Smart Dog [Paperback]

Vivian Vande Velde (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: 2008

They can roll over. They can fetch a stick or ball. They can even understand words like "sit" or "stay." But they most certainly can't say,"excuse me. I'm in trouble. Could you please help me?" Or at least that's what Amy thinks before she meets Sherlock. A brilliant talking dog who escaped from a university lab

Product Details

• Paperback
• Publisher: Scholastic (2008)
• ISBN-10: 0545060702
• ISBN-13: 978-0545060707
• Product Dimensions: 7.5 x 5 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 0.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (13 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #4,000,803 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.