Share for friends:

Smart Dog (2000)

Smart Dog (2000)

Book Info

Genre
Rating
3.49 of 5 Votes: 1
Your rating
ISBN
0440416108 (ISBN13: 9780440416104)
Language
English
Publisher
yearling

About book Smart Dog (2000)

I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed Smart Dog by Vivian Vande Velde. I grabbed it on a whim, because we needed another read aloud book for my 4 and 5 year old boys. As it turned out, they were hooked along with me, my husband, and my 9-year-old daughter. My boys have a problem with intense conflict, so a lot of the books they like are a little slow. However, this book was gentle enough for them and interesting enough for me. They missed some of the interpersonal conflict between 5th graders, but it didn’t take away from the story.On her way to school, Amy Prochenko is approached by a dog on the run, but not just any dog. Sherlock is a lab experiment who escaped from the university lab when he overheard the head scientist talking about dissecting his brain. Amy has many adventures and finds herself making new friends as she strives to keep Sherlock safe. A funny and light story about an incredible dog and a fast thinking girl. This one is great for all ages.

Amy isn't exactly enjoying 5th grade since she's become the target of popular Kaitlyn's endless bullying. One day on her carefully timed walk to school (so she doesn't arrive before her friends, but doesn't get there late), she is stopped by a talking dog that asks for her help to escape from the university's animal research lab, where the scientist in charge wants to dissect his brain. Trying to keep this dog (F-32 or Sherlock) safe is more of a challenge than Amy expects, and leads to considerable lying and confusion involving two other classmates and their families as well as their teacher, Sister Mary Grace, who apparently sees more than Amy has given her credit for. It's a cute story, definitely for younger middle school students or even elementary readers.

Do You like book Smart Dog (2000)?

I rally liked this book because there were words that were challenging but it wasn't too hard. The writing was pretty powerful it told how a girl and her friends will stop at nothing to help f-32. I would recommend this book to anyone who loves a heart filled story. Also to anyone loves dogs and a challenging yet not to challenging book. I think that this book could have been made for all ages. The genre of the book is an animal centered realistic fiction. If this book was part of a series I would defineteley read it.
—Cole

This book is about a dog that ran out from a lab and is able to talk. He took a part in changing Amy’s life. Amy was never brave enough to stand up for herself in school, but after the dog came she was finally brave enough to stand up against her class bully. This is a very good book because it describes a girl’s life and the problems she has to go through. She can relate to any other girl in real life. Reading this book should influence other people to stand up for themselves when they are getting bullied in school. I was very surprised when I first found out that Sherlock, the dog, can talk. I was glad the lab never took Sherlock back because living with Amy for such a long time I can tell that they developed a good relationship. Sometimes when I’m reading this book it feels like Sherlock is no difference than a human because of him talking throughout the whole book.
—Angela Liao

Sherlock is a dog who has escaped from a university lab where gene splicing and neuron stimulation have made him intelligent and able to talk. Fifth-grader Amy and her friends find that keeping the dog's identity secret from grown-ups results in all sorts of unforeseen and hilarious complications.Smart Dog doesn't quite measure up to Vande Velde's best (A Hidden Magic, for example), but I still found it an enjoyable read. Sherlock and his rescuers are likable characters, the school bully gets her comeuppance, and all ends happily.If you like humorous dog stories, you might also want to try Peter Dickinson's Chuck and Danielle.
—Sheila Beaumont

download or read online

Read Online

Write Review

(Review will shown on site after approval)

Other books by author Vivian Vande Velde

Other books in category Fiction