The Dog Days of Charlotte Hayes

April 1, 2009
Gr 3-5-Sixth-grader Charlotte Hayes, upset by her family's neglect of their Saint Bernard, takes care of him even though she isn't much of a dog person. Her father, who likes bargains and the breed's looks, gets the pup cheap from a coworker and is attentive at first, as is her older sister. Her mother, never enthusiastic about a pet that will eventually weigh 200 pounds, doesn't want him in the house because he drools. Charlotte knows that she needs to find a better home for Beauregard, one where he isn't kept outside all the time with a doghouse that is too small and a water dish that only she fills. With help from two friends as well as from an elderly woman, Charlotte succeedsand then learns that maybe she is a dog person after all. Wise beyond her years, the protagonist is extremely concerned about what is right. This is a sweet, gentle story for larger collections."Elizabeth Swistock, Jefferson Madison Regional Library, Charlottesville, VA"

Copyright 2009 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

February 15, 2009
Grades 4-7 Charlottes father loves a bargain. But his enthusiasms pass quickly, and 11-year-old Charlotte is the only one who remembers to give the St. Bernard he bought food, water, and a belly rub. Charlotte is not a dog person. Beauregard deserves a better home, with a family who loves him and doesnt leave him outside. Determined to find him one, she works to buy the dog from her father to give to a rescue organization, earning money by helping an elderly neighbor. This gentle, appealing story covers the better part of a school year in which Charlotte not only becomes a dog person but also discovers that people who seem scary at firstLuanne, the silent new girl at school; the 84-year-old Petunia Parkercan become friends. The gradual change in her family, as her baby brother grows and her mother recovers from postpartum depression, is believable, and the small-town West Virginia setting forms a convincing backdrop. Even for certified nondog lovers, the familiar family and friendship issues and satisfying resolution make this an agreeable read.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2009, American Library Association.)