is Molly and Tyler's homeroom teacher. She liked Zoey when Molly brought her to school, even more than she liked Margie's fancy coat. She did tell the principal about Zoey, but overall, she's a good teacher.

Lolita Devita: Lolita was the mean director of the Northern Ohio Zoo. Zoey was going to be sent there as part of a program to help save animal species. Lolita wore clothes made from animal fur and didn't like animals at all. She let the zoo become run-down. She and Mr. Sweetbreads were secretly selling endangered animals to traveling shows. They planned to do the same with Zoey. But Molly and Sloane exposed them as villains.

Hugh Sweetbreads: Hugh was the assistant director at the Northern Ohio Zoo and Lolita's partner in crime. Besides helping her sell animals, it's hinted that he made the Sky Safari ride stop while Molly and Sloane were on it. This happened after he caught Molly looking in his office. He and Ms. Devita were arrested because of the two girls.

Books in the Series

There are four books in the Zoey & Me series:

• There's an Orangutan in My Bathtub (1997)
• Who Gave My Orangutan a Paintbrush? (1997)
• Keep Your Hands Off My Orangutan! (1997)
• Stop That Orangutan! (1998)