Beware of Dog (McGrowl #1) [Paperback]

Bob Balaban (Author)

Book Description

Age Level: 9 and up

Meet Thomas and his new best friend McGrowl--a courageous canine who's bionic to the bone!

When Thomas's loveable dog McGrowl is hit by a car, Thomas is heartbroken. But just when he thinks McGrowl will be lost to him forever, the mysterious vet Dr. Minderbender steps in to save the day. After a strange operation, McGrowl is alive, but he has been changed forever. McGrowl now has super speed, super hearing, and superpowerful sight, smell, and strength -- and a few super-funny tics. Now Thomas and his bionic dog must take on the evil Dr. Minderbender and foil his sneaky plans. Can this one-of-a-kind canine superhero save the day?

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Film producer, director and actor Balaban launches the McGrowl series with this faltering farce introducing fifth-grader Thomas and his "best and only friend," Violet. Just after his birthday, on which Thomas once again fails to receive the one present he wants a dog he and Violet find a stray as they walk home during a thunder and lightning storm. The dog escorts the children through blinding rain ("barking furiously, keeping them together and trying to move them forward as if they were an errant flock of sheep"), and pushes them out of the path of an oncoming truck, which then strikes the canine. In an odd twist, Thomas and Violet deliver the pooch to a man whom they believe is a revered veterinarian, but is actually a villain in disguise; after many pages readers learn that he is determined to take over the town and plans to use Thomas's dog to carry out his plot. The evil vet replaces the insides of McGrowl (as Thomas eventually names him) with steel and aluminum during an operation he performs after the accident. Awkward writing, extraneous detail and humor that misses its mark sink this shaggy dog story. Ages 8-11.
Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 9 and up
  
• Paperback: 96 pages
• Publisher: Scholastic, Inc (August 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0439401372
• ISBN-13: 978-0439401371
• Product Dimensions: 7.4 x 5.2 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (13 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #309,767 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Terrific book for kids!, August 26, 2002

By A Customer

This review is from: Beware of Dog (McGrowl #1) (Paperback)

Just when I thought the only books I could get my 9-year-old son to read were books which had him running into our room in the middle of the night with nightmares...here's comes McGrowl, the Bionic Dog! My son laughed out loud when he read it, then gave it to me and my husband to read. It's fun and I guess you could even say witty, with just enough adventure to keep my son turning pages. It's the kind of book you won't mind reading along with your kid. I can't wait for the next McGrowl book and neither can my son!

7 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars BEST BOOK, October 26, 2002

A Kid's Review

This review is from: Beware of Dog (McGrowl #1) (Paperback)

i spent 3 weeks looking for a book to get for the first few weeks of school,then my freind told me about mcgrowl and since i love dogs i read it and then i read it a second time a third time and a forth time,and i could not put it down for a second i even dreamed about it if your looking for a good book read MCGROWL

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars My son loves McGrowl books, March 9, 2004

By 

A. Smith (North Texas United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Beware of Dog (McGrowl #1) (Paperback)

This book isn't going to be a classic, but it is fun to read. I have a young son who loves language and we read this book when he was in Kindergarten. Now each time there is another McGrowl book available through a school book fair, he adds it to his collection. We don't have any pets, but he loves the silliness of a bionic dog. The plotlines are ridiculous, but it sparks his imagination and he gets tickled each time we read about Thomas, Violet and McGrowl. If your child likes to think outside the box, he or she will probably enjoy this book and dream up their own adventures about having such a dog.