The No-Dogs-Allowed Rule; Buddy

Sheth, Kashmira. The No-Dogs-Allowed Rule.
1 September 2012, Albert Whitman and Co.
E-ARC from Netgalley.com

Ishan Mehra desperately wants a dog, but his busy parents don't want to get one. His brother Sunil also wants a dog but is more responsible and less irksome to his parents. Ishan tries every trick under the sun, from trying to make his mother breakfast with disastrous results, pretending to be a dog, and plotting to mention dogs at every available opportunity. Ishan's exuberance gets him into a lot of trouble, and his chance at redemption comes when he finds a neighbor who has a stroke and had the opportunity to take care of the man's dog.

Strengths: This was a funny book that early elementary students will enjoy, and it is great that Ishan's life is filled with details revolving around his ethnic background, but the book is not about him being Indian, it's about him wanting a job.

Weaknesses: This is too young for middle school, and I would have loved to have one like this for a slightly older crowd, something like Paulsen's Liar, Liar series.

Herlong, M.H. Buddy.
13 September 2012 (ARC from Baker and Taylor)
Reviewed at Young Adult Books Central

Li'l T is happy with his life in New Orleans in 2005 except for one thing: he desperately wants a dog. When the family car hits a dog on the way to church, they rally support and take the dog to the vet, who has to amputate one of the dogs legs. Li'l T is happy that he finally has a pet, and assumes extra responsibilities, like mowing yards, in order to pay for Buddy's upkeep. Of course, in the late summer of 2005, Li'l T's family has bigger issues to worry about-- they have to leave their home because of Hurricane Katrina, and when they can't fit Buddy in the car, they leave him locked in an upstairs bathroom. Once the storm passes, they try to retrieve him and are devastated when he is not there, although relieved that he has been rescued. The pastor of the family's church tries to help locate the dog, and it turns our Buddy has been adopted by a family in California. When the adoptive family contacts Li'l T, money is raised to send him out to bring the dog back. Once there, he realizes how much the other family loves Buddy and has to make the decision as to what is best for the dog he adores.
Strengths: Strong sense of place and community, as well as another view of the events of Hurrican Katrina and the devastation that it brought to communities. I'm assuming that Li'l T is African American, which would be great, because there aren't as many multicultural dog books, but looking back, I have nothing concrete to indicate this; even the cover is ambiguous.
Weaknesses: The pacing on this is rather slow, and since my students were about 5 when Katrina hit, they don't know much about it.

Middle Grade Monday--Be Kind to Animals

Ibbotson, Eva. One Dog and His Boy.
Hal has always wanted a dog, but his spoiled, rich parents will give him anything but. When his father gets the idea to rent a dog from Easy Dogs, assuming that Hal will get tired of the animal by the time it has to go back, Hal ends up bonding with Fleck and being distraught when the dog is returned. He is so distraught, in fact, that he goes to the business with the idea of stealing the pet. Luckily, the kind assistant's sister, Pippa, is working that day, and not only frees Fleck, but lets several other dogs go as well. When they all follow Hal and he can't get on the train to his grandparents', he calls Pippa and the two of them take off across England with the dogs. They end up in all sorts of unusual places-- a traveling dog circus, and orphange, and a farm. The dogs, all of whom were traumatized both by being removed from families after a day or two AND by not being able to do their work as dogs, all find soul mates along the way, but continue with the group. Will Hal's grandparents take them in? What will happen to Easy Pets? And will Hal and Fleck get to stay together?
Strengths: This was surprisingly charming. Ibbotson's fantasy books were never my favorite, but this last effort of hers (she passed away at age 85 in 2010) is extremely touching and full of adventure. Definitely buying for my increasing number of students wanting dog stories.
Weaknesses: Hal's parents are over the top; I would have enjoyed the story if they hadn't been so cartoonlike.

