Illustrator: Jeremy Tugeau
Monarch Award - Illinois (2012)
Imagine the loss you would feel if you were sent away from the people you love without means to contact them. This is what happens to King. King, a dog, is part of a modern American family. Kayla, his owner, has gone away with her father to visit relatives. Kayla's mother is a member of the National Guard. King thought he would be visiting a kennel for the duration of their trip, but now he has ended up in the P-O-U-N-D. King is adopted by a new family, and must adapt to his change of name and home. King is now called Buddy, and he belongs to a school principal and her young son. When the son goes missing, Buddy helps solve the case of the lost boy.This is a nice read for advanced readers. The chapters are relatively short, and the words fill up the small pages. The story includes questions a detective might ask during an investigation. This helps children understand the importance of thinking through problems. I enjoyed the repetition of the word "pound." The story is told in first person from King's (Buddy's) point of view, so he must not want to say the word aloud. I thought it was an interesting story line, one that includes a broken family and a family with one member serving in the U.S. military. These two families are reflective of the world in which we live today. Families cannot always be assumed to include a mother, father, and children. Sometimes, the family structures are non-traditional.
Overall, I admit it was not my favorite chapter book, but some children would find it very intriguing. Children who especially love dog stories would "lap up" this book (pun intended).
No comments:
Post a Comment