Customer Reviews

Everything for a Dog

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I loved A Dog's Life, the prequel to this book, so I was so excited to see the story of Squirrel. One couldn't help but want to know what happened to him after reading the first book. The story isn't as detailed in this book, so you don't fall as much in love with the dog character. This book is told from 3 different characters perspectives:
- Charlie, whose older brother just died
- Henry, who wants a dog more than anything in life
- Squirrel, a stray dog just making his way in life trying not to starve
I couldn't for the life of me figure out how these characters were going to connect, but oh boy you're in for a terrific surprise when you do. Everything for a Dog is a short, quick, easy read but still manages to pull on your heartstrings and make you cheer!

I read this book aloud to my children. It took us a few chapters to get accustomed to the format of alternating stories, but in time we enjoyed following the characters through the chapters. We adore dogs and our lives have been changed by one very special little beast. But, I have to say that young adult fiction can often be more intense than the stories written for adults. In the first several chapters so much happens, dogs mothers die, they are abandoned in mall parking lots, a young boy's older brother dies while trying to rescue his kite. It's all quite a lot, which isn't to say it's too much. It's just quite a lot. I'm not asking for cheer and sugarplums, but, I was sniffling every night and waiting, hoping for a happy place to end inciting sweet dreams for us all. It is a cleverly arranged story and one that I think most children can handle, but as for their weepy parents, I'm uncertain. I do believe that YA literature puts more at stake earlier on. Perhaps it is to capture the reader's emotions and to pull them into the story. I had every intention of reading my favorite children's novels to my own children (and do). But, I find them to be old-fashioned. The language calls attention to itself and as children's roles in our culture have changed and the way we treat them has evolved so too have their stories. A fifty year old book for grown-ups holds true. Older children's lit seems to shrink a bit. It's a pity, in some ways, but their world changes so quickly. Books such as "Everything for a Dog" speak to today's children. My own agreed it was sad but were more able to manage their need for comfort than I was. That's what I get for being raised on fairy tales and Beatrix Potter.

This book warms the reader with the purest sense of love--a love between a kid and a dog. In this sequel to A Dog's Life, we are submerged in a story told in three, alternating points of view.
The first is of Bone, an abandon dog, who after living with three different families--if only briefly--wanders the countryside season after season, picking food from garbage piles and searching for a permanent home. The second point of view is of a boy named Charlie who is struggling to find normalcy after his older brother dies. Seeking comfort in his dog Sunny, Charlie waits for the day his mom returns, dad stops hiding behind his work, and they become a family again. But, when Sunny is accidentally shot and killed by a hunter, Charlie's world is once again turned upside down. Finally, we meet Henry, a boy who year after year asks for a dog and everything for a dog on his Christmas list. He tries, unsuccessfully, to convince his parents that he's responsible enough to care for one. His heart aches with a hole that will only be filled by a furry friend.

I raced to the end of this book, desperate to find out how the three storylines would be tied together. Readers will not be disappointed to find that sometimes, love overcomes grief and opening your heart again will bring happiness despite past tragedies.
-- Reviewed by Kerry O'Malley Cerra

Anyone who has loved a dog will enjoy this book that is at once heartwarming, suspenseful, and surprising. Have a kleenex handy for occasional dabbing at the eyes. Ann M. Martin is a gifted author whose books keep getting better and better. This one is well crafted in its three-storyline construction. One does not need to have read "A Dog's Life" to appreciate this book. I will highly recommend this book to my students aged nine or ten and up.

The book Everything for a dog was such a amazing well done book. It made me cry when Bone and Squirrel got wrenched apart, when that horrible man threw the two dogs out the window, when Sunny the dog got shot, and when Bone gets his front paw cought in a hunting trap. But I am a animal lover but it was just touching that animals have feelings as well as people and no matter what they give you unconditional love!

This was not just another book about a dog, it was more about the impact that a specific occurrance can have on ones life

I got this for my 8 year old daughter who had read "A Dog's Life". She really loved this book as well! Smiles all around.

This was the best book I have ever read. I couldn't ever put it down. It was really exciting. I like how the three characters all connect and they are family at the end.

This book is wonderful. Ann Martin is an excellent Author & I highly recommend her other companion book to this one: A Dog's Life.:)

Ann M. Martin introduced us to Bone, Squirrel's brother, briefly in A Dog's Life. He is the main dog of Everything for a Dog. Unlike A Dog's Life, this book is not told entirely from a dog's perspective. The book shifts between Bone and two boys, Charlie and Henry as narrators. Bone's life is difficult but not as miserable as most of Squirrel's life. We see him in homes and also as a stray. We also learn about Charlie and Henry, two lonely boys. Charlie is dealing with the death of his older brother and turns to his brother's dog for comfort. Henry's best friend just moved away and he focuses his energy on convincing his parents to allow him to get a dog. The three narrators came together in a way I didn't expect. I really enjoyed the ending.

The book is designed to be fairly timeless. From the descriptions of Henry's and Charlie's home lives, I thought they grew up in the 50s but then things like e-mail came in. I loved Martin's descriptions of the boys' hobbies and games. Full of outside playtime and imagination that kids today should do more of.

Some children may be disturbed by portions of this book. Possibly troublesome topics include a child's death (descriptively told), depression, and animal cruelty. Also much of the book is rather depressing - you have an unhappy dog and two unhappy boys. That doesn't mean it's a bad book - it was a great read - but some people might be turned off by the atmospherics.