Take a photo of a barcode or cover
3.96 AVERAGE
3.96 AVERAGE
emotional
lighthearted
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Warmhearted, sweet book featuring an intergenerational friendship and a friendship across economic classes. I didn't love it as much as I loved Wish, which hit me hard on an emotional level in a good way. The two plucky girl characters have a lot to love about them, and who doesn't enjoy chapters from a lovable, love-starved dog's perspective? I especially enjoyed the character of Mr. Duffy, whose affable, life-loving personality is left gutted after the death of his beloved dog. It's good to have a middle grades book that touches on grief, and it's all too rare to see intergenerational friendships represented. Very quick read...I think I finished it in a couple of hours. Very short chapters could make a nice read aloud for a class or for bedtime reading for a child.
I just love Barbara O'Connor. I think she's so underrated. This one isn't set exclusively in a blue-collar Southern world, it's about Rose and Mavis, two girls from different social classes who become best friends when one girl's mother comes to work for the other girl's mother. They live in a gated community, Magnolia Estates, and the gatekeeper, Mr. Duffy, who has gotten so depressed about losing his dog that he's stopped doing a good job. Rose, who is shy and hates all the mother-and-daughter activities on Magnolia Estates, is afraid he'll get fired. She has always loved Mr. Duffy. But Mavis, who has managed to remain an optimist despite a rough and tumble life with a mother who doesn't like settling down, has a plan that just might involve finding a new dog. This is a warm-hearted story about daily life, the details that make every child's life an adventure, not about saving the world from an evil magician, and that's actually harder to do well. I hope Barbara O'Connor keeps writing books. Lots and lots of 'em. So I can keep reading them.
Mavis Jeeter is constantly moving as her mother is always changing jobs. She takes a job as a housekeeper for the Tully family. Mavis is determined to make Rose Tully her best friend. Along the way she meets Mr. Duffy the gatekeeper at Magnolia Estates. Rose and Mavis try to cheer Mr. Duffy up with several schemes involving Henry, the dog.
Sweet story about friendship and finding a place to call home. Didn’t love it as much as some of Barbara O’Connor’s other books (Wish and How to Steal a Dog are my favorites!), but still a worthwhile read. Ages 9 and up.
This is a character-driven story of growth and change. A spunky girl, a sassy mom, a timid girl, an old man who's lost his gumption, and a dog who needs a home -- no one is in the right place at the beginning of the story, but by the end, everyone has found who/where they need to be. Told through three points of view, readers can empathize with both girls and the dog. Interesting contrast of lifestyles (economic diversity) might provide some window/mirror moments.
This is such a cute, quick read. I love Rose and May's friendship so much! A nice opposites attract dynamic as the two bond and work together to cheer up a grieving worker in Rose's rich neighborhood by finding him another dog after his Queenie died.
The friendship has its ups and downs but for the age the girls are it all feels fairly realistic. And the alternating chapters provide a nice look at each girl's life and especially the dynamics they have with their parents.
The friendship has its ups and downs but for the age the girls are it all feels fairly realistic. And the alternating chapters provide a nice look at each girl's life and especially the dynamics they have with their parents.
This is a great middle grade reader for fans of the Penderwicks or The Vanderbeekers. Both girls who come from opposite sides of the economic spectrum have a fast and slightly complicated relationship…which is cemented by their search for a dog.