They Read, They Won!

Congratulations to the following winners of our May Raising Readers Book Club Contest. Each were awarded $100 Target gift cards for their essays on Ann M. Martin's A Dog's Life.

Rebecca Lewis, 13, Woodbury:
I would recommend this book to a friend who likes animals, especially dogs!  For those who don't like dogs, I wouldn't because they probably wouldn't enjoy the theme of the book. I would recommend it because I'm a person who enjoys reading many kinds of books, and I liked this book as well. I think that if I liked it, then my dog-lover friends would, also!

What I liked about this book is that throughout the story, Squirrel realized that she could live without her brother, Bone, after they became separated, and she was able to find love in other animals and human beings. I also liked that her instincts told her to stay away in dangerous situations so she was able to remain safe the majority of the time. I liked how the book was written in first person, and I was able to get Squirrel's perspective on things and what her thoughts were about the world—this made the book more enjoyable and unique.

What I didn't like was the inhumane way people treated Squirrel and her brother.  For example, when George threw them out of the car window to get rid of them that made me very sad because I have a dog and I can't imagine ever treating him that way! When the Beckers seemed like they cared how Squirrel would heal after they hit her with their car, they took the renamed "Daisy" home, but then they took very poor care of her. They even left her alone at the end of the summer to take care of herself—that was very cruel!

Overall, I enjoyed reading this book and I will probably be reading more books this summer by Ann M. Martin.

Jake Wisdorf, 12, Plymouth:
In the book A Dog's Life many lessons in life are expressed. One of the first lessons is to deal with your surroundings. When Squirrel was born the cats and dogs in the shed didn't like one another. Eventually Squirrel became friends with Yellowman, the cat. This friendship helped the relationship between the cats and the dogs in the shed.  Another lesson learned is when your life is impacted by a large loss, you must move on. This is expressed when Squirrel and Bone's mother, Stream, left and never came back. Even after that loss, Bone and Squirrel left the shed and moved on with their lives. This is also apparent when Bone is taken away and again when Moon dies. Squirrel still kept going. A final and very important lesson is that if you can get though tough times with a positive outlook things will turn out okay.  When Mother left Squirrel, became closer to Bone. When Bone was taken, Squirrel met Moon. When Moon died, Squirrel was taken in by the Beckers. After she left the Beckers, she found Susan. Squirrel went through some trials, moved forward with her life and in the end everything was okay. If you follow these lessons your life will turn out okay too.

Erin Kennedy, 10, St. Paul:
I would recommend A Dog's Life to a friend because it is a wonderful mix of the hard things in life. It shows sadness, loss, but happiness too. This book is a wonderful example of how people can love, hate, care for, and abandon dogs. I liked this book because it shows what true friendship means, and also how to suffer loss. I also liked this book because of its ending. "Two old ladies" is a perfect ending, rightly describing dog and human huddled together, with nothing else mattering in the world.

The one thing I think would have made the book better is if Moon hadn't died, but come to live with Susan and Squirrel.

A Dog's Life could have been a true story, a stray dog wandering the countryside, looking for her brother. I like how Ann Martin writes it from the dog's perspective, because most people don't think of animals as people, only who don't speak our language, and who have a different appearance. Ann Martin loves dogs, and she expresses this through this book. So if you love dogs, and are looking for a great summer read, this should definitely be near the top of your list!