1952 - Ginger Pye

Dates read: May/Jun 2008
Read or listened to: Listened to
Pages: 320 pp.
Rating: ●●●●○

Another boy and his dog story...

Again, I liked it. (That's 2 for 2 - I am surprised. But I did decide to return Winn-Dixie to the library when I realized that it wasn't a Newbery--Just a Newbery Honor--because, although I am sure it is great, we'll hold off on dog stories for a bit!)

In this story, set in Connecticut in the 1920s, Jerry Pye and his sister have picked out a dog one of the neighbors is selling that they just have to have. Through a small miracle they are able to earn the money to buy the dog. This "intelligent" dog, however, is stolen just a couple months later and Jerry and Rachel search for clues on the whereabouts of the dog. It comes as no surprise that the dog is miraculously returned by the end of the book.

The story was nice. Even more so, the language was great. Throughout the book (which is written in the third person), different experiences are told from the point of view of either Rachel or Jerry. As the story is told, it will "remind" them of stories from the past which are then shared. I thought it was a lot of fun...it reminds me of the ways children's (and adults') minds behave--lots of remembrances and tangents.