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3.0 

Walkin' the Dog

By Chris Lynch
Walkin' the Dog by Chris Lynch digital book - Fable

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Publisher Description

“Lynch is back and better, smarter, and funnier than ever.” —Jacqueline Woodson, National Book Award Winner

A boy learns how to be a friend from man’s best friend in this “funny, fetching” (Booklist, starred review) middle grade novel about humans being able to change and dogs changing us from acclaimed author Chris Lynch.

In a family of strong personalities with very strong points of view, Louis is what his mother lovingly calls “the inactivist,” someone who’d rather kick back than stand out. He only hopes he can stay under the radar when he starts high school in the fall, his first experience with public school after years of homeschooling.

But when a favor for a neighbor and his stinky canine companion unexpectedly turns into a bustling dog-walking business, Louis finds himself meeting an unprecedented number of new friends—both human and canine. Agatha, a quippy and cagey girl his age always seems to be telling two truths and a lie. Cyrus, a few years his senior, promises he’s going to show Louis how to be a better person, whether Louis wants him to or not. And then there are the dogs: misbehaving border terriers, the four (possible stolen) sausage dogs, the rest of Louis’s charges, and a mysterious white beast who appears at a certain spot at the edge of the woods.

Dogs and human alike all seem to have something they want to teach Louis, including his menacing older brother who keeps turning up everywhere. But is Louis ready to learn the lesson he needs most: how to stop being a lone wolf and be part of a pack?

8 Reviews

3.0
“I would say this middle-grade is written in a literary fiction style.  I love the (in your face) author's voice, where the character's thoughts mix with the narrative pretty well (making the first person closer to the character than it usually is).  The children's humor borders on sarcasm with some references that maybe older readers and adults will get faster. The literary fiction writing style sometimes makes us take a step back to get the meaning. The humor is balanced with the heaviness of some content. Overall, it didn't upset me. I feel that the author faces the good, the bad, and the ugly with the same honesty, and his character Louis can handle it. For example: his mother is so kind and sensible that she is hospitalized for not being able to cope with the world.  It has a cynical tone to it sometimes, but it is still very honest. Mostly, the author's message is that we learn more by witnessing the world than by staying away and isolated.   "I'm not sending you to protest. I'm just sending you to witness, son. Be a witness to your world. The world needs witnesses. The bad guys do their baddest when there are no witnesses." Sometimes isolation makes bad people get away with it, and maybe someone out there needs our help. The character grows up and has self-confidence. He learns to be a better friend but still keeps his strength to face the world we live in.  I recommend it to older middle graders and YA. But I definitely like the author's style. It has an old-school vibe of 50s classics. Here are some funny and provocative quotes:  "The woman at the front desk says she's been expecting me, which is quite something, since I wasn't expecting me."  "She is half-right, which is 50 percent less right than she usually is." "I tend to believe that things are gonna work out, on their own, without any help from me, the way they should. Ma (...) works at a shelter (...) all the pain of A Woman's Place - and that is a world of pain - is her pain. She is an inspiration to me. In a way, she would never want to be. Meaning. I'm determined that what happened to her will never happen to me."  Although it's scary to start high school after learning at home, I can't avoid feeling excited for the world of possibilities and experiences he will face and learn from. Louis is a little ruffian and he'll be just fine. Agatha is his friend after all and there are... dogs. Dogs can be magical.  I am curious to read more from this author. Will check past titles. This was my first contact with his work.”
““You cannot rewrite parts of life. Not even little parts. They all matter, and they all contribute to the whole of things.” I'd like to thank Simon & Schuster for sending me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review! I've also posted this review on Instagram and my blog. https://www.instagram.com/p/C6OdH0vLM3n/ https://pagebypaigebooks.weebly.com/book-reviews/walkin-the-dog-review Content Warnings: animal death, mention of domestic violence, addiction, ill parents Walkin' The Dog is a very emotional story about family, belonging, and of course, dogs. If you're planning on recommending this book to younger readers please check out my content warnings above as there are some heavy topics discussed. Overall, I enjoyed reading about Louis' journey toward self-confidence. Through his experience as a dog walker, he learned about how important it is to take action and be a positive contributor to his community. It also brought him closer to family and friends which he relied on for support throughout the book. At times I found the writing style to be a bit confusing and scattered which took me out of the story. The overall pacing of the story also felt somewhat disjointed with some chapters being very action-packed and fast, while others were very slow. My favourite parts of this book were the dogs. I loved learning about each of their personalities and how they interacted with their owners and Louis.”

About Chris Lynch

Chris Lynch is the award-winning author of several highly acclaimed young adult novels, including Printz Honor Book FreewillIcemanGypsy Davey, and Shadow Boxer—all ALA Best Books for Young Adults—as well as Killing Time in Crystal CityLittle Blue LiesPiecesKill SwitchAngry Young Man, and Inexcusable, which was a National Book Award finalist and the recipient of six starred reviews. Chris is the author of middle grade novel Walkin’ the Dog. He holds an MA from the writing program at Emerson College. He teaches in the creative writing MFA program at Lesley University. He lives in Boston and in Scotland.

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