Bauer, Marion Dane. Little Dog, Lost.
Atheneum, 1 May 2012
Mark has always wanted a dog, but his overworked, single mother has always said "NO!" very firmly. He decides that since he can't have a dog, he should get the town where he lives (and where his mother is mayor) to put in a dog park so that at least the dogs he knows are happy. At the same time, Buddy the dog is left with a woman in town by his loving boy who has to move to the city. While the woman takes care of his needs, she doesn't understand Buddy, who know that her boy is out there somewhere and so digs under the fence and escapes. Also in town is lonely Charles Larue, the caretaker of a big house on extensive grounds in the middle of town. Of course, the three manage to get together. Can Mark find a dog, Buddy a home, and Charles a reason to get out of bed in the morning?
Strengths: Very sad, but ultimately happy. The illustrations are very sweet, and Mark's longing for a dog and Buddy's longing for his boy are palpaple. My dog got lots of tummy rubs while I was reading this!
Weaknesses: Novel in verse, for no particularly good reason. Read aloud, you would not know it was verse. Since students (at least in my school!) literally shrink back from books with pages that look like poetry, I don't know why this was used. Perhaps this will go over better with younger students.

Reisfeld, Randi. What the Dog Said.

Grace is helping out her older sister with a college application project-- adopting a dog from a shelter and training it to be a service dog. Regan isn't very interested in the dog part, and since she is into fashion, is tending toward a cute little maltipoo. One of the dogs, however, TALKS to Grace and asks to be taken home. Grace is so taken aback that she agrees, and Rex goes home. Regan feels that Grace needs the distraction of the dog because while the family has suffered after the shooting death of their policeman father, Grace has taken it the hardest. Grace takes Rex to be trained and runs into JJ, who may know who was responsible for Grace's father's death. As Rex becomes trained, Grace tries to figure out how JJ was involved. Can she make peace with Rex, JJ, and the past, and move on with her life?

Strengths: This has a little of everything going on-- some good dog training, a little mystery, and a problem as well. I love the cover!

Weaknesses: Does the talking dog send this over to sci fi/fantasy? I imagine it does. Or does Grace just think that the dog is talking to her? Hmmm.

Harris, R.P. Tua and the Elephant.Chronicle Books, May 2012
Tua lives in Chiang Mai, Thailand, with her very busy single mother. Tua's favorite thing is to visit the market, and one day while there she finds a young elephant who is being abused. Of course, she takes the elephant with her, and goes to her Auntie Orchid's house, and the two decide to take the elephant, which Tua names Pohn-Pohn , to the religious order that Auntie's brother is joining, because it has more room. They manage to evade the elephant's irate owners, and are eventually put into contact with an elephant sanctuary, where Pohn-Pohn is welcome to stay. Will Tua get to be with her new found friend?
Strengths: This is a charming book and a nicely atmospheric story about an exotic (to us!) part of the world. The illustrations by Taeeun Yoo remind me of ones from my literature books in grade school-- very nice.
Weaknesses: This is also a bit young for my students but would be great for elementary libraries.

It's Marvelous Middle Grade Monday, a feature started by Shannon Whitney Messenger. See the round-up over at her blog, Ramblings of a Wannabe Scribe.

 

And here's a random question for the day: Which fictional pet would you like to have for your own? Even though I don't like rodents, I always wanted a white mouse like Miss Bianca from Margery Sharp's The Rescuers. (Still in print; just bought a beautiful hard cover copy.) We even named a hamster Miss Bianca. I think it was the Garth WIlliams' illustrations.

Nonfiction Monday-- Rescuing Rover

Bial, Raymond. Rescuing Rover: Saving America's Dogs.
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2011

 While 39% of the homes in the US have at least one dog, there are many more dogs that do not have homes. This book explains why there are too many pets, and what animal shelters, rescue groups, and individuals can do to help. Well-illustrated with heart breaking pictures of rescue dogs, this is a matter-of-fact description of a sad failing of our society. Different animal welfare groups and their work are profiled, and the adoption process is explained. Animal shelter policies, internet resources, and a bibliography are included. At 80 pages, this is just the right size for nonfiction. The downside-- it's hard to read this book without wanting to go to a shelter and bring home another dog, but I don't think that Sylvie would approve!

