Available:*
Library | Call Number | Status |
|---|---|---|
Searching... R.H. Stafford Library (Woodbury) | J FICTION ROD | Searching... Unknown |
Bound With These Titles
On Order
Summary
Summary
Putting a fear to rest
Sara Barker is afraid of dogs. Whenever she sees even a picture of one, she feels clammy and cold all over. So what's Sara to do when she learns that her new next-door neighbor owns two of them? Two young and big dogs, to be specific. Her neighbor turns out to be an ebullient older woman who befriends Sara and promises her dogs will keep their distance. But one day a situation arises in which Sara is forced to venture into the yard next door, even as the dogs there are desperately barking.
Kids will relate to Sara, and dog-lovers will enjoy seeing her overcome her fears in this easy-to-read chapter book, with numerous cheerful pictures. The Next-Door Dogs is a 2006 Bank Street - Best Children's Book of the Year.
Author Notes
Colby Rodowsky is the author of many books, including Not My Dog , an ALA Notable Book. She lives in Baltimore, Maryland.
Amy June Bates is also the illustrator of Speak to Me (And I Will Listen between the Lines) by Karen English. She lives in Ann Arbor, Michigan.
Reviews (4)
School Library Journal Review
Gr 1-3-When she was four years old, Sara was jumped on by her great-great-aunt's dog, and she has been afraid of canines ever since. Now she has a new neighbor, Ms. Harrington, who has two dogs. This is scary for the nine year old, but she and the woman still become friends. When she hears a great deal of barking and a yell for help coming from Ms. Harrington's house one day, Sara musters the courage to rescue her neighbor, who has fallen and broken her leg. Any children with fears of their own will relate to Sara and root for her in this difficult situation. Transitional readers will enjoy this tight, compact story with a fully realized protagonist and a subtle message. Occasional full-page sketches and spot art appear throughout.-Jennifer Cogan, formerly at Enoch Pratt Free Library, Baltimore, MD (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Horn Book Review
(Primary) Otherwise fearless Sara Barker, nine, has been terrified of dogs ever since one knocked her over when she was small: ""I don't like dogs. I don't like dogs forever."" Then a new neighbor moves in, with two dogs -- large, young, energetic ones, to boot. Despite Sara's continuing phobia, she and the understanding Ms. Harrington become good friends: Sara never goes into her neighbor's backyard, where the dogs stay, and Ms. Harrington considerately leaves the dogs behind when she brings Sara and her friends homemade cookies. But when Ms. Harrington falls and breaks her leg, Sara almost without thinking runs into the next-door yard to help her. Rodowsky makes Sara's fear palpable (""her stomach felt quivery way down deep. Her hands were cold and clammy, and her knees shook"") and her eventual road to recovery believable (""she thought how...they hadn't licked her with their slobbery tongues or bitten her with their pointy teeth, or pushed her down, down, down with their giant paws""). Plentiful full-page pencil illustrations, while uninspired (much more succesful are the humorous chapter-heading vignettes), add to the book's accessibility. Another story pitched perfectly at younger readers, by the author of Not My Dog (rev. 3/99). (c) Copyright 2010. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted. All rights reserved.
Kirkus Review
Nine-year-old Sara Barker isn't afraid of anything...well, anything but dogs. Even a picture of a dog can leave her sweaty and panicked. Ever since Aunt Lillibet's dog Fred knocked over Sara when she was four years old, she has not been able to feel comfortable around canines. Whether it was their pointy teeth or hot dog breath, there was just something terrifying about dogs. Her parents have tried everything, from bringing her cute little puppies to visiting slow, gentle dogs, but nothing helps Sara. She can't spend the night with her friends who have dogs and, now, to make everything worse, her new next-door neighbor has one too. But when the new neighbor's dogs bark a frantic warning, Sara is the only one who can save the day. Rodowsky spins another captivating real-life tale for the youngest reader. Frequent, lively illustrations punctuate this heartwarming tale of overcoming fears, becoming independent and facing personal challenges. Good for Sara and good for her fans. (Fiction. 7-10) Copyright ©Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Booklist Review
Gr. 2-4. Sara Barker is terrified of dogs, thanks to an overenthusiastic canine who tried to give her a kiss. Even thinking about dogs makes her stomach queasy and her palms sweat. Family members are understanding and indulgent as they gently try to help her grow beyond her fear. Friends, however, haven't a clue. When kindly Ms. Harrington moves in next door--with her dogs, Max and Jake--Sara "finds herself holding tight to the windowsill. Just in case." The plot is predictable; Sara's interactions with her new neighbors engender a cautious change of attitude. But while the implication that such fear, which Rodowsky so expertly describes, can be overcome if the right circumstances prevail may be reassuring, it is also slightly misleading. What's best here is Rodowsky's images of Sara's physical reactions and the psychological ploys she (or anyone) designs to avoid something scary. Such descriptions may well help children put a name to their feelings, even as Bates' black-and-white sketches capture all the terror. --Stephanie Zvirin Copyright 2005 Booklist
