Customer Reviews

Calvin Coconut: Dog Heaven

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Graham Salisbury brings one fourth graders dreams to light. Calvin Coconut is given an assignment in class to write about something he wants so bad he can taste it. The only thing he has ever wanted that bad was a dog. When the subject comes up the same answer is always given, Stella is allergic to cats so they can't get a dog. Now comes the hard part, he has to write a paper that's so good that it might just work on his mom.

Calvin shares his story with his mom's boyfriend who quickly becomes an ally in his quest. He takes him to dog heaven to meet all kinds of unwanted dogs. Dogs that need a good home and someone to take care of them. When asked which dog he wants, it becomes evident that not only does he want this black and white dog, but the dog wants him too. It is truly a match made in heaven. The only thing left is to convince his mom... This could be harder then it sounds.

Being a fellow dog lover, I could understand how a child without any pets would want a dog all his own. Dog Heaven is a book that will make you smile and root for Calvin throughout. It is written in easy to ready chapters with cute illustrations along the way. Any child that is beginning to read chapter books will love to hear about Calvin Coconut and his quest to get a dog.

By Kerri J. Busteed
Author of Will's First Hunt Will's First Hunt

My 9yr old (3rd grade)son loves Calvin Coconut books, and I admit, they are very entertain to read, too.
I especially like how they are a 'modern family' - Calvin's parents are divorced, and Calvin lives w/ his mom and she has
a boyfriend, but they all seem happy with the situation, which is really great. There are a number of other characters (his friends/family) and they are all very delightful and add depth to the stories.
In each of the 'Calvin' books, Calvin is a very realistic boy who goes on very realistic adventures,
which is a nice change from Magic Tree House and Geranimo Stilton.
I would also recommend Hero of Hawaii - we couldn't put it down!

This is the third Calvin Coconut book. This is a great early chapter series that features a diverse cast of characters. Calvin lives in Hawaii with his mother and younger sister Darci. Stella, the teenage daughter of his mother's best friend is staying with them.

At school Calvin's class is given an assignment to write a persuasive letter. Calvin decides to write about wanting a dog. With the help of his mother's boyfriend, Ledward, Calvin eventually gets the dog he really wants.

This works well as stand alone. Though it's best read in order, since Salisbury does a great job of developing the characters and their relationships.

Jacqueline Rogers illustrations are great. I especially like the ones with Stella and Calvin. Rogers also shows off Calvin's active imagination.

Graham Salisbury's CALVIN COCONUT: DOG HEAVEN tells of a writing assignment Calvin's fourth-grade teacher gives to the class. Calvin wants a dog - but his mother refuses. When Calvin meets the dog of his dreams, he must convince his mother he's dog-responsible in this fine story of friendships.

When I picked my copy of Graham Salisbury's newest book Calvin Coconut: Dog Heaven, I could not put it down! This is certainly the best of the (so far) trilogy, and one of his best books yet even though I am usually partial to those geared to older readers. WOW! It definitely sings!

The heart-warming story has lots of kid appeal but adult appeal too; the emotions of wanting and eventually "adopting" a dog of one's own won me and will, I am confident, win more and more readers for Salisbury! I like the emphasis on the very positive aspect of adopting a dog, the believable way the dog's personality reaches out to his new master, and, of course, the companionship the dog brings to Calvin (sleeping on the bunk right below his new "master" at night).

I found the plot absorbing and Calvin's "small kid time" yearning for a dog very much in character. I love the concept of "Dog Heaven, " too. Having recently become a dog owner, I found myself identifying with many aspects of Calvin and Ledward's selection of Streak or rather Streak's selection of Calvin! Like Calvin, my husband and I had chosen a name for our dog before we even met Baxter, but once we held our little puppy we knew he suited his name perfectly.

As an English teacher, I particularly liked Salisbury's focus on the importance of the writing process, especially the emphasis on revision. I plan to read Calvin's question from the beginning of Chapter 21 to my students--not just those in my 7th grade English classes, but also the juniors in my American Literature classes: "Can it be a revision even if you change everything, Mr. Purdy? I mean, to make it better?" How long does it take for that understanding of real revision to sink in????

Graham Salisbury's cheerful middle grader, Calvin Coconut, is back in his luckiest adventure so far: his journey to realize his dream of something he wants "so bad he can taste it!" To reach his goal, he must learn what it means when "a pig in a jeep would be a monster pretzel."

All of the series' characters return: Calvin; his sister Darci; his mom Angela; Stella, the teenage Texan his mom has taken in; Ledward, his mom's boyfriend; along with Calvin's allies Julio, Willy and Maya, and enemies: Stella, of course, and older boys Frankie Diamond and Tito . Only this time, Tito, Frankie and Stella grow to (maybe temporarily) respect Calvin as he moves toward his goal aided by his teacher, Mr. Purdy, who set him thinking about what he wants, and Ledward, both of whom understand what is given room in a boy's heart.

In that heart this time is a dog named Streak, held in the dog pound- can Streak take the place of Chewy, the family dog that left with Calvin's dad? Calvin decides she can. Can Calvin rescue her- or will somebody else take her home first? Stella, as we know from The Zippy Fix, the second book in the Cavin Coconut series, is allergic to cats-will something as boring as a teenager's allergies make bringing a dog home impossible? And these visits to the pound are taken secretly . . .How Calvin manages this great desire while fulfilling all the other stuff a young boy must: chores, schoolwork, generally helping out his single mom- this is powerful writing in simple form. This story is an illustration of what life is like when dreams burn bright.

Jacqueline Rodgers' charming drawings breeze along with the storyline, adding a layer of pure fun.