Crisp, Marty. Everything Dog: What Kids Really Want to Know About Dogs. (2002)

This was a title that I got from one of our elementary libraries that is being closed down. It is a short book with a variety of interesting facts about dogs, with plenty of appealing pictures. It addresses topics such as why dogs wag their tails, what color dogs' skin is under their fur, how long their memories are, and why do dogs lick people? (I did not know that the temple of Asklepios had dogs that would likc people to cure them of various ailments!) Of course, I probably already knew that dogs like us because we can scratch places on their backs that they can't reach. Sadly, this book appears to be out of print, but dust it oss to hand to a reluctant reader if it is in your library.

It's Nonfiction Monday! This week's Round-Up is at Gathering Books, where they have a great post on a lot of books about extraordinary women.

Cute Dogs Make Everything Better

Macomber, Debbie and Mary Lou Carney. Pictures by Sally Lambert.
The Yippy, Yappy Yorkie in the Green Doggy Sweater.

Yup. Checked it out of the library just so I could read it to Sylvie. She licked my face the whole time I was reading to her.

And really, I came across this title when looking up something that was actually related to my job as a middle school librarian. Sometimes the public library must wonder about me.

But a cute dog DOES make everything better. Happy Weekend!

Preston, Caroline. The Scrapbook of Frankie Pratt: A Novel in Pictures

From the Publisher: "In her scrapbook full of typed notes and a variety of vintage ads, photos, postcards, fabric swatches, and much more, Frankie Pratt describes her life from her graduation in high school in 1920 through her education at Vassar College, her travels around the world, and her efforts to find love and to achieve her dream of becoming a novelist."

This was a very fun, light read, and the scrapbook art is very fun. I checked it out because it reminded me of Jennifer Holms' Middle School is Worse Than Meatloaf, so the one thing that struck me is that there IS a lot of connecting text, albeit in typed bubbles. Middle School is more "A Year Told Through Stuff", and this relies more heavily on the text to get the story across. I still enjoyed the 1920s setting, the inclusion of Edna St. Vincent Millay, the expat story... very fun.

Nonfiction Monday-- Pets

Middle school students love to read about cats and dogs. Either they have them, or they wish they had them. My Dorling-Kindersley and ASPCA god and cat care manuals are falling to pieces, so I was looking around for some other books about pets. And just so you know, I decided NOT to let my dog "write" the reviews. It may be January, but I'm not that many kinds of crazy. Yet.

Brownlee, Christen. Cute, Furry and Deadly: Diseases You Can Catch from Your Pet!
The Scholastic 24/7 books on war are very popular in my library, so I looked into the Science Behind the Scenes series. This volumn presents several real life cases where pets made their owners very sick-- prarie dogs with monkey pox, kittens with rabies, and baby chicks with salmonella. Medical terms are explained, all article are well-illustrated, and additional information is given about zoonotic diseases. Scientists who worked on the real life cases are also profiled. A glossary and resource pages are included at the end of the book.
Strengths: Rabid kitties-- what's not to like? The short chapters will appeal to nonfiction readers who like a little bit of text with their pictures.
Weaknesses: While this has really good information, I find the format hard to read. This will not be the book for my students wanting information about animal care, but will be great for the students who like grossology type books. I still like the Sheila Keenan Animals in the House for a good overview of the history of pets.


