Shortly after he gets the perfect dog, Riley, eleven-year old William must fight for his dog's life after Riley is taken away because he chases and injures an elderly neighbor's old horse.

Eleven-year-old William has lost a lot in the past two months. His beloved grandpa recently passed away; his father moved out of the house; and William is left to pick up the pieces and deal with these difficult changes. That's when Riley, a large golden Labrador, bounds unexpectedly into his life and becomes his faithful companion. However, when Riley chases the neighbor's prize-winning horse, which is against the town law, William may lose yet another loved one. If William wants to save Riley from being put to sleep, he will have to summon all his courage and determination to win this fight.

OBJECTIVE
Students will explore the art of persuasive writing as a form of response to literature. They will accomplish this learning goal through personal reflection, identifying persuasion techniques, and speech writing.

Standard: Writes persuasive compositions.

WARM-UP ACTIVITY
Ask students to write in their journals about the following:

Have you ever tried to persuade someone?
Who were you trying to persuade?
What did you want?
How did you persuade this person?
What was the outcome?
Students should be detailed and explain their responses fully.

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