Everything for a Dog

kswarren - Have you ever longed for a dog? Well so did Henry. Have you ever been lost and couldn’t find your way home? Well so was Bone. Have you ever had someone very close to you die? Well so did Charlie. This is a book where a dog named Bone, a boy named Charlie, and a boy named Henry all tell stories of them selfs as they try to overcome everything they have been through. One of the stories is about a dog named bone. He gets separated from his sister squirl and is just trying to find his sister and get a home. Henry is a boy who all he wants is a dog. His dad won’t let him and he doesn’t know why so when finds a tan puppy in the neighborhood he takes advantage of it. Charlie is a boy who goes through one tragedy after another. If all this sounds interesting then check out everything for a dog by Ann M. Martin. I recemend this book to any one ages 9 and up.

Starred review from August 10, 2009
Fans of Martin’s A Dog’s Life
who are eager to know what happened to Bone, the brother of stray puppy Squirrel, will find the answer in this beautifully crafted companion novel. The story is told from the alternating perspectives of Bone and two boys who enter his life. Henry is an 11-year-old whose deepest desire is to have a dog. Charlie is lucky enough to already have a dog, but that doesn’t ease his grief over the recent loss of his older brother, RJ (“He can’t help but think, as he fondles Sunny’s silky ears, that RJ was the one who named Sunny; that Sunny had, in fact, been RJ’s dog”). Meanwhile, Bone, still a stray and not yet aware of the boys’ existence, bounces from one family to another, experiencing a mixture of joyful moments as well as events that lead to betrayal and abandonment. Each point of view is compelling on its own, but the smooth convergence of the characters’ heartwrenching histories shows exceptional engineering and artistry. Animal lovers of all ages will cherish this moving tale of man’s—or in this case, boy’s—best friend. Ages 9–12.