Dog Lost Book

11-year-old Mackenzie has got one friend in the whole world: Cash, his brown-eyed pit bull. His dad won the runt after a long night of drinking and gambling—ever since Mac's mom died, that's all he seems to do, and soon he erupts in a rage at the innocent pup, takes her away in the trunk of his car, and dumps her in the middle of nowhere. Mac vows to find Cash and bring her back home—he has to: All strays are about to be outlawed! Little does he know that while he searches for Cash, she's surviving her own adventures and proving in the process that all dogs—even pit bulls—are born good.

Children's Literature

Shedding light on the plight of pit bulls, Canadian writer Ingrid Lee has created what at first reading appears to be an urban fable but is actually a novel based on a true story. "Cash," a sweet, misunderstood pit bull, comes into a young boy's life after his alcoholic father wins her in a card game. Cash is lost from her family and goes on to be an "angel" to others throughout the city as she attempts to find her way home. The city, at this time, is trying to crack down on strays, particularly pit bulls, since a great deal of dogfighting is going on. Accurately detailed police activity, urban violence and dysfunctional family situations are spread throughout the book. The chain link illustrations for each page number and barbed wire chapter break are interesting and tie in well with the cover art. Some of the dialogue does not ring true; however, this modern retelling of a "boy's lost dog" story will interest many young readers, both boys and girls. Reviewer: Debra Lampert-Rudman