Boys Are Dogs [Paperback]

Leslie Margolis (Author)

Book Description

Age Level: 8 and up | Grade Level: 3 and up

Annabelle’s all-girls elementary was very different from Birchwood Middle School where the boys run through the halls like wild animals. But with a little experimenting, Annabelle realizes that like her new puppy, maybe boys can be trained too.

Featuring Annabelle’s hilarious take on friendship, boys, and her all-new life, this novel / survival guide perfectly captures the joy—and agony—of junior high school. And it might just teach you how to tame the wildest beast of all, the teenage boy.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 4–7—Being the new kid in school is often hard enough, but Annabelle finds that dealing with the idiosyncrasies of sixth-grade boys is truly daunting. She misses her friends and doesn't know how she feels about her mother's live-in boyfriend, Ted. Then her mother and Ted surprise her with a puppy and a dog-training manual that proves to be a partial answer to some of her school dilemmas. Annabelle discovers that strategies in the manual can be transferred and tweaked to solve some of the boy issues at school. Using a mixture of confidence, ingenuity, and some excellent Swiss chocolates, she begins to change some difficult situations and behaviors for the better. This clever and humorous premise is deftly handled to create a believable and enjoyable tale with a likable and resourceful heroine whose trials, tribulations, and triumphs will have others wanting a training manual of their own.—Carol Schene, formerly at Taunton Public Schools, MA
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

About the Author

Leslie Margolis is the author of Boys are Dogs, Girls Acting Catty, and two YA novels. Leslie's non-fiction has been featured in CosmoGIRL! and The Village Voice, and her short stories have appeared in numerous anthologies including First Kiss (Then Tell). She is also the author of the New York Times bestselling novelizations Night at the Museum and Toy Story II. Leslie lives in Brooklyn, New York, with her husband and son, and their six-toed genius dog, Aunt Blanche.

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 8 and up
  
• Paperback: 224 pages
• Publisher: Bloomsbury USA Childrens; Reprint edition (October 13, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1599903814
• ISBN-13: 978-1599903811
• Product Dimensions: 7.8 x 5 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (13 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #388,627 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #66 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Children's Books > Issues > Moving

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Looking forward to the sequel!, December 12, 2009

By 

The Book Scout - See all my reviews

This review is from: Boys Are Dogs (Paperback)

Boys Are Dogs was another fun, light read. It was definitely targeted for a younger audience, but I still enjoyed it. Annabelle was a relatable narrator and her troubles brought back a lot of my own sixth grade memories. I could definitely understand what Annabelle meant about the boys! Sixth grade boys are about as far from mature as you can get. Although this plot line can be a little overdone, Margolis added her own cute twist to it. I loved how Annabelle dealt with the boys in her own unique way- by using her puppy training manual. Use a stern voice and hold eye contact? Check. Be the alpha dog? Check. Never back down? Check. Annabelle was a great narrator and I enjoyed reading the story from her point of view. I loved Pepper, her little puppy, and he definitely added a lot to the book. I have my own puppy right now and I could relate to a lot of the things she was dealing with with Pepper. All in all this was a fun book and I'm looking forward to reading the sequel. I would recommend Boys Are Dogs when you are looking for a quick, light read with well meaning characters and an original plot line.

In addition to dealing with the boys, Annabelle was also always worried about what people would think of her. I felt bad for her when her best friend Rachel's older brother was so nasty to her, but I'm glad she stood up for herself. The book pretty much focused all on Annabelle and I wished there was a little more background on some of the characters, so I'm hoping to hear more about them in Girls Acting Catty. I think the cover really suited the novel and the puppy actually looked a lot like Pepper! I'm definitely planning on passing this on to a girl I know going into sixth grade. It's a perfect read for her age group and will definitely help her prepare for the boys she'll encounter(:

Rating;

Plot: 9/10

Characters: 8/10

Ending: 8.5/10

Enjoyment: 8.5/10

Cover: 9.5/10

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Overall: 43.5/50=87%

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars fun tweener tale, November 1, 2008

By 

Harriet Klausner - See all my reviews
(#1 Hall OF FAME REVIEWER)    (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Boys Are Dogs (Hardcover)

Boys Are Dogs
Leslie Margolis
Bloomsbury, Sep 2008, $15.99
ISBN: 1599902214

Annabelle comes home from a summer at a sleep-away camp to live in a new home with her single mom and her mother's new live-in nerdy but nice boyfriend. She is to start sixth grade so is old enough to understand when she is being bribed. They give her a puppy in exchange for her accepting the new arrangement.

Annabelle adores her puppy, but school is a war zone as this is the first time boys (yucky) are in her classes. They are selfish, thieves and rude whether it is the kid behind her who is practicing for a football career with her chair; her lab partners who share nothing, or stealing her homework. In many ways without the cuteness they remind her of her puppy before the training. Annabelle begins to teach the boys how to behave with her using the puppy manual.

The fun in this wonderful tweener tale is the behavior of middle school boys as seen through the myopic lens of the suffering heroine who is just starting to comprehend the Girls on Venus and the Boys on Mars make that Neptune concept. Applying a dog behavior manual as a modification tool is fun as Annabelle learns how to get along with the gender who makes Larry of the Three Stooges look like an Einstein.

Harriet Klausner

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A must read!, October 25, 2008

By 

Carolyn MacCullough (New York) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Boys Are Dogs (Hardcover)

The author gets everything pitch perfect as she details eleven year old Annabelle's struggles with accepting her mom's new boyfriend, starting her new school, and training her new puppy. The story will by turns make you laugh out loud and wince in sympathy. Most importantly, you will cheer for Annabelle as she finds the courage to stick up for herself. This is a wonderful book for both kids and adults alike and contains valuable lessons for all of us.