The story is told from three different viewpoints:
Bone is a stray dog. He begins telling his story from his early puppy-hood, as he finds and then loses homes.
Charlie is a young boy whose older brother dies after falling from a tree. All he feels he has left is his brother's dog, Sunny, who is now devoted to him.
Henry wants nothing more in the world than to have a pet dog, but his parents won't allow it. When he starts seeing a stray dog around town, he decided to try to train it, and convince his parents that it should be his.
Two of these stories intersect exactly where you expect them to. The third intersects in a totally unexpected way that is just brilliant. ( )

This book is a companion to A Dog's Life. It tells the story of Squirrel's brother. It also tells a family's story and has an interesting twist towards the end. Another book that dog lovers will especially enjoy! ( )

Absolutely loved this wonderful tale! And what I loved most was that I got caught completely off guard and was truly surprised with the way the author connected all three stories. Just perfect!
On one hand we have Charlie, who has just lost his older brother and is trying to cope with the loss as best as he can. His brother's dog, Sunny, plays an important part in his recovery from grieving.
On the other hand we have Henry, who has always longed for a dog and is willing to do anything in his power to convince his parents to let him have one.
Finally, we have Bone, who is a stray dog who is desperately trying to find a home.
Beautifully written and filled with emotion, this one made me tear up a bit towards the end. Don't miss it! ( )

Wonderful story my whole family loved! I loved the interesting twist that brings the whole book to its conclusion! ( )

Everything for a Dog is by Ann M. Martin and is a companion to her first book, A Dog's Life. It is unique in that the book covers three separate stories about three characters whose lives will interweave into one another's by the end of the book. Bone, is a stray puppy who was first separated by his mother and then his sister. His story is told through his eyes; his struggles of finding food and shelter and dealing with cruelty, neglect, betrayal and love. There is Charlie and his dog who live on a farm with his grieving family and is trying to make sense out of tragedy. Then there is Henry, the sweet boy who wants nothing more than a best friend - a dog - and his efforts to convince his parents to allow him that wish.
I found the book to be incredibly heart-warming, gentle and genuine. The author wrote about some painful and difficult issues but did so subtly so that is wasn't overly dramatic and the reader didn't become bogged down. Martin always utilized strong elements of hope and faith in her storytelling so I knew that all the hardship was going to pay off eventually. Another reason why I loved this book was the constant change of stories chapter by chapter. It was like reading three short stories in one and I appreciated how easy it was to become invested in each characters' life and looked forward to revisiting them each time.
Booklist stated Everything for a Dog as, “a sensitive, gentle read that surrounds its occasional heartbreak with plenty of hope and warm feelings." I couldn't agree more. ( )