Meanest Hound Around Book

DUMPED!

Freddie is a well-bred, well-mannered, fluffy white dog — not the sort you'd expect to get dumped. But that's what happens. Now he's on his own — alone on the streets — until he meets up with Spike, a watchdog-in-training, who's just not mean enough to satisfy his cruel junkyard master.

Freddie helps his new friend escape, and together they set out, struggling through danger and adventure to find a new home.

But can either one really trust humans again? And if so, will Spike's past life threaten his newfound happiness — and Freddie's as well?

School Library Journal

Gr 2-4-A story to melt the heart of the most reluctant reader, this tale features Freddie, an appealing canine narrator who tells of being loved by his boy, but abandoned by his boy's father. Wet, miserable, cold, and frightened, he comes upon a junkyard run by two bullies, one human and one canine. He befriends Spike, forced to be a watchdog there, helps him escape, and the two begin a series of encounters with hostile geese and ferocious coyotes before finding a happy home. The plot unfolds at a steady pace, and the ample dialogue lends immediacy to the story. Black-and-white illustrations, one or two per chapter, capture some of the canines' terrifying adventures and the tale's joyful resolution. For early readers who like animal stories, this one is a good choice.-Cynde Suite, formerly at Horry County Memorial Library, Surfside Beach, SC Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information.