Animal

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00009893

Goldie (The Puppy Place)
By Ellen Miles

I liked Goldie (The Puppy Place) by Ellen Miles for two reasons. First, I liked the author’s note on the last page of the book. It is neat how Miles personalized her book by telling her readers that she loves puppies, and that she has a puppy named Django. In addition, I liked how Miles asked her readers a few questions, such as “Do you have a puppy or a dog?”, "What kind?" Essentially, she is conversing with her readers. Second, I liked how she included a section in her book called, Puppy Tips. In that section she discussed that every dog should learn to be comfortable with people and other dogs. Thus, she provides tips on how to successfully make that happen. Overall, the “big idea” of Goldie (The Puppy Place) is to demonstrate the responsibilities that come along with owning a puppy. It is a great read for any child who has a dog, wants a dog, or loves dogs. ( )

In my opinion, this is a wonderful book about a family taking care of a new puppy. I really enjoyed this book for several reasons. The language is very descriptive and uses the “show-not-tell” technique to describe events. The reader can picture the scene without needing illustrations. This book is part of series and is arranged in ten chapters, written in paragraph format, and contains dialogue among characters. The characters of this story are very believable. Charles and Lizzie want to keep the puppy their dad rescued, but their mom only allows them to foster the puppy until it has a new home. The children explain, “Nobody would take better care of a dog, or teach it as many great tricks, or love it as much as we would.” Most young readers could admit to making these promising when asking for a puppy. However, mothers are realists who understand having a dog is not all fun and games. This is evident in the book when the mother states, “I also know that puppies are a lot of work and cause a lot of mess and trouble.” My mother would always say the same thing to my brother and I when we asked for a puppy; fortunately we convinced her agree with us. Charles and Lizzie train the puppy, Goldie, and decide that she should live with their neighbor, Sammy. Sammy’s parents agree to keep Goldie because Goldie helps their dog, Rufus, become lively and energetic again. One perspective this book pushes readers to think about is the idea of a foster family. The book explains, “Before they adopted the Bean, the Peterson’s had taken care of a couple of foster children, kids who had needed a safe, temporary home.” This contemporary idea of a foster family may be a new concept to readers. The big ideas of the story are hard work and dedication pays off, it is important to find the right home for a puppy, and new friends can make you feel happy again.
Tips to raise a puppy and personal experiences from the author are located in the back of the book. ( )