Children's Book Reviews and Then Some

To the best of my knowledge, Ann M Martin has written the only book from the point of view of a homeless dog.  The Good Dog, by Avi, is from the point of view of a malamute named McKinley, but he has a human "pup"named Jack.  And, while McKinley is the tempted and changed by his encounter with a wolf, he remains a pet with loyalties to a human throughout the book.  I am sure I am wrong about this, but, in doing a bit or research before I wrote this review, I wasn't able to turn up any.  Please, don't hesitate to set me straight.  I'll be honest, I have never been a fan of animal/nature writing and movies and, since I had kids, I get weepy just looking at the book jackets and seeing the previews of animal stories.  So, this is admittedly a genre I have very little familiarity with.  I forced myself to read A Dog's Life because Ann M Martin is a diverse, thoughtful, gentle, generous writer in the world of Children's Literature.  I knew going into it that this is exactly the kind of book I avoid, especially since, in addition to the rest of the mini-menagerie that I tend to, I have been, as of four years ago, a first-time owner of a dog.  An adopted dog.  I do not know what the first seven months of her life were like.  Of course this book set me wondering, worrying.  And I do worry about her, as much as I worry about my own children.  But, I am pleased to say that, I am very glad to have read A Dog's Life and it does have a happy ending - a very hard won happy ending.

The narrator of this book is a dog who beings the story with the day of her birth to a feral mother.  This book has fear, hunger, brutality, abuse, violence and death in it.  It has human beings who do horrible things to dogs, like throw them out of a car window when they are still puppies and adopt them at the beginning of the summer knowing full well they will leave their vacation house and the adopted dog behind at the end of the summer.  But, the book also has empathetic, compassionate people who feed and heal animals.  The narrator, who is given many names throughout the story, carefully details the hardships of her existence, the connection to her brother, the companionship she shares with another stray and, finally, (this is a kid's book after all, and therefor the only reason I struggled through every page, sniffling by the end) the experience of being loved and, for the first time in her life, feeling love for a human.

I am glad that I read this book and can recommend it.  I know there are kids out there who love animal stories.  And, I know that kids have a disconnect that allows them to read stories like this and not burst out crying every other page and want to run over to the Humane Society and rescue a dog.  So, it is with great pleasure that I suggest A Dog's Life, for it's interesting, intense portrayal of the life of a homeless dog and the people, dogs and animals she encounters. 

 If your child enjoyed this book, suggest The Good Dog, by Avi, as described above.  Also, Waggit's Tale by Peter Howe which came out in July 2008 seems to be a cross between The Good Dog and A Dog's Life. Waggit is an abandoned puppy who finds a home among with the mutts who live in the city park.  Another pack of wild dogs and capture by the park ranger are constant dangers, and Wagggit's longing for human connection poses a dilemma for him as well.  

Bill Wallace is another author who specializes in humorous dog stories, without so much tension and danger, written at the 3 - 5 grade reading levels.