As any reader of middle-grade novels knows, it's a cruel, viciously uncertain world out there, and all too often the adults in a child's life are more a source of harm than help. Sometimes a child can trust no one but the loyal dog at his side. Together, they will survive and conquer.
Three new books for children explore this time-honored theme: "Almost Home," by Joan Bauer; "Buddy," by M. H. Herlong; and "The Dogs of Winter," by Bobbie Pyron. All pursue similar premises: children on their own against hostile surroundings, with no one to rely on for trust, friendship and — in the most extreme moments — physical safety, other than their pets. While they are all retellings of the well-worn "boy and his dog" tale, young readers will find fresh drama and pathos to engage them in each of these stories.
The best of them is "Almost Home," which skillfully tells the tale of precocious and street-smart Sugar Mae Cole. Born in the back seat of a Chevrolet, Sugar becomes a fairly typical sixth grader, growing up poor but stable with her single mother, Reba, in a small house that Sugar's grandfather helped them buy before his death.
Sugar's deadbeat gambler father is such a nonpresence in her life that she calls him "Mr. Leeland." And her mother, while loving, is weak and broken, delusional that her former husband will return to rescue her. Sugar knows who the real grown-up is in this relationship. "It's not fair, but sometimes a kid has to act older than their age," she says. "You just pray hard to know what to do."
The one pillar of stability is her teacher, Mr. Bennett, who encourages her to write poetry, and write it honestly. Sugar expresses in verse what she can't otherwise: that parents can sometimes be selfish and unworthy of a child's trust.
But not even Mr. Bennett can protect her from what is to come. Sugar's mother has fallen behind on the mortgage payments, and her father has gambled away what little equity they had.
Amid this tumult, a neighborhood girl shoves a puppy into Sugar's arms and urges her to take him or else the girl's father, who abuses the dog, will dump him at a shelter. Thus begins Sugar's descent into homelessness, with the emotionally damaged dog, Shush, at her side. Their journey takes them into shelters and parks, group homes and foster care, alongside her mother, who descends into deep depression and involuntary commitment.
The central questions that will keep readers turning the pages of this searing story are: Will the broken Sugar find her way home, in both the physical and metaphorical sense, and will she heal and become whole again?
In "Buddy," 12-year-old Tyrone, known as Li'l T, will grapple with similar questions, though the upheaval in his life is caused not by dysfunctional parents but by the wake of Hurricane Katrina. Li'l T lives in a strict but loving home in New Orleans. He desperately wants a puppy, but his parents cannot afford one. Then one Sunday as the family drives to church, a stray dog darts in front of their car and is struck. The boy nurses him back to health, and the two become inseparable.
But when Katrina arrives, the family has no choice except to leave Buddy behind as they flee the city. Days turn into weeks and months, yet Li'l T never stops hoping or searching for his canine friend. He learns Buddy was rescued from the flooded home after the storm, but has no clue as to the dog's whereabouts.
What makes "Buddy" memorable is not just the tale of a boy's fierce love for his dog but its harrowing portrayal of one of this nation's most traumatic natural disasters. From start to finish, "Buddy" is a testament to the human capacity to endure, to find hope in the sodden ruins of destroyed lives. There is tragedy here — death and displacement and depression, and readers will push forward not just to learn if and how the boy and his dog reunite but also if and how the family will survive.
"The Dogs of Winter" is the least sophisticated of the three books, suffering from stilted dialogue and two-dimensional characters. But the story, inspired by news accounts, still packs plenty of punch. Parents should be warned that the subject matter is harsh. Five-year-old Ivan's mother is beaten to death by her alcoholic lover while the boy huddles in a closet. Ivan then finds himself on the streets, coatless (and eventually shoeless) in subzero temperatures, fending off thugs, addicts and predators of every stripe. He cannot trust the police or social workers, who simply want to eradicate the problem of street urchins. His only allies are the feral dogs that adopt him and, time and again, rush to his defense.
At every turn, Ivan learns the same hard lesson: Human beings will hurt you. Only dogs can be trusted. Of course, the reader knows that the "love" of a dog isn't enough. Children need the love of parents and siblings and friends. The real question hanging over this dark story is whether the young dog boy will find that love and trust in the end.
By MARILYN STASIO 18 Sep, 2012
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Source: http://www.nytimes.com/2012/09/16/books/review/almost-home-by-joan-bauer-and-more.html?partner=rss&emc=rss
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