Klam, Julie. You Had Me At Woof: How Dogs Taught me the Secrets of Happiness.
This memoir is not really suitable for middle school students, but I treat myself to the occasional adult book on Friday evenings, because my life is just that exciting! Ms. Klam was trying to figure out her single life and her career when she decided that a dog was what she needed. Enter Otto, a Boston terrier, who so endeared himself to Ms. Klam that she got involved with a Boston terrier rescue group and started fostering dogs. She eventually got married and had a daughter, but continued to make the dogs a very big part of her life. I wouldn't say that this book, or the dogs, really taught me much about the secrets of happiness, but it was an amusing read, and it encouraged me to rub Sylvie's tummy while I read it. Warning: several dogs pass away in this book. Sad.

Lemke, Don. The Amazing Mini-Mutts.

Capstone Publishers, February 2012

E ARC from Netgalley.com

This is certainly fiction, and for grades 1-3, but it was so cute that I had to take a look, even though it is waaaay on the elementary side of the Pilkey side. The Mini-Mutts are tiny little fuzzy crime fighters who are going up against Brainicat, who is evil. The text is simple, the pictures bright, and my children would have loved these when they were emergent readers. This would also be a good book to, um, read to your dog!

Nonfiction Monday was created by Ms. Suen, and today's roundup is hosted at Shelf-Employed.

True Blue and randomness

Smiley, Jane. True Blue. (Sequel to The Georges and the Jewels and A Good Horse)
Abby Lovitt’s family lives on a California ranch in the 1960s. When a friend who runs a stable ends up with the horse belonging to a woman killed in a car accident, she offers the horse and its fittings to Abby, who gladly takes them. True Blue is a good horse, and well-trained, though apt to spook. The horse is a good addition to the family’s stables, and Abby gives lessons and goes to school, but is plagued by the ghost of the dead owner. Abby imagines seeing this ghost all over the farm. Abby breaks her arm, the family suffers some illnesses, but the activities of the stable continue and eventually Abby realizes there is no ghost.
Strengths: Don’t know how I missed this series, but will definitely be buying it. I have had a few girls who really like horses, and most of my horse books are really old! I really enjoyed the Elaine Clayton illustrations.
Weaknesses: The ghost story is rather weak, and the 1960s setting doesn’t really add anything to the story. There were also too many church details for my taste-- they slowed down the story.

Brocket, Jane. The Gentle Art of Domesticity.

Okay. Really, I was looking at a catalog for middle grade books and saw Spotty, Stripy, Swirly. Since I am always looking for good nonfiction, I investigated further at my public library (which didn't have any of the Jane Brock's Clever Concept Books from Lerner at all.) and found this. Which I had to have, for no particularly good professional reason.

I enjoyed it, but it made me feel a little bad. I've been quilting for 30 years, and knitting for 43 and could have done a blog like Yarnstorm and earned my living doing fun things like knitting tea cozies. Or, at the very least, have had a better blog name. Man. One of my big regrets.

I realized that I spend a HUGE amount of time reading, to the exclusion of doing the crossword, caring what the house looks like once it is clean and clutter free, talking to my children, and knitting.

So I knit a sweater for Sylvie. Really, it's only practical. When you are that low to the ground, if it snows, you end up with icy armpits.

Various Weekend Reads

Howe, James. Addie on the Inside.
Nominated for the Cybils by Tasha Saecker

Companion to The Misfits. Addie doesn't fit the mold in her middle school-- she's outspoken and embraces views others don't necessarily accept, in part due to her family influence, especially that of her grandmother( a former hippie), who is visiting for a length of time. Addie has a boyfriend, but she can't really see why he likes her. Addie's friends are mainly boys, which also causes her some grief. Addie tries to support her friends in the best way she can, even if she gets in trouble for observing a day of silence on behalf of GLSEN, and tries to remain true to her own beliefs even when it is difficult.
Strengths: For a novel in verse (a form which I usually dislike), this is fairly well done. I can see the reasons for using this format, but would have found Addie's story more compelling in prose.
Weaknesses: I cringed when Addie made her life more difficult than it needed to be, but that is a daily occurrence for most middle schoolers, and is therefore true to life.

