Smart Dog [Hardcover]

Vivian Vande Velde (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 1, 1998 | Age Level: 8 and up | Grade Level: 3 and up

Amy Prochenko is only in fifth grade, but she already has a sixth grader's problems: She is wildly unpopular, she is the target of prissy Kaitlyn Walker's nastiness, and everyone thinks she and the dweebiest boy in class are an item. Then one day Amy meets Sherlock, a dog on the run from a university lab. Sherlock is not like other dogs: He can talk, he's smarter than most of Amy's classmates--and he needs Amy's help. Suddenly Amy's life is full of danger and excitement, and she finds she is becoming, of all things, popular. Best of all, she finds in Sherlock the sort of friend she's always longed for--the sort of friend she must protect no matter what the cost.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

F-32 (or Sherlock, as he comes to be named) is a "smart dog" indeed?he has escaped from a university research lab where a scientific experiment has endowed him with speech and all sorts of other signs of intelligence. Unfortunately, the experiment is scheduled to end in the dissection of his brain; fortunately, Sherlock stumbles upon Amy, a painfully unpopular fifth-grader who is only too happy to help him. As she concocts a series of plans to keep him safe, Amy finds herself growing in confidence and courage. Although the supporting characters are familiar types (the smart nerd with the heart of gold, the mean-spirited popular girl, the evil vivisectionist), the enduring fantasy of a talking pet is rendered with an abundance of charm and wit. Sherlock is endearingly doggy and his academic abilities are humorously limited. For example, he can work a computer (he likes the games), but he gums up the keyboard by typing with a pencil eraser. As he and Amy try to figure out a solution to his problems, he asks her, "Do you want to scratch my belly while you're thinking?" His attempts to replicate the behavior of regular dogs will have readers giggling. Ages 8-12.
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From School Library Journal

Grade 3-6-To say that F-32 is a smart dog is a gross understatement. He is computer literate, articulate, and a good judge of human character. This subject of a brain-enhancing science experiment engineers his escape from a research college, selects his "best friend," unpopular fifth-grader Amy Prochenko, and follows her to school. Not since Officer Buckle's Gloria [Officer Buckle & Gloria (Putnam, 1995)] has a dog had such a profound impact on students. Amy finds new friends and inner resources as she helps save the pup from the clutches of the evil scientist plotting brain dissection. Readers rooting for this canine will enjoy the twists and turns in this fast-moving story. Granted that some characters are breezily drawn-sidekick Sean is too good to believe and Kaitlyn, the controlling Miss Popular Know-it-all, is hissingly evil-but the underlying message about popularity and true friendship has rarely been so gently conveyed. Sister Mary Grace, the fifth-grade teacher, is a pleasure to meet. The ending, with both young and old villains getting their just deserts, is deliciously satisfying. Vande Velde, who has written dark fantasies about magical beings for older readers, uses a lighter hand for younger audiences. This book would make a great introduction to Robert O'Brien's Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH (Atheneum, 1971), the perennial favorite about escaped science subjects.
Marilyn Payne Phillips, University City Public Library, MO
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 8 and up
  
• Hardcover: 160 pages
• Publisher: Harcourt Children's Books; 1 edition (October 1, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0152018476
• ISBN-13: 978-0152018474
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.7 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (13 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,253,099 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars What a cute book!, October 25, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Smart Dog (Hardcover)

I love animals and I've always wished that my dogs could talk. Amy is so lucky, I wish I had her luck!! Sometimes I wonder if talking dogs would talk often, but Sherlock didn't seem to speak non stop. I almost forgot he was a dog!!! I was mad when I read what Dr. Boden wanted to do to Sherlock, but in the end I was glad that Dr.Boden's boss decided that Sherlock was worth more to her. I'm very happy for Amy(I won't say what happens, so it won't ruin the story)!!!

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A Smart Dog, May 3, 2009

A Kid's Review

This review is from: Smart Dog (Paperback)

Sherlock, a brilliant talking dog that has escaped from a university lab. This dog can understand human words and can do all sorts of amazing tricks. Sherlock met a girl in fifth grade named Amy who is willing to help Sherlock hide. This book also describes Sherlock's generosity and Sherlock can help people in need.

I highly recommend this book to people who have high interest in dogs, love dogs, or already has a dog(s).This book is also for people who are funny and like dog books.(People who like hilarious dog books.)

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars One Intelligent Canine by Jamie Poston, NV, May 12, 2007

A Kid's Review

This review is from: Smart Dog (Paperback)

Vivian Vande Velde wrote about one intelligent canine in the book "Smart Dog", created a unique story, and promptly published it with Dell Yearling, in New York, in 1998. In fact, this animal fantasy is one of Vivian's stories for young readers while being an attraction to 11 year olds because they might love dogs. Vivian also writes short stories, which can be put in magazines, and gives satisfying school speeches. Interestingly, she hosts a book convention every so often. She also teaches writing classes. Although her wonderful novel "Smart Dog" is a fantasy humor type story and is targeted at young readers, she writes horror stories for young adults too. Vivian wrote "Smart Dog" to be a humorous, fantasy type chronicle.

In Smart Dog the main character is Amy, who is a young girl of approximately 10 years old and who finds a dog named Sherlock. Sherlock is unbelievably intelligent, can cleverly talk to people and can amazingly do lots of tricks when asked. Before Amy found Sherlock, she was a normal by-stander in the backseat of the class. Then things changed. She became popular. Sherlock became popular. Naturally, everyone wanted to see Amy's amazing intelligent pup do an outstanding number of tricks. Amy also gained new friends, Sean Gorman and Minneh Tannen because of Sherlock's fame. When Sherlock told Amy and her friends that he was being chased by a college, which wanted to dissect his brain to see how it worked, they decided to help Sherlock. Helping Sherlock, the kids get into loads of trouble. Will the college professor discover their plot? Should they tell Amy's mom about Sherlock or should Amy lie to her mom?

This interesting book about a clever canine will be compelling to 7-9 year olds kids. When older kids read this book, they might find it a bit lacking. Better descriptions of characters, better descriptions of settings and some illustrations would help this book go from mundane to marvelous. Throughout the book the characters change because of the different challenges they face. The best part of the story is when Sherlock, who is the intelligent dog, is outside of Amy's classroom anxiously waiting for her. Wearing a goofy face, Sherlock bounces up, and down, like a yoyo on a string, in front of her window, because he keeps glancing at the clock in her room. He wants school to end. Lastly, this book, Smart Dog, is good but a bit juvenile and kids will like it.