Faith and the Electric Dogs [Unknown Binding]

Patrick Jennings (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 31, 1998

perro corriente"" tags him a worthless stray, pushes his limits to prove his loyalty to his new owner, Faith, who sometimes feels like a stray, too.

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

First-time novelist Jennings takes a soaring flight into magic realism in this captivating tale narrated with brio by a Mexican street dog. Edison, a perro corriente (electric dog) relates how he saves 10-year-old Faith from a school bully and how she in turns rescues him after he is hit by a taxi. Recently arrived in Chiapas from San Francisco, Faith is having a hard time learning Spanish and professes to hate all things Mexican. Since her mother refuses to take her back home, Faith decides to get there herself-in a tin rocket shaped like a peacock, which she fuels with pork fat and hot peppers. Anything is possible in a story told by a multilingual dog, so Faith's experiment in rocketry is mostly successful, though a bit off-target. Some amazing discoveries that she and her canine companion make on an uncharted bone-shaped island lead her to see Mexico in a new light and, as in all fairy tales, everything turns out happily ever after. Reveling in the fantastical high jinks, readers will also absorb tidbits of Spanish and Indian language, Mexican culture and geography. Ages 8-12.
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From School Library Journal

Grade 3-5-An amusing tale, narrated by an articulate pooch. Scrounging in the streets of San Cristobal de las Casas, Eddie is "un perro corriente," a Mexican expression meaning mutt. His "pawloose and fancy-free" life changes when he is adopted by a 70-year-old (in dog years) girl named Faith, who has moved from the U.S. with her mother to live with her Mexican stepfather. Homesick and unhappy at school, Faith commissions a rocket to be built from tin cans, fuels it with pig fat and jalape?o peppers, and prepares for takeoff. She and Eddie launch into a fantastic adventure involving an isolated bone-shaped island, a mysterious pack of "electric dogs," an ancient castaway, and a revelation about where home really is. Jennings provides Eddie with a flawless and funny canine voice. The pup's facility for understanding multiple tongues, both human and canine, makes a nice contrast to Faith's hesitant efforts with Spanish. Her feelings of isolation and lack of self-confidence are gently dealt with through humor. Although the happy ending may be tied together a little too neatly with coincidental plot twists, this fast-paced story is imaginative and full of fun. Words in Spanish-and a few in Bowwow-are defined in the margins, allowing readers to get in on the action.
Joy Fleishhacker, School Library Journal
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Unknown Binding
• Publisher: Perfection Learning Prebound (August 31, 1998)
• ISBN-10: 0780781961
• ISBN-13: 978-0780781962
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (11 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #10,122,098 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

As a kid Patrick Jennings was afraid of African black mambas and tigers. He grew up in Northwestern Indiana.

He got his first pair of glasses when he was eight, and always wished he had a nickname like his friend, Mike. Mike was called "Tiger" by everyone, even the teachers. Wow.

Patrick Jennings may be called "Tiger," if you wish, or "Tigersnack." Both names are hidden inside his name. (As is "Rat" and "Ratpick," but he's not as fond of those and discourages their use. "Jetpack" is fine.)

Before he became a professional writer, in 1995, Tigersnack was a paperboy, a busboy, a fry cook, a hoddy, a record store clerk, a courier, a teacher, and a librarian. He has since published sixteen books for young readers. Can you find them somewhere on this site?

Jetpack's books have featured such creatures as electric dogs, rocket cats, grebes, coots, kangaroo rats, werewolves, scorpions, horses grown from seed, teenagers, gopher snakes, guinea dogs, and a lucky (or perhaps unlucky) sixth grader. Stinking Carp (he doesn't like this one) is currently working on books about a bat, a rat, alien dognappers, an owl in a suit, and, naturally, a tiger.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars June 17, 1999 NENE REVIEWS, June 17, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Faith And The Electric Dogs (Mass Market Paperback)

Faith and the Electric Dogs is a story about a girl named Faith and her Dog ( Edison ). Faith is a girl about 8 yrs. old who lives in Mexico and thinks it is impossible to learn spanish. Edison is a street dog who knows about 5 different human languages. He understands humans but cannot speak their language. They save each other and that is how they become close friends. Faith wants to go back home San Francisco, California. So she saves enough money and gets a man ( Senor Latas ) to build her a rocket. She packs very few and takes Edison with her. Later, they get caught in a storm and land on Bone Island. They meet new friends there. Faith meets Beverly an old man. Edison meets other electric dogs. Days Later, Faith wants to go back home. So she fixes the rocket and takes off with Edison. When they get back home Faith realizes that spanish is not impossible to learn. I think you would like this story because it is about friendship and adventure. The best thing is that it teaches an important lesson. If you would like to know more about this book go to your local library.

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Bone shaped Island, October 21, 2003

A Kid's Review

This review is from: Faith And The Electric Dogs (Mass Market Paperback)

The book I just finished was Faith And The Electric Dogs. It might be hard to understand because it contains a little Spanish.There is a translation on the sides and a glossary in the back of the book. It even translates into dog language!
This book is about a girl named Faith. She is an American girl who lives in Mexico. She hates Mexico and wants to go home. One day, she finds a stray dog that saves her from a big bully. She keeps him and names him Eddie. One day, she decides to buy a rocket. The rocket looks like a peacock. She takes off and lands on an island that is unamed. It is in
the shape of a bone.
I would recommend this book to anyone who has a big imagination and wants adventure.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Good Book, October 21, 2003

A Kid's Review

This review is from: Faith And The Electric Dogs (Mass Market Paperback)

I choose this book and thought that I would just read one chapter but it is cool how they used spanish dialog. I read the book and now i am reading "Faith and the Rocket Cat."