Schroeder, Lisa. Sprinkles and Secrets.
Nominated for the Cybils by Kristen Harvey

Sophie is thrilled when she gets an audition for a role in a television commercial-- the summer camp has paid off, and maybe she can use the money she earns to get more training. The problem? The role is in a commercial for Beatrice's Brownies, the chain that is threatening the It's Raining Cupcakes shop of her best friend, Isabel. Instead of coming clean to her friend, Sophie lies and says the commercial is for bran cereal, but when Isabel comes back from New York (after winning a baking competition) and finds out, how can Sophie repair their relationship?
Strengths: Cupcakes and acting. The stuff of tween girl fantasies. This was even better than the first book, which has been widely read in my library. Friendship issues are always something girls want to read about, and this was a nice twist.
Weaknesses: A national commercial and winning a baking competition? Stretches the bounds of my credibility, but students shouldn't mind.

Dionne, Erin. Notes from an Accidental Band Geek.
Nominated for the Cybils by Jason Walters

Elsie wants to follow in her father and grandfather's footsteps and become a professional French horn player. In order to do this, she wants to get into the Shining Waters music camp, but because of family scheduling problems, the only music group she can get into her freshman year is marching band. It's bad enough that she has to put down her French horn for the mellophone, but even worse that band keeps her so busy that it is hard to practice for the Shining Waters audition. Elsie feels that her father doesn't believe she is a good player, so their once close relationship is now strained. Once she gets used to the people in the band, Elsie starts to form close relationships with them and to realize that while she is serious about music, she is also enjoying the fun and companionship of marching band.
Strengths: This is a great book for any student wanting the dirt on what marching band is really like. Clearly, Dionne spent a lot of time with one-- the details are tremendous. The light romance is a nice touch as well.
Weaknesses: I wanted to encourage Elsie to find another career choice. Like teaching Latin, I would think that wanting to be a professional musician in today's economy would be a very bad choice!

Haworth, Danette. Me and Jack.
Nominated for the Cybils by Joan Carr.

Joshua is used to moving around for his father's job as an Army recruiter during the height of the Vietnam conflict. When the two get a house away from a base, his father wants Joshua to have a dog. The dog they pick up from the pound is a bit odd, and turns out to be a rare breed. The dog is not terribly well-behaved, and when trash cans are knocked over and other mischief is done, neighbors start to blame Jack. It doesn't help that anti-military feelings in the town are running high after a local boy is MIA. Joshua tries to find out what animal is causing the problems, a task that becomes even more important after a valuable horse is savaged.
Strengths: This was an interesting way to approach the political feelings of this era, and boy-and-dog tales are something we need more of.
Weaknesses: I was distracted by the anachronisms. In the late 60s, dogs would have had dog names-- there would have been lots of people named Jack. At one point, Jack knocks over garbage cans with diapers in them-- disposables were available then, but rather rare. There is also some channel flipping on tv, pizza, and a dollar for a lost tooth. Students will not notice this, but historical fiction, especially when it involves recent history, needs to be accurate.

Atinuke. Have Fun, Anna Hibiscus.

Anna is leaving her close family in Africa to go visit her grandmother in Canada. She is accompanied on the plane by a family friend who helps her understand some of the differences she will face, but when she gets to Canada she is surprised by the cold, the different food, and the fact that her grandmother keeps a dog in the house. The two spend lots of time bonding, and Anna meets another girl who is going to go visit her father in Africa. This is the fourth book in the series, and I would have sworn it was nominated for the Cybils. Maybe it was moved to early chapter books.
Strengths: A good look at another culture in a way that even younger students can understand. Does not favor one culture over another but presents both as equal.
Weaknesses: I fell that I need to read the others in the series to get a good feel for the character's family in Africa.

Carman, Patrick. Floors.

