Jean Little (1932–2020)

AR POINTS: 2.0 READING LEVEL: 4.0
(Ages 8-11, grades 4-7)
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This is book 1 of 2, the second being "Forward, Shakespeare!" (2005). The author, Jean Little (1936-2020), was born blind at birth and had gone through three guide dogs by the printing of these two books (2004 & 2005), each one retired and replaced about every ten years. A couple of the characters and the dogs temperaments, especially Shakespeare's, seeming to being able to understand human language, were carried over from her own experiences with her three dogs.

Shakespeare was sent as a pup to a home who fostered teens, and also fostered guide dogs for the first year of their life, then returned to the breeder prepared for more professional training. Tessa, a troubled teen, had been in this home for a while. The foster parents couldn't seem to break down her walls and decided to try putting a foster guide pup under her care.

Shakespeare was special. He could understand more of what the humans were saying than most other dogs. He knew Tessa's feelings and knew when she was hurting. As their friendship grew over the year, Tessa was able to finally feel love again and start to fit in with her new family and make friends.

This is a very good story for young readers. Tessa did have to let Shakespeare go back, and yes it did hurt her heart to let him go, but that's the reality of life. Tessa's experience turned out for the better, as she was adopted into this loving family as their own child. And she knew that someone else's life could also be better by knowing Shakespeare. I, personally, could never foster dogs and give them up after a year. That would kill me to do so.

Now, to continue Shakespeare's story in Part 2..."Forward, Shakespeare!"… (more)

I remember enjoying reading Jean Little's books as a child. One can imagine my excitement when I won an Early Reviewers copy of Mine for Keeps from Library Thing. The book includes a very touching and informative introduction from the author's niece, Maggie de Vries. The book was as good as I remembered. It has interesting characters and an exciting plot. The family and friend dynamics make this a very engaging story. There is suspense and humour. Highly recommend for a new generation of readers.… (more)

This is one of my favorite books of my childhood. I reread it nearly every time I'm at my parent's house.

I was always intimidated by this book, because I was intimidated to meet Jean Little. She was billed to us in second grade as an inspiration; a partially blind author as evidence that we could do whatever we set our hearts to. I was nervous to meet her less because she was an inspiration and more because it was the first time that I'd ever met an author. But then I was nervous to read her books because I was scared that they would be books about being an inspiration over and over.

However, her books stand completely on their own merit. Kate in particular is my favorite. It is the most honest narrative I've ever read about friendship and the perils of being friends as middle schoolers, who are constantly changing, but trying to be the best self that they can. It also deals with being the product of an inter-faith marriage and about finding an identity separate from that of your parents while still being a part of the family.

More than any other childhood book, Kate still speaks to me when I read it. It's rare to find a book about middle school that's this faithful, especially one like Kate, which deals with the parts of middle school that apply to everyoneover and over throughout life… (more)