I, Jack (BCCB Blue Ribbon Fiction Books (Awards)) - Hardcover

Finney, Patricia

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0060522070 ISBN 13: 9780060522070

Publisher: HarperCollins, 2004

Synopsis

Hi! Hi there!I am Jack! Big dog Jack. WAG TAIL. I live with a big Pack. This is my Packleader. I love him HUGE amounts! More than steak, even. YUMYUM. My Packleader has a Pack Lady and three children. I love them BIG amounts, too. And this is Petra; she lives next door. Isn't she Gorgeous? This is my story. It's SO EXCITING! Find out how I become friends with Petra, brave the FIERCE garage dog, and save Packleader from Huge Scary Metal Monsters. ARROOOF ARROOOF!

About this title

About the Author:

Patricia Finney is Jack's real Pack Lady and his interpreter. She spends a lot of time running around after Jack, The Cats, and her three children. When she can, she writes all kinds of things, including historical novels, scripts, and articles for newspapers. She won the David Higham Award for her first novel, A Shadow of Gulls. Ms. Finney lives in Plymouth, England.

From School Library Journal:

Grade 4-6-Jack, a big yellow dog, has fallen head over paws in love with pretty Petra; when her owner finds out, she comments, "But Jack is just a Labrador and Petra is a Samoyed." Then the plot takes a different path with Petra soon becoming pregnant. A subplot involves the environmental conservation of the forest area surrounding the mill where Petra has her puppies as a new highway is soon to be built over it. Jack's overemphasized stupidity in some scenes is inconsistent with his apparent intelligence in others. On the other hand, in scenes in which his real emotions come through, his character rings true. Some readers might find the scene in which Jack chases and kills a cottontail, licks its blood off his teeth, and says, "Yum," and later "licks the inside of the bunny's skin" a bit over the top. In addition, several of the dog-language words he uses are unclear; having to refer often to the glossary slows the story. However, Finney does a good job of weaving realistically believable canine behavior and slapstick humor throughout. Jack's sincere attempts to make sense of what people are telling him are particularly funny, and the ending is upbeat. Small black-and-white drawings break up the text on many of the pages.
James K. Irwin, Nichols Library, Naperville, IL
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About this edition

• Publisher: HarperCollins
• Publication date: 2004
• ISBN 10: 0060522070
• ISBN 13: 9780060522070
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 192
• Illustrator: Bailey Peter