Gennifer Choldenko

One of the most emotional books I’ve read this year, it had me frequently tearing up over the last forty percent.

Eleven year old Hank and his three year old sister are left on their own when their mom fails to return home. While early in the story Hank finds a place for them to stay, his worries are far from over, their accommodations aren’t permanent, there’s a chance he’ll be separated from the sister he adores (and I imagine every single reader will adore) and right from the start show more he’s on very thin ice with the woman who’s opened her home to them.

The weight on Hank is truly heavy at times, I felt for him, I feared for him, intellectually, given Lou Ann’s personal history (the woman who took them in) I understood why she behaved the way she does, still my heart was so frustrated and pained by her actions, I found myself wanting to scream at this woman that this is just a kid! Like I said, emotion is very much stirred up by the quality of writing in this one, but be assured this book is not entirely doom and gloom and adults letting kids down, good things do happen, too, a good person, good friends and a smidge of romance all come into Hank’s life, and he has his sister, Boo, there’s nothing better than Boo. show less

In 1935, the Depression was hitting families hard, and when twelve year old Moose Flanagan’s father is offered a job as an electrician on Alcatraz Island, he doesn't hesitate. Alcatraz Federal Penitentiary had only opened the year before, and the island was said to be safer than San Francisco. Moose’s family, like dozens of others, lived on the island under the watchful eye of the Warden, who was strict but fair. Children took a boat to school every day, and often had the center of show more attention with their classmates, as they divulged true or imaginary details of life in close proximity with prisoners, especially the notorious Al Capone.

Moose is a good kid, loves baseball, and tries to avoid the intricate machinations of the Warden’s pretty daughter. Moose’s family has a secret, however. His sister, Natalie, is, well, different. She has few social skills, has tantrums, rocks, and loves to count and do math, the latter things she is phenomenally good at doing. Mrs. Flanagan has taken her to doctors, to scientists, to psychiatrists, trying to find out what is wrong with Natalie and how to help her. Numerous awful treatments have gotten them nowhere. Mrs. Flanagan is convinced that the only help for her daughter is admittance to a special school for children with differences, but they only accept children under twelve and Natalie is sixteen. Mrs. Flanagan isn't about to let that stop her.

What I loved about this book was the historical accuracy of the details of life on Alcatraz Island. Even the visit by Al Capone’s mother is based on fact. Only the Flanagan family and the laundry caper are inventions. In a lengthy afterward the author writes about her research and about the character of Natalie, who is based on the author’s own sister, who was autistic. Although the term “autism” had first been used in Europe in 1911, it wasn't until the mid-1940s that the term was used in the US and the 1960s before it was uncoupled from schizophrenia. During the time that the book takes place, children with autism were frequently placed in asylums, as parents were often incapable of understanding or managing their child’s behavior. The author writes of the anguish Natalie’s condition causes the Flanagan family and the love that allows them to begin to break through to her. I thought this young adult novel was historically interesting and the story of Moose, told in diary form, to be engaging. I listened to the audio book and thought the reader, Kirby Heyborne, was excellent. show less

Hank's mom is a great mom, warm and funny and loving -- but she's been gone for six days, leaving 11-year-old Hank and his 3-year old sister Boo alone in their apartment. Hank's been taking care of Boo all her life, so they've been getting by okay, but now they're out of money and food, and the landlord is threatening eviction. It's time to get help, but they don't have any family around. Hank remembers that his mom put a name and address as an emergency contact on a field trip form, so he show more and Boo set out on a bus trip across the city, hoping to find shelter and a way to reconnect with their missing mother.

This book is Homecoming for a new generation. I couldn't help but think of the Tillerman Cycle as I read about abandoned kids, a parentified oldest child, and a journey to seek help from a stranger. It's a heavy topic, though there are glints of humor throughout. The characters are complex and the writing is strong. Recommended. show less

First sentence: I know what you're thinking: That poor dog only has three legs. But don't go there. It's not that bad, okay? So, I'm not American Kennel Club material. Big deal. My eyes are sharp, my nose is wet, my coat puppy soft, and the white patch over my eye? It's a charmer, I don't mind saying. My name is Chance. I'm pleased to meet you.

ETA: I first reviewed Dogtown in July 2023. Yes, it's only been a few months. Barely two months. But I loved it so much. The first time I read a show more review copy. The second time I checked it out from the library. I loved it just as much--if not more.

Premise/plot: Dogtown is an animal shelter (dog shelter). It features dog-dogs and robot-dogs. (Presumably, this animal fantasy is futuristic animal fantasy). It stars Chance, our LOVABLE, adorable, super-kind hero. He's long been a resident at Dogtown. This is the story of his friendships at Dogtown. In particular, how he made [close] friendships with two unlikely residents: a mouse (named Mouse) and a robot dog, Metal Head. The book contains their adventures/misadventures.

My thoughts: Does this one feature a dog in peril? Yes and no. No, in that it isn't just one dog in peril. It is DOGS (plural) in peril. Though this one doesn't feature direct-direct sads, it features plenty of potential peril. Does it have heart and substance? A thousand times yes. I loved, loved, loved, loved this one so much. I LOVE the emotional journey of this one. Very feel-good. Very warm-and-cozy. Yet not instant. Do I see myself rereading it? YES. I already want to reread it. I could reread it a million times and still be moved by how awesome it is.

I loved the story. I loved the characters. I loved EVERYTHING.
My favorite, favorite, favorite element of this one is the inclusion of the BOOK BUDDY program. Pairing school-age children with shelter-dogs for reading time. These scenes were HEART-MELTING.

Quotes:

I learned something important that day: Never say something about a dog that you wouldn't want him to hear. "I like the moniker," Metel Head said. I didn't know if he'd burned out his bulbs or somebody had adjusted his settings, but the blue flashing had stopped. I could look at him without getting a headache. "Why do you want to escape?" I asked. "I want to go home," he said.

Here's another thing humans are sadly misguided about: Luck is not a winnin ghand of cards. Luck is making a new friend.

It wasn't the way it was supposed to be, with the kid reading and the dog listening. But one look at Metal Head and Quinn, scooted up close to each other, and it was pretty clear something had happened. Something big.

"What about your humans, Chance? Don't you want to go home?" This was not the kind of question Dogtown dogs asked each other. If a dog wanted to talk about how she ended up at Dogtown, that was fine. But you didn't ask a question that broke a dog's heart to answer. How do you explain kindness to a a machine with a hunk of metal where his heart should've been? I really didn't know.

"Your heart is a muscle," I told Mouse at dinner that night. "It grows stronger the more you use it."

I can't say that Metal Head was a friend, then,. He was more of a friend of a friend. Quinn liked him and I liked Quinn. But yeah, I did want to see if everything worked out for him. But wasn't the real reason I said yes. The real reason was something I didn't want to admit...there were a lot of phone poles up ahead. And maybe they had signs, too.

The smell of cheese is simply divine. The taste of it is even better.

Once hope gets inside you, you want your wishes to come true so badly, you just can't imagine that they won't. show less