The Latchkey Dog [Hardcover]

Mary Jane Auch (Author), Cat Bowman Smith (Illustrator)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 1994 | Age Level: 8 and up

Determined not to let his parents get rid of his dog, Amber, who has no one to keep him company during the day, Sam, with the help of his friend, Jamie, tries to teach Amber to be a latchkey dog.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

If Sam doesn't come up with a plan quickly, he will have to give away his dog, Amber. Mom has gone back to work and lonely Amber barks all day long, disturbing the neighbors. Sam tries one scheme after another to help Amber, each time landing in trouble. Finally his mother has had enough: "Sam, you are hereby grounded for the rest of your life." When Sam, an eight-year-old, is forced to join his little sister at a day-care center after school, his humiliation paves the way to a breakthrough--Amber can join him at the center, cheering up the "seniors" who are also there. Any reader who loves a pet will easily identify with Sam, admiring his ingenuity and perseverance while cheering him on to success, but it's too bad Auch didn't do a little more research--even though Mom likes Amber, she never thinks of trying to train her, and one scene shows the future candy striper canine growling and snapping at an elderly woman's hand. Ages 6-10.
Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From School Library Journal

Grade 3-5-When Sam's father leaves and his mother goes to work, his golden retriever is lonely and disturbs the neighbors. Told that he must give Amber away, the boy tries a variety of ways to keep his pet, from offering her to an elderly neighbor to keeping her up all night to change her sleeping habits. Thinking that Sam's problems are a result of staying at home after school without adult supervision, his mother places him and his younger sister in a program at Happy Days Day Care Center, which takes in not only young children but also elderly people who can't be left home alone. This story begins with a child's dilemma and ends with a most satisfying conclusion, not only for Sam and his dog, but also for the people at the day-care center. Auch's approach to a problem in contemporary society is deftly handled, and her characters are completely believable. Black-and-white drawings scattered throughout enhance the action. Children will respond to Sam's ingenuity and will be reassured to see that there are many ways to solve problems creatively.
Jana R. Fine, Clearwater Public Library System, FL
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 8 and up
  
• Hardcover: 120 pages
• Publisher: Little Brown & Co (Juv); 1st edition (January 1994)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0316059161
• ISBN-13: 978-0316059169
• Product Dimensions: 7.8 x 5.2 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,933,949 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4.0 out of 5 stars The Latchkey Dog, August 3, 2008

By 

Anna M. Ligtenberg "AnnaLovesBooks" (Chicago) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: The Latchkey Dog (Hardcover)

ISBN 0316059161 - Dog stories and kids' books. Can there be a better combination? I can't imagine what it might be, unless it was Christmas dog stories and kids' books. With that in mind, Latchkey Dog seemed like a no-brainer to me!

Sam has a dog named Amber who loves people so much that being left home alone is too much for the pup, who barks relentlessly when she's left alone. Amber is left alone quite a bit now, because Sam's mother, who recently became a single parent when she got divorced, has to work. When their neighbor, Mrs. Watson, complains, Sam's mother decides that Amber will have to go to a new home. That's not even the end of the bad news. It's beginning to look like Amber will be going to live with Meredith Rumsey, the rottenest person in the world. Sam's got to find a way to keep Amber quiet or face losing her for good.

The illustrations inside, by Cat Bowman Smith, remind me vaguely of the Dennis the Menace comic strip, although not as good. Sam's efforts, both botched and successful, to solve his problem are amusing and send a good message about persistence- and a bit of a bad message about the lines you shouldn't cross (sneaking out at night, leaving his little sister home alone, etc). Amber's connection to the old folks at Happy Days is touching and Sam's relationship with his sister is realistic most of the time. My only real gripes are that the resolution felt incomplete because grouchy, complaining neighbor Mrs. Watson should have been mentioned and wasn't and Sam's parents' divorce, while mentioned, didn't rate much more than Sam's periodic sorrow that he could no longer play one parent against the other. Still a nice story, especially for dog lovers!

- AnnaLovesBooks, 2008