Customer Reviews

Hotel For Dogs

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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!

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.

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

There are several appealing qualities to this story - animals, children who don't always agree or get along with each other, a secret conspiracy that would fall apart if the parents found out, a bully that is ingeniously bested. I loved this book as a preteen and still read it through high school.

As a child, I read this book over and over again, as it totally appealed to my desire to have my own menagerie of animals. I'm so excited to find it again to share with my own children, as my copy was completely worn out. I wholeheartedly agree that this book is a "lost treasure."

When Andi and Bruce Walker's father is reassigned to a new job out of state, the family has to leave New Mexico and temporarily move into their Aunt Alice's home in New Jersey. As if relocating across the country, starting at a new school and missing her friends weren't bad enough, Andi has to leave behind her beloved dachshund Bebe until the Walkers can buy their own house.

Andi has a hard time making friends at school, even though a girl named Debbie invites her to join in a playground game. After school, Andi spends time in Aunt Alice's sewing room, which has been converted into a bedroom for her. Whenever she is upset or lonely, she writes poems and sends them off for publication.

Bruce doesn't have it much easier in his middle school. He is small for his age, and some of his peers, especially Jerry Gordon, tease him and call him names. A boy named Tim befriends Bruce, but even Tim shies away when Jerry comes around.

Jerry is an only child and a bully. The Gordons are also Aunt Alice's next-door neighbors. Adults are disarmed by his charming ways and polite manners, but when they aren't looking, he is cruel and hateful. Jerry abuses his Irish Setter, Red Rover, who runs away one day after Jerry is especially mean to him.

One evening, when Mr. Walker comes home from work dripping wet because of the pouring rain, he pauses to dry off in the hallway. No one except Andi sees the scruffy dog scamper inside and dart upstairs. Andi says nothing, but after dinner she enlists Bruce's help to find her. They search upstairs for the stray and discover her in the closet of the sewing room, where she has given birth to three tiny brown puppies. Because of their aunt's allergies, Andi and Bruce must get the dogs out of the house right away and find a place for them to stay until they can get adopted.

The next afternoon Bruce passes an abandoned house with a FOR SALE sign on it. It is the house Tim has told him that Jerry vandalized by breaking out the back windows. After Bruce walks around the back for a better look, he comes up with a plan to save the strays and help rescue Red Rover.

With Andi's help, and the assistance of a few dog-loving friends, they convert the abandoned house into a hotel for dogs. Soon they have more canines --- and responsibilities --- than they can handle. And when all the guests start to get noisy, their secret hotel is threatened.

Based on Lois Duncan's 1971 classic novel, this new edition coincides with the release of the movie by the same name. This updated version is a lot like a favorite dog --- warm and friendly and sure to put a smile on your face. I wholeheartedly recommend it to middle-grade readers, especially those who love animals or have ever wanted a pet.

--- Reviewed by Donna Volkenannt

It was a fun trip back into the past to review Lois Duncan's HOTEL FOR DOGS.

I first read this heart-warming story about 10 years ago with my daughter. Now, with a few changes I've heard, it's a major motion picture.

In the original 1971 version, Liz and her brother, Bruce, leave their home in New Mexico to move to the east coast. Their father has accepted a new job, and they are temporarily moving in with Aunt Alice. It might be the beginning of a great new adventure, except Liz is extremely unhappy because her beloved pet, Bebe, has had to stay behind. Aunt Alice made it very clear that the dachshund was not welcome in her house since she is terribly allergic to dogs.

Shortly after their arrival, Liz and Bruce meet up with Jerry, the son of Aunt Alice's next-door neighbors. They actually meet Jerry's beautiful Irish setter first. Although the dog is gorgeous and seems quite friendly, Jerry is not. Liz is shocked to watch the cruel way Jerry treats his own dog. She feels awful for the dog and misses her own Bebe even more.

One day a shaggy little stray dog appears in Aunt Alice's yard. It hops up on the porch, and Liz begs her mother to let her bring it something to eat. Her mother forbids her to feed the dog, saying that if she does, it will never leave and that would be unfair to Aunt Alice. Later that evening, during a terrible thunderstorm, the little stray somehow ends up in the house and scampers upstairs, only noticed by Liz. By the time she is able to excuse herself to follow it upstairs, it is nowhere to be found.

The next day when she convinces Bruce to help her search for the dog, they discover it in a closet. But now instead of just one stray dog, there are three brand new puppies as well. What should they do? They can't possibly keep a dog and three puppies in the house when Aunt Alice sneezes if they just mention the word dog. Bruce agrees to keep the secret until they can figure out a place to keep the animals.

It doesn't take long for Bruce to realize the empty house at the end of the street might provide just the place for a new family of dogs. Liz couldn't agree more, and soon their plan to save a few animals becomes much more than they ever dreamed.

HOTEL FOR DOGS is a cute story geared to independent readers ages 9-12 and an excellent read-aloud for even younger audiences. Anyone with a soft spot for pets will enjoy this one.

Reviewed by: Sally Kruger, aka "Readingjunky"

What a fun childrens' book! Both my brother and I liked "Hotel for Dogs". It was a charming, childhood story. After all, wouldn't every pet-loving kid relish in the idea of creating a hotel for doggie visitors? Sounds like a terrific idea to me. I wish that I could join in the with the characters in the book. If you're looking for a fun book with new original storyline concepts, this should be the one you pick up.

I listened to this story while traveling with my daughters, ages 5 and 7. We enjoyed the story. The girls listened intently during the whole trip.

As a middle school librarian, I can attest to the fact that kids love dog books! Currently two of the most popular books in the school library are "Hotel for Dogs" and "Marley and Me". I can't keep copies of the books in the library, and of course that is always a good thing. What a testament to perennial teen suspense author, Lois Duncan, that more than 3 decades after "Hotel for Dogs" was first published a Hollywood movie producer fondly remembered the book and decided to make it into a movie. I heard Lois Duncan speak at a conference in November 2008, and she related the story of her agent peddling her suspense novels to movie studios. What a surprise to both her and her agent when one producer asked if she was the same author of the dog book he loved as a child. So Lois proceeded to update the book, adding cellphones for the kids and jobs/careers for the mothers in the story. It is a fun book with lots of interesting characters that kids can relate to. There is a good mix of humor and adventure, and students always love books where the kids in the story are smart and can outwit adults. A good book to recommend to middle grade and younger readers, especially reluctant readers because it is a short book and not a difficult read.