Entries tagged with “Dogs”.
Did you find what you wanted?
Wed 4 Apr 2012
Posted by Pat under Book reviews
1 Comment
Dandi Daley Mackall’s young-adult novel My Boyfriends’ Dogs (Hardcover from Dutton, 2010. Paperback from Speak, 2011) has a beginning that’s hard to ignore.
Bailey Daley walks into a late-night diner soaked to the skin from a sudden rainstorm. She’s wearing a prom dress, sporting a disaster of a hairstyle and missing her prom date. She does have three dogs with her, however – Adam, Eve and Shirley.
Louie, the diner’s owner, senses that Bailey has a story to tell. And with a little encouragement, Bailey is soon filling Louie and the other diner staff and patrons in on what got her into this unusual situation.
It turns out that each of the dogs originally belonged to one of Bailey’s former boyfriends. When each relationship ended, Bailey was left holding the leash. Not that she minded. In fact, she sometimes wished her boyfriends could have been more like their dogs.
Is Bailey content to have canine love for the rest of her life? Or is there a guy who might live up to the high standards set by man’s best friend?
Let’s hear from today’s guest reviewer Je’Kyah.
Our reviewer: Je’Kyah
Things I like to do: Swimming, dancing, singing, socializing
This book was about: A girl and her journey to find true love.
The best part was when: At the end of the book when she realizes Colt was actually Goofy and they’d met before.
I smiled when: When Bailey, her friend Amber and her Mom dance to “Jeremiah the Bullfrog” at the senior prom.
I was worried when: Bailey thought her second boyfriend, Mitch, was the perfect guy for her.
I was surprised when: When Rune (from the diner) decided to get his little boys a dog.
This book taught me: Anything can happen and to not get too caught up in the small details of life.
Three words to describe this book are: “Fantastic.” “Well-written.” “Addictive.”
Other kids reading this book should watch for: The details about what Bailey’s friend Amber thinks, because she turns out to be right all the time.
You should read this book because: It’s a light, fun read. It addresses issues that a lot of teenagers are facing today like being popular and relationships.
Thanks, Je’Kyah!
Want to learn more? You can:
Mon 7 Mar 2011
Posted by Pat under Book reviews
1 Comment
Today’s reviewer is a bit of a blanket expert, as you can see in the photo to the right and the one near the bottom of this post.
That makes her a good choice to review Mary Ann Rodman’s latest picture book Camp K-9 (Peachtree, 2011) about Roxie, a dog with a favorite blanket.
Roxie likes to sniff her blanket. And, sometimes, Sonia does the same thing. She says it makes her feel better.
So cuddle up with something cozy, and hear her take on this warm and fuzzy tale.
Our reviewer: Sonia
Age: 8
Things I like to do: Color, watch TV, listen to my iPod, read books and sleep.
This book was about: A doggy named Roxie. She goes to Camp K-9, and she has a secret in her backpack. She meets a new girl, Pearl, and thinks she would be a good friend. But then she thinks you have to tell friends secrets, and Roxie doesn’t want to tell her secret – that she has a blanket – because Pearl might laugh at her.
The best part was when: Roxie goes in the cabin and sees Lucy, and Lucy has a blanket. Roxie laughs at her, but then she shows Lucy her blanket. No one laughs and everyone pulls out their own blankets that they’ve hidden.
I smiled when: Pearl and Roxie held hands and went to the pool together.
I was worried when: Pearl’s favorite dessert got knocked to the floor. It was pork pudding and liver snacks.
I was surprised when: Lucy was being all mean.
This book taught me: To be nice to your friends and not to laugh at people.
Three words that best describe this book are: “Camp.” “K-9.” “Roxie.”
My favorite line or phrase in this book is: “‘Sorry,’ says Lucy. But I know she’s not.”
Other kids reading this book should watch for: All the different blankets. And when Lucy jumps out from behind a tree and scares the other dogs.
You should read this book because: It’s about cute dogs, and I like dogs.
Thanks, Sonia.
If you’d like to learn more about Mary Ann Rodman (who also wrote the wonderful picture book A Tree for Emmy reviewed here) visit her website. Or, read this interview at Becky’s Book Reviews.
Mary Ann also is one of six authors who blog about writing and teaching writing at Teaching Authors.
To learn more about illustrator Nancy Hayashi, read this biography.
Thanks to Peachtree Publishers for providing a copy of this book for Sonia’s review.
Sun 6 Feb 2011
Posted by Pat under Book reviews
1 Comment
There are certain phrases most children hear at least once in their life :
“Clean your room.”
“Eat your dinner.”
“What on earth were you thinking?”
And …
“Don’t slam the door.”
Dori Chaconas has turned this last phrase into a rhyming picture book called, surprisingly enough, Don’t Slam the Door (Candlewick Press, 2010).
In her book, the little girl is the one who doesn’t want the door slammed. And she’s not just worried about the noise. She knows the slamming door will set off a whole series of unfortunate events.
The door will wake the cat, which will put knots in mom’s yarn, which will mean lumpy socks for pa, which will make him hop around and bump the honey hive, which will disrupt the bees, which will sting the bear, which will scare the cows.
And all of this will make an awful mess that SHE will have to sort out.
Today’s guest reviewer, Arun, got caught up in the fun. Here’s what he had to say.
Our reviewer: Arun
Age: 8
I like: Karate, running, reading and telling my mom to hurry up and take me to school.
