Everything For A Dog

Last night I met with my Book Club. We are three friends (Jenny, Wendy and me) and have been meeting monthly to discuss books for over 10 years. This month we read EVERYTHING FOR A DOG, the forthcoming middle grade novel by Ann M. Martin. Last year, we read A DOG'S LIFE, also by Martin, and loved it. So, we wanted to read the companion book, which comes out in September 2009 from Feiwel and Friends.

EVERYTHING FOR A DOG follows the journey of Bone, brother of Squirrel, the main character in A DOG'S LIFE. Bone and Squirrel are dogs. They begin life in a garden shed. Then, one day, when their mother does not return, they set off together. Soon, they are separated and do not meet again. Squirrel's tale is told from a first-person(dog) perspective in A DOG'S LIFE. And, boy, does Martin nail Squirrel's perspective!

Jenny, Wendy and I all agree that Ann M. Martin's greatest strength is her ability to think (and write) like a dog. She doesn't place human emotions and sensibilities onto her dog characters. Rather, she excellently channels her "inner-dog" to create a very real, very believable doggie perspective. It's actually quite extraordinary.

I met Ann Martin once at a school reading event. She showed slides of her pets, including her beloved dog. Anyone who meets her (or reads her books) can tell she knows and loves dogs. As a dog-owner and lover myself, I can really relate to her characters - both dog and human.

EVERYTHING FOR A DOG is Bone's story, but is also the story of two boys who love dogs. It's told in three parts - Bone, Charlie, and Henry. Bone tells his part in first-person. Charlie's story is told in 3rd person, present tense. Henry's is 3rd person, past tense. This might seem confusing, but as you read it, it all flows together. In fact, Jenny and Wendy didn't even notice the point of view shifts.

At Book Club, we all enjoyed reading EVERYTHING FOR A DOG. Ann Martin's inclusion of the two central human characters provides an even deeper understanding of the world of dogs and the people who love them. The three different narrative strains come together seamlessly in the end. And the end is very satisfying.

The only negative comment we had at Book Club was that it took awhile to get to the "new" material. The first couple Bone chapters feel too repetitive of the first book, A DOG'S LIFE. We wanted a quicker summary of the first book's events so we could move to Bone's new story more quickly.

Overall, EVERYTHING FOR A DOG is an excellent read for dog lovers of any age. If you are an adult and love dogs, you need to read this book. Just because it's labeled "for kids," don't shy away. Our Book Club agreed EVERYTHING FOR A DOG was a good read for any age.