Review: The Dog Days of Charlotte Hayes by Marlane Kennedy

For the secret dog lover
in everyone.

Charlotte Hayes is twelve-years-old and is not a dog person. When her father brings home a Saint Bernard puppy she is not happy about having to care for it but after a short time she is the only one who will. Her father has a short attention span and is off to his next hobby, her mom is exhausted from caring for her baby brother and her older sister is boy crazy. Charlotte knows that Beauregard needs a home that will provide him with more love and constant care. He's a nice dog that shouldn't be chained up in the backyard next to his too small dog house. She comes up with a great plan that requires her to work hard and her friends to provide a bit of help. In the process of making this plan a reality she makes some discoveries about herself. She may just like this dog after all.

This may be a children's book but it has themes of friendship, loyalty and compassion that speak to everyone. I found it to be a sweet story with charming characters and an interesting plot. It's an easy read that is age appropriate and well written. As the story continued it drew me in. I found myself caring about this big, slobbery, gentle dog and cheering on Charlotte for coming to his rescue. And in the process of helping Beauregarde to have a happier life she helped others to improve their lives as well. I adored this book and could see it developed into a series. I would be so curious to see where this family and their friends go from here.

Thank you to HarperCollins Children's Books for the ARC.

Release date: 3/09
Pages: 144
Price/Format: $15.99/Trade
Type: Children's fiction
Age: 8-12, grades 3-7