This book was about: The girl was trying to let the cat sleep, but the door slammed and the cat woke up. Then the yarn got tangled and the mom was still knitting with it and Pa bumped the bees who went for the bear. The cows went into the house and there was a BIG MESS, so the girl said “I’m going to count to five …”
The best part was when: They made the big mess.
I laughed when: The girl tried to warn everybody about what would happen but no one listened.
I was worried when: I thought the bear would eat the cows.
This book taught me: To warn people not to wear lumpy socks.
Three words that best describe this book are: “Don’t.” “Slam.” “Door.”
My favorite line or phrase in this book is: “Pa, don’t hop and yell.”
Other kids reading this book should watch for: The lumpy socks mom knit. How the bees spell out “OK” when the girl tells them to get out of the house.
You should read this book because: It’s funny and kind of weird.
Thanks, Arun!
This book is a delight to read out loud, and there’s a lot going on in the illustrations for kids and parents to notice.
You can learn more about author Dori Chaconas by visiting her website.
You can learn more about illustrator Will Hillenbrand, by visiting his website.
Wed 28 Apr 2010
There’s a new early chapter book series out featuring the adventures of a loyal, loveable dog who never met a mystery he didn’t like.
The first book in the three-part series is The Buddy Files: The Case of the Lost Boy (Albert Whitman & Company, 2010) by Dori Hillestad Butler. (That’s her in the photo below holding the last two books in the series.)
Although they’ve just been released, the books are already popular with kids — like Cora who’s in the photo to the left – and reviewers alike.
Here’s what Booklist had to say about the stories:
“This first installment in a new trilogy for early readers introduces a dog whose first family went away and never returned. Buddy ended up in the pound, where he was adopted by a boy, Connor, and his mom, who coincidently live in his old neighborhood. Buddy, who enjoyed sleuthing with his original owner, is now trying to solve the mystery of his missing family, a mission he will pursue throughout the series.
“First, though, he has an immediate problem to solve: Connor has disappeared. Buddy tries to find him, relying on methodical reasoning and unexpected assistance from a cat who can read. The story moves quickly to its obvious conclusion, but unanswered questions will propel readers to the series’ second title.
“Particularly well drawn are scenes in which Buddy tries to overcome dog-to-human communication obstacles, the numerous distractions of delicious smells, and Connor’s reluctance to love Buddy as he deals with changes in his own life. With twists and turns, humor, and a likable canine character, this series should find a wide fan base.”
And, now, let’s see what today’s guest reviewer, Cora, has to say!
Our reviewer: Cora
Age: 7
I like: Soccer, drawing, swimming and school.
This book was about: A dog that lost his first family.
The best part was when: They found the boy.
I laughed when: Whenever a food came up in conversation he would say, “That’s my favorite food!” and every time it was different.
I was worried when: He lost his family and the boy.
I was surprised that: The boy was at the airport.
This book taught me: To never run away.
Other kids reading this book should watch for: The chapter called “Stranger Danger.”
Three words that best describe this book are: “Smelly.” “Cool.” “Fun.”
My favorite line or phrase in this book is: “Wait a minute, humans don’t adopt dogs … dogs adopt humans.”
You should read this book because: There is a lesson in this book that you should learn.
Thanks, Cora!
If you’d like to learn more about these books or the other ones Dori has written, visit her website.
If you’d like to learn more about Dori and her own dog, Mouse, who’s a registered therapy dog, visit her blog. Dori frequently takes Mouse to schools and libraries to read with children.
Thu 25 Mar 2010
In today’s featured picture book, Cool Dog, School Dog by Deborah Heiligman (Marshall Cavendish Children’s Books, 2009), Tinka, a sociable dog, sneaks off and follows her favorite little boy to school.
When she arrives, Tinka’s natural exuberance causes problems and prompts a phone call from the office. But before Mom can come and collect Tinka, she redeems herself by sitting quietly and letting the children read to her.
Ian, today’s guest reviewer, used to have a dog named Bailey. He says Bailey never followed him to school, “But if he did, he probably would have just walked into my classroom and taken a nap on the floor.”
Here’s what else Ian had to say:
Our reviewer: Ian
Age: 7
I like: Playing basketball. Playing with my friend, Caleb. Building castles and other stuff out of Legos.
This book was about: A dog that has a lot of adventures at school.
The best part was when: The dog crashed into a box full of kickballs at the school.
I laughed when: The kickballs went everywhere.
I was worried when: When the teacher called the mom to come and get the dog. I thought the dog was in trouble.
I was surprised when: The dog went to school in the first place and that the dog had calmed down by the time the mom came to get her.
This book taught me: Don’t bring your dog to school.
Three words that best describe this book are: “Bad.” “Tinka.” “Dog.”
My favorite line or phrase in this book is: “Tinka is a hall dog, a ball dog, a crash-into-the-wall-dog.”
Other kids reading this book should watch for: The rhyming words.
You should read this book because: It’s funny.
Thanks, Ian!
This is a very short picture book with extremely clever rhyming lines about what makes Tinka tick. Because the text is spare, the illustrations show a lot of the mischief Tinka gets into as well as how much she’s loved by her owner and his friends.
You can learn more about author Deborah Heiligman at her Web site.
You can learn more about illustrator Tim Bowers at his Web site.
Dandi Daley Mackall’s young-adult novel My Boyfriends’ Dogs (Hardcover from Dutton, 2010. Paperback from Speak, 2011) has a beginning that’s hard to ignore.
Our reviewer: Je’Kyah
