Customer Reviews

Dog Called Kitty (Rack Size)

5 star:		(31)
4 star:		(9)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(5)

 

 

A boy named Rick is attacked by a mad dog when he is a baby and never forgets it. Years later a small dog comes out of the barn. Rick is terrified. He has to face his fears or the dog will starve to death. I read this book 2 years ago and I can still remember the whole book. Bill Wallace makes you feel like you are right next to Rick threw the whole book. I could not put the book down and finished it in the middle of the night. This is one book you have to read! I am a huge Bill Wallace fan and I think you will be one too.

I heard of this book and wanted to check it out for a bookclub for 4th and 5th graders. After checking out some on-line reviews, many of which were from people who read it when orginally published in the 80's, I decided to use it. What impressed me most about the reviews was that the people who read it back then remember it making a big impression on them and couldn't wait to share it with their children. I have several books I feel that way about so figured if it had such a strong impression it would be worth a shot.

It turned out to be a good call. Most of the children finished it and almost all really liked it. We had a discussion about the fear the main character had of dogs and fears they have. Mnay of them felt a lot of different emotions throughout the book and although it had some diffecult scenes they really liked how the story unfolded and the end of the story.

Although a very well written book, I would not have allowed my young daughter to read this if I had know the outcome of the story. Young dog lovers beware, that "Kitty" DIES unexpectedly, and tragically toward the end of the story. My daughter loves dogs and cats, and was so distraught by Kitty's death, that she didn't care that the boy finds another dog to begin a friendship with. In fact, I don't know that she even read the last several pages of the book right away, because she was so upset. She is okay with it now, and still likes the book, but as a parent, I wish I would have seen the book summary on this site prior to letting her read it.

This book is way to violent and sad. In the beginning, I noticed a lot of violent phrases, and I started to think that this book might not be the best. Then the part comes where the boy finds a dog. The boy uses very inappropriate phrases towards the dog. (I could understand that the boy does not like dogs because he was once severely attacked.) The story went on, and it was pretty fun to read, and the boy decided to finally keep the dog. Then suddenly in chapter 10 there was something so sad and irrevelant to the main point of the story, that I HAD TO SKIP A FEW PAGES. I COULD NOT STAND THAT PART. That part was so terrible that I started to dislike this book. Later in it, the boy and his dog get badly attacked by savage dogs. Far to violent. Then, they both get better, which is nice, but later, in the next chapter after the fight- the boy's dog gets killed by heavy machinery. This book is so sad that it's depressing. Later, the boy finds a new dog, but that doesn't really make the story much better. Adding to that, the book is like a copy of the classic- Old Yeller. In both stories, the boys find stray dogs and don't want them. Later at the end they love them so much. Both books have animal fights. In both, the boys' dogs die.
I would NOT recommend this book. I would especially not recommend it to sensitive people, and people who love animals, and people who do not like violence.

I remember reading this book perhaps 10 years ago, and that cute innocent puppy on the cover. My mom had had several dogs and I had just gotten a Shih Tzu named Fluffy. He looked like my dog! It's hard to remember exactly what happened, but there was a soccer field, and some bullies, and he had to behave like one of them or be hurt himself. He was already hurting, and I very much identified with the coming-of-age understanding with quite literally, the underdog. I have always had mild cerebral palsy, preventing me from walking normally and requiring me to always act more grown-up. I never really had a childhood, but this book affected me greatly, its pages, its changes, and taught me a little bit about returning to a wise innocence. That it is okay to cry and laugh and to be vulnerable. I have always had problems with girlfriends and the usual social problems, but I have always loved dogs.

My nine-year old daughter was thrilled to select this book to read for a school project. She happily began reading it on her own, and I with her before bed. When I picked her up from school today she was in tears, telling me she had read ahead in the book and the beloved dog, after finally being united with the boy, dies suddenly near the end of the book. She was so upset she did not want to finish the book nor use it for her project. She is an avid reader and I have never had this experience before. If your child is tenderhearted or has a special love for animals, please read this book for yourself before sharing it with them. You become so attached to the dog that it is just gut-wrenching to have him die at the end (kind of like a downer movie you wish you hadn't paid to see). Had I known the ending of this book, I would never have let her take it home.

I remember reading this book over and over again when I was a pre teen, and I still remember almost everything about it (I'm 26 now). In fact, this was probably my favorite book. A tale of a boy and his dog...and what they have to do to a). get to like one another, b). form their strong bond, and c). protect one another against almost anything. Great, great book for anyone!

I read this with my 8 year old twin boys. Reading is not one of their favorite things to do, but they actually enjoyed this book very much. Ricky hates dogs and for a very good reason and one day a stray pup starts coming around the farm and he tells him everyday he is going to run him off.The pup helps Ricky overcome his fear of dogs and helps Ricky to find courage.The way he got his name is cute. I enjoyed this story myself.

Well "A Dog Called Kitty" is one of the best books I had ever read, it's funny, surprising, and sad. It's a heart-warming story of a dog and a boy. The boy's name is Ricky, and he has had a fear af dogs ever since he got tackled by one when he was little. One day a dog appears on his farm and scares Ricky. He tries to hide on a haystack but the dog tries to jump up! Kitty comes by every day when Ricky's mother calls the cats for breakfeast. And he chases them around the farm; that's why they named him Kitty. Something happy happens at the end and something very sad it made me cry.

But I will let you find that out for yourself when you read this. A very exiting, heart-warming, and love between man and dog. I promise if you read this you will fall in love with the Characters mom, dad, ricky, kitty this probably is the best book ever!

I really loved this book! It had alot of describing words that you could picture what was happening!!