Read All About It!

 The Daily Bark: The Puppy Problem 

by Laura James; illus. by Charlie Alder

128 pages; ages 7-10

 Bloomsbury Children's Books ~ releases January, 2022)

Gizmo was a city dog – until he wasn’t. For some inexplicable reason, Granny packed up the car, loaded up Gizmo, and drove away from the only home he’d ever known. Now he’s far from his familiar world of groundskeepers and manicured landscapes. There are flowers. And bees. And mud!

And the dogs out here in the country are …. Ginormous! Well, at least they look that way to Gizmo, who is a tiny little sausage dog. A sausage dog, NOT a sausage! he has to remind his new friend Jilly, an Irish wolfhound. At least the puppies are Gizmo’s size, more or less. They are cute, energetic, and friendly.

They are also being put up for adoption to people who might live far, far away. And Jilly has no idea what to do to prevent this from happening. Luckily, Gizmo has a nose for a story, and he knows this one will sell. So he does what any newshound would do: start a newspaper. Soon the New Dog in Town finds himself editor-in-chief.

STOP the PRESSES!

Will Granny discover muddy paw prints on her keyboard? 

Will she miss that ream of printer paper? 

Will the puppies be saved?

And why does Jilly insist that Gizmo read the news out loud? 

As a journalist, I totally enjoyed this first book of a new series. I can’t wait to read what adventures lie ahead, and what new stories the Daily Bark will paw-print. I wonder whether they’ll do doggie-bag reviews of local eating establishments… 

Thanks for dropping by today. On Monday we'll be hanging out at Marvelous Middle Grade Monday with other  bloggers. It's over at Greg Pattridge's blog, Always in the Middle, so hop over to see what other people are reading. Review ARC provided by the publisher.

Charlie & Mouse with new adventures

Charlie & Mouse Lost and Found 

by Laurel Snyder; illus. by Emily Hughes

52 pages; ages 6-9

Chronicle Books, 2021

This is book 5 in this wonderful chapter book series. I’ve got to tell you, I love Charlie and Mouse. Even though they are brothers, they treat each other with tenderness – well, some of the time. In this book the four chapters may look like independent stories, but they are leashed together. There is a sweet story about a missing blanket (referred to as “he/him”) and Charlie and Mouse go on a blanket hunt. They go on errands with mom – which, if you remember your younger childhood, were Not Fun. I vaguely remember trips to the bank (there were deposit slips to write on!) and grocery stores…

… but Charlie and Mouse find a lost dog. Can we keep him? they ask. You think you know how that ends, but author Laurel Snyder turns it into a story of care. And then there is the dog that finds them. 

What I like about this book: Short, simple language, sweet. Some observations about the Charlie and Mouse series: each book has four chapters (or stories) and total word count for the books range from 950 – 1100 words. Not only are they great stories for newly independent readers, they are good mentor texts for writers interested in early chapter books.

You can find my reviews of earlier books here on the blog.

Charlie & Mouse Even Better (2019) is here 

Charlie & Mouse Outdoors (2020) is here.

Thanks for dropping by today. Review copy provided by the publisher.

Sit. Stay. Read!

Secondhand Dogs 

by Carolyn Crimi 

256 pages; ages 8-12  

Balzer + Bray, 2021

 

By now you know I am a sucker for dog stories. And especially if they are about rescue dogs and the people who love them. And doubly especially if they are told from the dogs’ points of view.

Gus, Roo, Tank, and Moon Pie live with Miss Lottie and her cat, Ghost. Together with Quinn, the kid down the street who helps Miss Lottie, they make up a pack. At least that’s how Gus thinks of his adopted family. But when Miss Lottie brings a new member into the group, Gus – already insecure about being a “good enough” leader – is hard-pressed to keep his pack together.

Gus isn’t too sure about the new dog, Decker. The scent that wafts off him is “bright and cold, like the metal water bowl in Miss Lottie’s kitchen,” and he acts too … confident. But Miss Lottie falls in love with her new rescue, and soon Decker has moved into her room, onto her bed, and squeezed the other dogs out of her heart.

But when Decker convinces Moon Pie to take off on an impossible journey, Gus realizes he has to rally his pack and find the little dog they all love. After all, there are coyotes on the loose, and cars on the road.

Each chapter is told through a different point-of-view, with some providing insights into backstories and personal motives. Each in a unique voice. You can almost hear Moon Pie’s tail wagging as he tries to please Miss Lottie, Gus, Quinn, and bad-boy Decker. You can hear the nervousness in Roo’s hyperactive cadence, and Tank’s heft as he moves and settles and thinks over a response. Then there’s Ghost, the resident cat who rarely shows himself but when he does, it’s to deliver important information. And Quinn, who may or may not have been at fault when his own dog died, and finds acceptance in the pack at Miss Lottie’s house.

