Great heartwarming book and for more advanced readers.

Mark is a boy who needs a dog. But he can’t get his mom on board with his plan.

Buddy is a dog who needs a boy. Buddy has an owner already, but not one who understands what a dog really needs.

Mr. LaRue is a neighbor who needs a community. He’s alone all the time in his huge old house—and everyone needs more than that.

Over the course of a summer thunderstorm and one chaotic town council meeting, these three characters cross paths and come together in a timeless tale ripe with emotions. They’ll realize they all need the same things: love, understanding, and a sense of belonging—plus a place to play a game of fetch! ( )

Recommended Ages: Gr. 4-7

Plot Summary: Mark has always wanted a dog. Perhaps because his father walked out of his life when he was a baby and Mark has no siblings, but the longing is strong. He thinks about them all the time, but no matter what, his mother always says no. So he has a new idea--a dog park. It's just what his town needs, and what he needs so he can run around with everyone else's dogs. He rallies his friends and they plan to march to the next town meeting where Mark will be responsible for speaking in front of everyone, including his mother, and ask for the dog park. Will he summon the courage? Will they get a dog park?

Setting: Erthly, a small town

Characters:
Buddy - the lost dog, lived with her boy until he moved to the city and they couldn't take the dog in the small apartment, then lived with a woman who didn't love him or really know how to take care of him, realized that he could dig a hole under the fence of the woman's back yard...should he run away and try to find her boy?
her boy - gave Buddy kisses on the mouth, loved her with all his heart
Mark - father went out to get a loaf of pumpernickel bread and never came back, doesn't miss what he doesn't remember
Mark's mother - mayor of Erthly, more worried about giving the Sheriff a raise and repaving the main street than finding money for a dog park
Alex - has a white German Shepherd named Blizzard
Ryan - has a schnoodle named Cinder
Samantha - has a dachshund named Hotdog
Trent - has an orange-marmalade cat named Fido who walks on a leash
Lia - walks her aunt's dogs, golden retrievers named Polly and Daisy
Charles Larue - caretaker of a rich woman who lived in a big old mansion in the center of town, still lives there because he promised the woman he would take care of the house but is very lonely and hasn't talked to anyone in a long time

Recurring Themes: longing, dogs, pets, loneliness, love, family

Controversial Issues: none

Personal Thoughts: Incredibly heartbreaking right from the very beginning. Thankful it's not a dog book where the dog dies. Very good mix of action and character development.

Genre: realistic fiction, novel-in-verse

Pacing: fast because it's written in verse, poetic
Characters: rarely mentions character names, instead refers to them as "the boy" or the "the boy's mother", omnipresent, told from the dogs perspective as well, boy and dog are very well developed
Frame:
Storyline:

Activity: ( )

The book is about a lost dog's experience to show the loneness, and how the dog find a new home with a longly boy.

Book in verse. - great for reluctant readers. The very sweet little story of a displaced dog, a boy in want/need of a dog, and an old man in need of anyone. Buddy has been placed in a new home with a person wo doesn't dislike dogs but doesn't know what to do with them either. Mark is a little boy alone with his mother who is lonely. He has friends but they all have pets to love. Mr. Larue has inherited a large property but has no one to share it with. He is also very shy. Mark and his friends decide the town needs a dog park. Mark's mother, the mayor and the town council are approached, but is Larue who saves the day by sharing his property for use as a dog park. Little Buddy is taken in by Mark and his reluctant mother. The world and all is right in the town of Earthly. ( )