What the Dog Said by Randi Reisfeld

Pages: 239

Intended Audience: Tweens

Genre: Real life (with a bit of talking dog)

Notes for parents: Deals with issues of grief

The Back Cover

Gracie thinks her dog is talking to her…and she can’t believe what he has to say.

What the Back Cover doesn’t tell you:

Ever since her police officer father was killed a few months ago, Grace hasn't wanted to do much of anything. She's pulled away from her friends, her grades are plummeting . . . it's a problem. The last thing Grace wants is to be dragged into her older sister Regan's plan to train a shelter dog as a service dog. But Grace has no idea how involved she'll get – especially when a mangy mutt named Rex starts talking to her. Has Grace gone off the deep end? Or might this dog be something really special? Either way, he is exactly the therapy that Grace needs.

What’s good?

This is a moving tale of a young girl dealing with the death of her father. It’s funny and honest with believable characters and great dialogue. The story has a bit of everything - drama, comedy, mystery, a little suspense, and a lot of charisma, especially from the dog. The story is drawn to a beautiful end.

Best part: The interesting facts about training service dogs!

What’s not so good?

It’s a simple story that avoids many of the complexities of real life. If you’re a picky reader, you may ask a lot of questions (like why would her mother even allow her to be in a class with that guy?!), but the savvy ready will take it with a grain of salt and enjoy the overall message.  

Worst part: Regan is a little difficult to like.

Recommendations þþþoo

It’s an easy read, it’s entertaining, and it made me cry at the end – a good kind of cry. Recommended.

Reisfeld, Randi. What the Dog Said. New York: Scholastic, 2012.