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Summary
Summary
From Newbery Honoree Marion Dane Bauer comes the tale of a boy who needs a dog, and a dog who needs a boy --a match made in heaven, if only the two can meet.
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 the kind of love and care--the "something more"--a dog 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 and told in verse that resolves with love, understanding, and a sense of belonging--plus a place to play a game of fetch!
Author Notes
Marion Dane Bauer was born in Oglesby, Illinois. She attended community college first, in her home town, and then went to the University of Missouri when she was a junior to study journalism. She quickly realized that journalism was not for her and changed her focus to the humanities and a degree in English literature. She switched one last time to focus on teaching english, which she did when she graduated college.
After her children were born, Bauer decided to try her hand at writing. She started out with a children's picture book, but discovered that youg adult novels were more to her taste. After making a career out of writing, Bauer became the first Faculty Chair at Vermont College for the only Master of Fine Arts in Writing program devoted exclusively to writing for children and young adults.
Bauer is the author of more than forty books for young people. She has won many awards, including a Jane Addams Peace Association Award for her novel Rain of Fire and an American Library Association Newbery Honor Award for On My Honor and the Kerlan Award from the University of Minnesota for the body of her work. Her picture book My Mother is Mine was a New York Times bestseller.
(Bowker Author Biography)
Reviews (4)
Publisher's Weekly Review
Told in free verse, this charming novel examines themes of longing and loneliness through three memorable characters: a boy, Mark, who desperately wants a dog; a taciturn old man, Charles Larue, who cares for an empty mansion; and a small dog, Buddy, given away when her family moves. Newbery Honor-author Bauer (On My Honor) crafts distinct voices for each character and develops a strong sense of place in the close-knit town of Erthly, where Mark's mother is mayor. The stories of these three characters converge when Buddy runs away, Larue seeks a purpose after his deceased boss wills him the house, and Mark channels his wish for a dog into a protest for a dog park. "So much longing/ So many lives/ filled/ with longing./ It's what our stories-/ all our stories-/ are made of./ And what is longing/ made of/ except hope?" While Bauer offers a somewhat tidy conclusion, any child who has ever longed for a pet or tried to convince a parent to give in to a dear wish will identify with Mark. Ages 8-12. Agent: Rubin Pfeffer, East West Literary Agency. (May) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
Horn Book Review
More than anything, Mark wants a dog. His mom, the town's mayor, says no. More than anything, dog Buddy wants a boy. But hers has moved away. More than anything, shy Charles Larue wants to belong. But the town has labeled him as odd and shunned him. A chance thunderstorm fixes all their problems in this somewhat trite but sweet verse novel. (c) Copyright 2012. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Booklist Review
*Starred Review* A stray on the streets of the small town of Erthly, little dog Buddy remembers her happy bond with a boy, whose family moved away to a city apartment where there was no room for Buddy. Then Buddy's new owner shooed her out, and she left, head low, / tail tucked, / airplane ears sagging. But Buddy is not the only stray in Erthly who is lonely and lost: So many lives / filled / with longing. There is Charles Larue, a shy, reclusive caretaker of a mansion. Does he have a dark secret? And then there is Mark, a young boy whose father took off before he was born, who desperately wants a dog and falls instantly, helplessly in love with Buddy, feeling the snuffle of warm breath / against his palm. But Mark's mother, who is mayor of Erthly, says no to a pet. The town kids want a dog park, and they organize a rally to support their cause, but can Mark confront his mom? Illustrated with occasional, expressive black-and-white drawings, mostly from Buddy's viewpoint of the world from the ground up, the rapid, immediate free verse will grab readers first with the longing and loneliness and then, in contrast, the boy and dog in bliss. Great for sharing with pet lovers.--Rochman, Hazel Copyright 2010 Booklist
Kirkus Review
When her loving family--especially the boy who kisses her on the lips--moves to the city, Buddy is re-homed with a clueless though kind woman while a dog-loving boy yearns for a mutt of his own. Long, thin lines of free-verse text scroll invitingly down the mostly white pages. This tender, engaging effort economically captures the winsome attitude of Buddy, whose "ears like airplane wings" now sag. She spends her days peering through her new owner's fence, watching despondently for her missing boy and finally resolving to go find him. Mark, who lives in the same town, feels his life is empty without the dog he desperately needs but his mother won't permit. And there is shy Charles Larue, the aging caretaker of a nearby mansion, who spends his lonely days waiting for something--anything--to bring meaning to his life. How these three needy creatures will come together is predictable but wholly satisfying nonetheless. Bauer describes the little dog joyfully chasing a ball: "She rose and rose / as though her hind legs were springs, / as though her front ones were wings." The description just as aptly captures the heartening nature of this attractive tale, which is enhanced with Bell's pleasant black-and-white illustrations. A perfect selection for pet lovers new to chapter books and anyone who just enjoys a cheerful dog story. (Verse fiction. 8-12)]] Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Excerpts
Excerpts
Little Dog, Lost By Marion Dane Bauer Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing ISBN: 9781442434233 Little dog, lost. Little black dog with brown paws and a brown mask and a sweet ruffle of brown fur on her bum just beneath her black whip of a tail. Satiny coat. Ears like airplane wings that drop just at the tips. She used to be called Buddy until no one called her anything at all. "Hey, you!" maybe. Or "Shoo!" Names to run from. Buddy wasn't always lost. Once she owned a boy. It was the boy who named her. ("I know she's a girl," he'd say, "but she's my buddy anyway.") Her boy threw a ball again and again and again until Buddy flopped onto her belly in the tickling grass and dropped the ball between her paws, her tongue as limp as a dishrag Come and get it, her grin always said, and then I'll chase some more. The boy used to take Buddy's pointy face between his hands and kiss her on the lips, just like that. When Buddy was quick, she could get in a lick at the exact moment of the kiss. The boy would say, "Arghhh!" and wipe his mouth with the back of his hand. Then he'd kiss Buddy on the lips again. In short, Buddy and her boy were perfectly matched and perfectly happy together. But nothing, not even the sweetest love, can be certain of lasting forever. Excerpted from Little Dog, Lost by Marion Dane Bauer All rights reserved by the original copyright owners. Excerpts are provided for display purposes only and may not be reproduced, reprinted or distributed without the written permission of the publisher. Excerpted from Little Dog, Lost by Marion Dane Bauer All rights reserved by the original copyright owners. Excerpts are provided for display purposes only and may not be reproduced, reprinted or distributed without the written permission of the publisher.
