8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:
2.0 out of 5 stars
Why Has The Original Version Changed?, February 2, 2009
I have a "Weekly Reader BookClub" version that I found at a garage sale about 25 years ago. It has been well-read and much loved over the years.
When I saw the current edition in a bookstore recently, I thought I would replace my worn copy. My reaction to the current edition was, "What have they done to this story?!" I realize the movie's release probably has something to do with the changes. For me, though, the name change from Liz to Andi, and Sadie's name change to Friday, ruins it. I will stick to reading the 1971 edition; I just finished reading it to my sons and they loved it, especially the illustrations by Leonard Shortall. As for how Hollywood butchered this wonderful story when they made it into a movie; well, better not go there except to say I won't waste my time or money! I'll re-read my good old book!
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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Buyer Beware: Look for the original version if you can find it., June 9, 2009
This review is from: Hotel For Dogs (Hardcover)
I must have read and reread this book 500 times as a child. I brought this back with me to the Netherlands after my father died, and on a whim picked it up to reread again now. (Which I how I discovered that I had actually inadvertently stolen my sister's copy-- sorry Sis!) Since there is a recent film about the book, it seemed timely to read.
Still a wonderful book-- at least if only for the nostalgia. Some good lessons in there about kindness to animals and bullying. I found that I remembered it nearly line-for-line.
Some surprises for me:
I didn't realize until picking this up again that the author was Lois Duncan-- whose work I knew mostly for her melodramatic YA novels. I would not have guessed that it had the same author as
Daughters of Eve.
Second, buyer beware of the recent editions. Someone has inexplicably changed the text-- including pointlessly changing the characters names? Apparently this was to make the book fit the names used in the film. Badly played. Look for the original.
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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Two paws up!, March 24, 2009
Andi Walker isn't your typical ten-year-old. One, she'd rather spend the day holed up in her bedroom writing poetry than waste time playing outside. Two, her mind is constantly buzzing away with fantastic ideas and schemes. Three, she's dedicated to her dog Bebe, and would do anything for the lovable pooch. Which is why she completely blows her top when she learns that not only is she being forced to move in with her Aunt Alice, and change schools, but she'll have to leave little Bebe behind, as well - all so her father can try out a new job. Just because Bebe is back home, however, doesn't mean that Andi is going to deny her love of dogs. Quite the opposite, in fact.
Andi doesn't intentionally bring a dog back to Aunt Alice's house. She knows the rules that her parents have put in place - no dogs because Aunt Alice is allergic. Fine. But when a cute little stray follows Andi home one day, and promptly lets herself into the house Andi just knows that she can't simply turn the little pooch away. Especially not after she has a litter of puppies in one of the upstairs closets. No, it is up to Andi to protect the dog, and her family; so she enlists the help of her older brother Bruce. With Bruce by her side, Andi is able to set up a makeshift hotel for the stray in an abandoned house located right down the street. But then more and more guests begin to turn up. First there's Red Rover, an Irish Setter who is big, beautiful, and treated cruelly by his stuck-up owner. When he finally makes a break for it, Bruce and Andi are convinced that the only safe place for him is the new hotel for dogs. Then there's sweet MacTavish - a mutt who spends his days begging for scraps in the school playground. Before they know it, the house is overflowing with hungry dogs. It's an overwhelming predicament, but Andi is secretly thrilled. Finally she has found a fun way to spend her often lonely days - running a dog hotel. But then things begin to go awry and Andi wonders if she and Bruce will be able to keep the hotel for dogs a secret, or if they'll have to close its doors forever.
I read Lois Duncan's young adult books for years, and had no idea that she had ever written anything for children until I stumbled upon HOTEL FOR DOGS. I am so glad that I finally discovered this, because I have quickly grown to love it. Even as a reader in my early twenties, I have found that I was able to easily identify with the main character Andi. She is such a relatable person, whose kind heart, bookish nature, and oft-times tough exterior is fun from the first page to the very last. Anyone who loves animals will easily fall head over heels with HOTEL FOR DOGS. Two paws up!
Erika Sorocco
Freelance Reviewer
http://cafefashionista.blogspot.com
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