Leo and his father live in the basement of the Whippet Hotel, where they work as janitors and help the quirky residents with the unusual rooms. The owner has gone missing, and boxes start appearing that instruct Leo to investigate certain clues. With the help of Remi and Blop, a robot, (as well as some of the ducks that live in the hotel), Leo works his way through the clues. There are people interested in the property, and someone is sabotaging the hotel, where things are breaking down more quickly than Leo and his father can fix them, so it is important that Leo figure out the mystery of the boxes, and the disappearance of the owner, as quickly as possible.
Strengths: Well written and engaging. Saw this compared to Ellen Raskin and definitely have to agree there. This may appeal to fans of Lemony Snicket as well.
Weaknesses: This must have been moved to middle grade fantasy. It's hard to tell-- aside from the talking robot, it could have been realistic fiction, but it also had a definite Charlie and the Chocolate Factory vibe to it.

Priestly, Chris. Mister Creecher.
Billy is a pick pocket who falls on hard times and is rescued by a tall, scary man, Mister Creecher. Creecher takes care of him while he is recuperating from a fever, and helps him gain some economic stability. Billy's job is to follow two men, Frankenstein and Clerval, and find out what they are doing. That's right-- Creecher is Frankenstein's creation, but he has run away. He has a deal with Frankenstein that a companion will be made for him, so follows the scientist to make sure this happens. Along the way, Billy and Creecher spend time in a freak show and help out an old man on his property, where Billy falls in love with a girl. Will the scientist keep his end of the bargain for the sad and lonely monster he has created?
Strengths: Along with Victorian London, Frankenstein seems to be a new trend, and this is an interesting twist on the tale, certainly much more readable for middle school students than Shelley's work.
Weaknesses: I was hoping this would be scarier. The cover is good and spooky, so maybe students will pick it up thinking that it is and gets sucked into the story. I will certainly look for this author's The Dead of Winter.

Also looked at Cohen's Leverage, which looked really good but was more of a high school book about steroids and bullying.

Animal Books

Blom, Jen K. Possum Summer.
Nominated for the Cybils by Astrid P Mochtarram ; copy received from the author.
P. (short for Princess, which she hates), saves a small possum when her father's dog, Blackie, kills its' mother. With the help of her friend Mart, she manages to keep it alive, feeding it, massaging it so it can eliminate waste, and carrying it to school with her inside her sports bra! There are other problems that P. is having, however. School is a constant struggle for her. Her father has been injured in Iraq, and she has promised to keep their Oklahoma farm in good shape until he comes back. Several tragedies occur with the animals, and she tries to make the best decisions she can. She also knows that she can't keep the possum forever, even though she would desperately like a pet. Preparing for her father to come home, P. tries to get everything pulled together.
Strengths: There has been a resurgence in interest in books about animals. Like Nuts, this is a realistic portrayal of the difficulties in caring for a wild animal.
Weaknesses: Holiday House did not do the author justice with the formatting of the book. The cover looks like something from 1987, and the type is far too small for the target demographic.

Barrow, Randi. Saving Zasha.
Nominated for the Cybils by Margo Tanenbaum.
Russia at the end of WWII was a perilous place to be, especially for German types of dogs. When Mikhail finds a dying man and his German shepherd near his house, he gets help. The man dies, and Mikhail begs to be allowed to keep the dog, Zasha, safe, because he knows that soldiers will shoot the dog otherwise. He manages to keep this secret even with the prying of the daughter of the local newspaper man prying into his business. When he finds out that Dmitri, a former soldier, has a refuge for dogs and is trying to breed a "Russian" dog to help replace the thousands of dogs that were killed in the war, he is reluctant to turn the pregnant Zasha over until it becomes too dangerous to take care of her himself.
Strengths: Always looking for books on different facets of WWII. I had no idea that so many dogs were used by the military, or that so many were killed. The historical note at the end is helpful.
Weaknesses: Students looking for books about war usually wan

Publish Post

t a bit more excitement. While the problems at the end are suspenseful, this could have used more action at the beginning.