In this book you’ll find adventure. You’ll suffer through family/pack disputes and bullying. And at the end you will discover that there’s a “good boy” hidden inside everyone.

This is definitely a book you’ll want to Sit, Stay, and Read.

Thanks for dropping by today. On Monday we'll be hanging out at Marvelous Middle Grade Monday with other  bloggers. It's over at Greg Pattridge's blog, Always in the Middle, so hop over to see what other people are reading. Review ARC provided by the author.

Sit. Read. Another Dog-gone Mystery

King & Kayla and the Case of the Gold Ring 

by Dori Hillestad Butler; illus. by Nancy Meyers 

48 pages; ages 7-9

Peachtree Publishing, 2021

The first page of this book – like the first page of all the others in the series – makes me smile. How can you not, when it begins:

Hello!

My name is King. I’m a dog. This is Kayla. She is my human.

It’s the sort of opening that makes you want to grab a mug of cocoa and snuggle into the couch pillows. 

The other thing that makes me smile? It’s how no matter what King and Kayla are doing, it’s the most fun thing in the world to do. And no matter what treats he’s offered, they are King’s favorites!

This book opens with a snowball fight, wet mittens, and snack time (marshmallows! King’s favorite!). Suddenly Asia realizes her gold ring is missing – a ring with a special link to her grandma. The game is afoot, and the friends retrace their steps. 

Kayla grabs a notebook and pencil. She jots down things they know. She scribbles a list of things they don’t know. While Kayla and her friends use detective logic, King has his own list of clues about where the shiny ring might have gone. (Crows like shiny things, he thinks.)

This is a fun book to read with a dog or by yourself. Check out my reviews of previous books in the series here and here. Review copy provided by the publisher.

A Collie Called Sky

 Jasmine Green Rescues: A Collie Called Sky 
by Helen Peters; illus. by Ellie Snowdon 
160 pages; ages 7-9
Walker Books US,  2020

By now you know I have a soft spot for dog stories. Even better if they are rescues. 

Jasmine Green’s mother is a veterinarian and her father is a farmer. So when she finds an animal in need, not only does she know what to do but she also has room to care for it. One day Jasmine discovers a tiny pup hiding under a hedge on her family’s farm. The pup is dirty and hasn’t had anything to eat or drink in a long time. He is so weak he can barely lift his head.

Of course, Jasmine takes him home. With help from her mom and other vets she nurses the puppy back to health. This includes more than providing food and pats; Jasmine has to figure out to help the collie regain strength in his legs so he can stand. 
Meanwhile, the vet clinic is trying to locate the pet’s owner. Jasmine can only keep the dog if, after the allotted time, no one steps forward to claim him. 

What I like about this book: I love Jasmine’s compassion for animals, and her relationship with her family. She has a goal for her life: create an animal rescue sanctuary. I also like how she solves problems. There is, of course (this being a story of a collie) the obligatory rescue scene. And there are lots of ethical conundrums: should an owner who mistreats an animal be allowed to reclaim the dog? 

This book is part of a series, as Jasmine has also rescued a pig and duck. Look for another book this spring – Jasmine Green Rescues: A Goat Called Willow.

Thanks for dropping by today. On Monday we'll be hanging out at Marvelous Middle Grade Monday with other  bloggers. It's over at Greg Pattridge's blog, Always in the Middle, so hop over to see what other people are reading. Review copy provided by the publisher.

Chapter Books for the End of Summer

What I did on my Summer Vacation: in addition to reading picture books and a stack of novels (which I’ll share over time), I read bunches of chapter books. Here are a couple that are perfect for newly independent readers.

Charlie & Mouse Outdoors 
by Laurel Snyder; illus. by Emily Hughes
48 pages; ages 6-9
Chronicle Books, 2020

Charlie and Mouse are brothers – and if you know anything about brothers then you already know that 1+1 is more than 2. In this fourth book of the series, Charlie and Mouse take a quick hike, defeat a big lion, hide in a small tent, and have a marvelous outdoor adventure.

But first they have to survive a long and boring drive. “Why don’t you make up a story,” says Dad. Charlie tries. But it’s hard, so he looks out the window for inspiration. Then flights of fancy take over and soon he’s got imaginary animals engaged in battle.

What I like about this book: There are four chapters, each focusing on a specific part of Charlie and Mouse’s outdoor adventure. The language is perfect for children ready to move from beginning readers to a book with chapters. And the illustrations are engaging. Plus there’s plenty of room for a kid’s imagination to soar.

King & Kayla and the Case of the Unhappy Neighbor
by Dori Hillestad Butler; illus. by Nancy Meyers
48 pages; ages 7 - 9
Peachtree Publishing, 2020

What I love about the King & Kayla series is the way they begin. Each book starts, "Hello! My name is King. I'm a dog. This is Kayla. She is my human." And then they are doing something – and no matter what they are doing it is King’s favorite thing! In this book they’re heading out for a W-A-L-K (I’m spelling it out in case you’re reading this aloud and your fur-pup is sitting right there).

