The Booford Summer - Softcover

Smith, Susan Mathias

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0618432450 ISBN 13: 9780618432455

Publisher: Clarion Books, 2004

Synopsis

Ten-year-old Hayley launches a campaign to make grouchy Mr. Wood appreciate his dog, Booford, whom he never walks or plays with. She gets Booford what he needs; she also gets an unexpected friend -- Mr. Wood.

About this title

About the Author:

Andrew Glass has written several books for children and has illustrated many. He lives in New York City with his wife.

From Kirkus Reviews:

Booford is the dog who just moved into the house across the street from ten-year-old Hayley Larken. Gregarious, animal-loving Hayley is outraged because Booford's owner, mean Mr. Wood, yells at the dog and never takes him for walks. She concocts schemes to get Mr. Wood to walk Booford, but finally follows her father's advice and just asks Mr. Wood if she can walk his dog. To Hayley's surprise, he agrees. Hayley begins walking Booford and making friends with Mr. Wood, who is not really mean at all, merely lonely. She discovers that Mr. Wood's wife has left him ``to find herself'' and that Booford was her dog. No wonder Mr. Wood looks so sad! Hayley then decides to help Mr. Wood just as she had helped the now happy Booford. But calling Mr. Wood's wife in Richmond is going too far. After a small blowup and a little drama, Hayley realizes that butting in to Mr. Wood's life is not the answer. The best thing she can do for him is just to be his friend. Smith pulls out all the standard children's-book tricks here: the not-really-mean next-door neighbor; the kindly, all-knowing dad; the spunky, busy-body heroine and her Trekkie best friend. The lack of a reunion between Mr. Wood and his wife is the only somewhat surprising element, but Smith makes even that seem conventional. A write-by-numbers novel. (Fiction. 8-11) -- Copyright ©1994, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved.

About this edition

• Publisher: Clarion Books
• Publication date: 2004
• ISBN 10: 0618432450
• ISBN 13: 9780618432455
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 144
• Illustrator: Glass Andrew