Dog Days: The Carver Chronicles, Book One (The Carver Chronicles, 1) - Hardcover

English, Karen

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0547970447 ISBN 13: 9780547970448

Publisher: Clarion Books, 2013

Synopsis

It's tough being the new kid at Carver Elementary. Gavin had lots of friends at his old school, but the kids here don't even know that he's pretty good at skateboarding, or how awesome he is at soccer. And when his classmate Richard comes over and the boys end up in trouble, not only does Gavin risk losing his one new friend, he has to take care of his great aunt Myrtle's horrible little dog as punishment.
   To make matters worse, Gavin seems to have attracted the attention of the school bully. Will he be able to avoid getting pounded at the skate park? And how is he ever going to prove he's cool with a yappy little Pomeranian wearing a pink bow at his side?

About this title

About the Author

Karen English is a Coretta Scott King Honor Award-winner and the author of It All Comes Down to This, a Kirkus Prize Finalist, as well as the Nikki and Deja and The Carver Chronicles series. Her novels have been praised for their accessible writing, authentic characters, and satisfying storylines. She is a former elementary school teacher and lives in Los Angeles, California.

Laura Freeman has illustrated several books for young readers, including the Nikki and Deja and Carver Chronicles series, and Natalie's Hair Was Wild, which she also wrote. Laura grew up in New York City, and now lives in Atlanta, Georgia, with her husband and two children. www.lfreemanart.com Twitter: @LauraFreemanArt.

From Booklist

Third-grader Gavin knows “you have to start over whenever you change schools.” He has made one new friend so far—Richard—but there is still so much his new classmates don’t know yet, like that he is practically a soccer star and really good at his times tables. Gavin’s attempts to fit in are further hampered when he has to spend a week walking his great-aunt Myrtle’s Pomeranian so he can pay back his older sister for the snow globe he and Richard broke. How Gavin survives the week—despite unwanted attention from the school bully, the undignified picking up of poop, bossy girls, a stolen chew toy, and a lack of snacks—makes for a tale of small triumphs. The story is told in the present tense, which gives immediacy to the events; each injustice stings sharper, but so does each triumph feel mightier. Black-and-white spot illustrations break up the text and make this an accessible book for emerging chapter-book readers. While there is some crossover with English’s previous Nikki and Deja series, this story belongs to Gavin. Grades 2-4. --Kara Dean

About this edition

• Publisher: Clarion Books
• Publication date: 2013
• ISBN 10: 0547970447
• ISBN 13: 9780547970448
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 128
• Illustrator: Freeman Laura