Then King learns that his little buddy, Thor is blamed for digging up a neighbor’s garden and getting into the trash. King is on the case!

What I like about this book: King investigates clues. The garbagy mess doesn’t look like the sort of thing Thor would leave, and Cat with No Name warns him to watch out for the new guy. Meanwhile Kayla and her friend are using science and detective logic to solve the mystery. I love that Kayla makes lists of what they know and what they don’t know. This is a fun book for beginning readers who like puzzles.

You can peek at more King & Kayla books at an earlier review here. Review copies provided by the publishers.

Dogs at Work and Play

Sally’s Bookshelf is Going To the Dogs – all month long. Today I’m sharing two spring releases from National Geographic Children’s Books.

theme: dogs, nonfiction

Doggy Defenders: Cadi the Farm Dog 
by Lisa M. Gerry; photographs by Lori Epstein
48 pages; ages 4 - 8

Cadi is a border collie. She lives on a farm with her family, the Bakers.

Like everyone else on the farm, Cadi has a job to do. Her job: take care of the cows. When she’s not herding cows, Cadi checks up on the other farm animals – the goats, ducks, chickens – and helps keep an eye on the vegetable garden.

What I like about this book: Cadi is much like our neighbor’s farm dog, Spencer. He “helps” with so many things, but his big job is making sure the chickens are safe. So I totally love seeing a book about farm dogs. I also like the back matter. One spread features a Q&A with Jessie Baker, the farmer and another is “Cadi’s Animal Care Tips” to help young readers learn how to be better friends with animals. This book is part of the Doggy Defenders series featuring Dolley the Fire Dog, Stella the Search Dog, Tiger the Police Dog, and Willow the Therapy Dog. I’m looking forward to more books in the series.

Just Joking Dogs 
by National Geographic Kids
208 pages; ages 8 - 12

The title says it all: it is page after belly-laugh page of dog jokes. Here’s a couple:

What kind of dog works in a library?
A hush puppy!

Knock, knock.
Who’s there?
Pup.
Pup who?
Pup-eroni pizza.

And there’s even a joke for our neighbor’s farm dog:
Why did the dog cross the road?
He was following the chickens.

Beyond the Books:

Make up your own dog joke or two. If you need help, ask a dog! If you don’t have a dog, ask your friend’s dog. A stuffed dog will do in a pinch.

Next time you’re out and about, pay attention to the kinds of dogs you see. You might see dogs playing Frisbee in a park, or taking their humans for a walk. Or you might see dogs on the job, such as a farm dog or service animal.

Today we're joining Perfect Picture Book Friday, an event where bloggers share great picture books at Susanna Leonard Hill's website. Review copies provided by Media Masters Publicity.

Sit. Stay. Read.

Sally’s Bookshelf is Going To the Dogs – all month long. So today I’m pulling one of my favorites – a great summer read that was published last August.

Stay
by Bobbie Pyron
304 pages; ages 8 - 12
Katherine Tegen Books, 2019

I am a Bobbie Pyron fan. What can I say? I love her dog stories and can never resist just one more… and this one hit close to home. Because that’s what it’s about, at its core: finding home.

Piper, who’s not-quite-twelve, and her family arrive in a new city by bus. The buildings are tall, sunlight fills the sky, and mountains in the distance nearly poke through the blue and into heaven. A new start, but when her family arrives at the address for Hope House, they find a hotel-like emergency center – and daddy has to live apart from them, in the men’s residence.

Baby is luckier – he gets to live with his person, Jewel, in a park. Every day presents a new chance to explore the city. They have a corner where Jewel sits, and some people give her money or food, and others yell at her to get a job. But always, they have each other and the park. Life is good, but something is not right with Jewel.

Using alternate points of view, Piper and Baby, Pyron dives into a tale of what family means. What friendship means. And what kids can do to make the world a better place, even when they don’t have a home to call their own.

What I like about this book: I love the sense of place. Bobbie sets the story in a place so real that you can find it on a map. And even though it’s been years since I lived there (and downtown landmarks have changed) I could visualize the paths she walked through the park and the corners where Jewel and her comrades fly their signs.

I love how real each character is. And, as a once and future Girl Scout, I really love that Piper gets involved with the “Firefly Girls” - and that their service project embraces finding a way to reconnect Jewel with Baby while raising awareness about mental health issues and homelessness.

If I gave out stars, Stay would get an entire Kibble’s box worth.

Thanks for dropping by today. On Monday we'll be hanging out at Marvelous Middle Grade Monday with other  bloggers. It's over at Greg Pattridge's blog, Always in the Middle, so hop over to see what other people are reading. Review copy from my personal library.