Dog Sense

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Description

Thirteen-year-old Guy tries to make the best of a difficult situation with the help of his beloved dog and a new friend.
Montana is a long way from California. Guy and his mother have moved in with his grandfather after his father's "unannounced departure." Back home, Guy skateboarded, surfed, and played video games with his friends. Here the kids only seem to talk about cars, fishing, and hunting.
Life at Big Sky Middle School is also a disappointment. Guy is bored in math class and over his head in English. He quickly becomes a target for Brad Mullen, class bully. But at least Guy has his beloved Border collie, Streak, and eventually he makes a friend, his classmate Luke Grant. Soon Guy and Luke hatch a plan to train Streak to compete against Brad Mullen and his dog at the town's Frisbee catching competition. But the rivalry between Guy and Brad escalates until an impulsive wager pits the boys head to head and places Streak in jeopardy.
Sneed B. Collard II offers young readers an affecting, realistic portrait of an adolescent boy who must learn to cope with conflicts and challenges in an unfamiliar environment and to accept changes in his life that are beyond his control.

Reviews

"[An] affecting first novel about a sensitive yet resilient eighth grader struggling to find his place in his new world."
"A veteran nonfiction writer, Collard shows in his first novel that he can construct a suspenseful plot and create believable characters."
"An easy read with believable characters, the story has enough action to keep reluctant readers interested."
"Guy is an appealing, sympathetic protagonist, whose straightforward narrative describes the challenges of uprooting, making friends, and facing difficult people and life events."

Author Bio

Thirteen-year-old Guy tries to make the best of a difficult situation with the help of his beloved dog and a new friend. Montana is a long way from California. Guy and his mother have moved in with his grandfather after his father's "unannounced departure." Back home, Guy skateboarded, surfed, and played video games with his friends. Here the kids only seem to talk about cars, fishing, and hunting. Life at Big Sky Middle School is also a disappointment. Guy is bored in math class and over his head in English. He quickly becomes a target for Brad Mullen, class bully. But at least Guy has his beloved Border collie, Streak, and eventually he makes friends with classmate Luke Grant. Soon Guy and Luke hatch a plan to train Streak to compete against Brad Mullen and his dog at the town's Frisbee catching competition. But the rivalry between Guy and Brad escalates until an impulsive wager pits the boys head to head and places Streak in jeopardy. Sneed B. Collard II offers young readers an affecting, realistic portrait of an adolescent boy who must learn to cope with conflicts and challenges in an unfamiliar environment and to accept changes in his life that are beyond his control.