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tcbueti's review
5.0
Read this years ago, and still remember trying to read one section aloud and not being able to get through it because I was laughing so hard. The kids are trying to welcome guests to their mother's bed and breakfast, completely incompetently.
But the heart of this story is Robin and his struggle to overcome his fear of dogs and work out a way to keep a sickly dog he finds on the beach near his home on the coast of England. Unique characters--a McKay trademark, and the reason she is one of my all-time favorite authors EVER! And this one is not very long. The ones in the Casson series, and the ones about the 4 sisters --"The exiles" are longer but WELL worth it--actually even better.
But the heart of this story is Robin and his struggle to overcome his fear of dogs and work out a way to keep a sickly dog he finds on the beach near his home on the coast of England. Unique characters--a McKay trademark, and the reason she is one of my all-time favorite authors EVER! And this one is not very long. The ones in the Casson series, and the ones about the 4 sisters --"The exiles" are longer but WELL worth it--actually even better.
ejderwood's review against another edition
5.0
It's a very great pity that literally all of the covers are so terrible no matter what edition you get, because this was a THOROUGHLY enjoyable book. It didn't take itself too seriously, you had a character on the spectrum (implied although never explicitly stated), and a main character who gave exactly zero cares about being alternately bullied and/or adored at school.
There's one scene about halfway through that had me literally in stitches I was laughing so hard. This is definitely one I'll be purchasing to read aloud later.
There's one scene about halfway through that had me literally in stitches I was laughing so hard. This is definitely one I'll be purchasing to read aloud later.
singinglight's review against another edition
3.0
No opening line, because I already returned the book and forgot to write it down.
The first time I read a Hilary McKay book (last year), I wondered how on earth my family had managed to miss them all these years. I'm still not sure about that, because she seems so classic and also hysterically funny.
Anyway, in an effort to make up for lost time, I've been reading through her books. I am done with the Exiles and done with the Cassons and now I've started on the Dog Friday trilogy.
Robin, who lives with his mother in an old house that she attempts to run as a bed and breakfast, has a new fear of dogs, for good reason. He also has a new set of neighbors, a rather mad family called the Robinsons. The Robinsons are determined to cure Robin of his fear of dogs, get people to come to the bed and breakfast, and vanquish the local bully.
The beginning was a little slow, but about halfway in I started giggling to myself. By the end, I was reading the exploits of Sundance and Beany and laughing my head off. In short, this is a great, fun book. It has less emotional weight than the Casson books, and less heft than the Exiles, but I think a slightly younger crowd would love it, and I thoroughly enjoyed reading it myself.
Hilary McKay, previously
The first time I read a Hilary McKay book (last year), I wondered how on earth my family had managed to miss them all these years. I'm still not sure about that, because she seems so classic and also hysterically funny.
Anyway, in an effort to make up for lost time, I've been reading through her books. I am done with the Exiles and done with the Cassons and now I've started on the Dog Friday trilogy.
Robin, who lives with his mother in an old house that she attempts to run as a bed and breakfast, has a new fear of dogs, for good reason. He also has a new set of neighbors, a rather mad family called the Robinsons. The Robinsons are determined to cure Robin of his fear of dogs, get people to come to the bed and breakfast, and vanquish the local bully.
The beginning was a little slow, but about halfway in I started giggling to myself. By the end, I was reading the exploits of Sundance and Beany and laughing my head off. In short, this is a great, fun book. It has less emotional weight than the Casson books, and less heft than the Exiles, but I think a slightly younger crowd would love it, and I thoroughly enjoyed reading it myself.
Hilary McKay, previously
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