One Dog and His Boy

One Dog and His Boy is a wonderful, heartwarming tale. Hal's parents are very, very rich and they buy him an enormous number of expensive toys, but all he has ever wanted is a dog, which is out of the question because of the mess. When his father finally consents to getting him a dog Hal is

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overjoyed -- until he discovers that he's been tricked and the dog has been returned because they got a "rental" dog. Hal is inconsolable, the dog Fleck is inconsolable, and fortunately for them, the young girl named Pippa who takes care of the dogs at the rental agency is also terribly upset. She helps him to escape with Fleck, and before you know it she and several other dogs join him as he heads for his grandparents' house by the sea. The author, Eve Ibbotson, who died just before this was published, had a charming writing style and made her characters lifelike and special. The message that relationships matter much more than money was skillfully told. I enjoyed this book thoroughly.

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I couldn't put this book down - had to read it one sitting just to get to the ending.

One Dog and His Boy is the story of Hal, a boy who had everything he could want, except for a dog -- and Fleck, a young dog who, despite the hardships he's already faced in life, still believes that the perfect human for him is still out there somewhere. Hal is ecstatic when his parents finally

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agree to let him have a dog, but what he doesn't realize is that they only mean to rent a dog for a weekend, thinking that Hal will get tired of taking care of it by the time it has to be returned. Fleck has landed at the pet rental place, despite his mixed ancestry, and when Hal and Fleck see each other, they know right away that they belong together. They have a wonderful weekend together, and then Fleck is sent back to the rental shop by Hal's parents. Both Fleck and Hal are heartbroken, and when a chance encounter brings them together again, Hal knows that he will do anything to get his dog back. What follows is a cross-country adventure involving Hal, Fleck, Hal's friend Pippa, and an entire cast of canine characters.

This story is sweet, funny, and whimsical, and will delight dog-lovers of all ages. Added bonus: no dogs die, which sets it apart from a lot of dog stories!

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Another beautiful book from Eva Ibbotson, I am so sad that it is her last - she finished this one just before she died in October 2010.
It is quite a light read in some ways, but with very serious issues about poverty and money, as well as parenting, covered as well.

Jake's Review: It was a cute story but kinda boring and sad at times. I liked all of the dogs and wish my mom would get us one (mom's note: you have a cat and we have a one pet limit dude) Hal's parents are jerks and make me think that my mom and dad aren't all that bad. There were some funny parts

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that I liked. I think it would be a good book for kids a little younger than me though, as I figured out things pretty quickly.
Jake's Rating: 7/10

Mom's Review: A delightfully sweet, yet somewhat old fashioned little story. I can see why some older kids might be put off by the style of story, but I agree with Jake that a younger reader would especially enjoy. Obviously dog loving kids are going to love this quirky adventure story. This would be a good tale for a classroom read and discussion and I will be passing on my copy to Jake's school. There are good messages throughout the story such as money not being able to buy everything, the importance of friendship and that dogs are a truly awesome creatures. I also enjoyed some of the secondary characters laced throughout this charming tale, I found the parents to be almost cartoonish and not enough character development was put into them, but that is my only real complaint.
Mom's Rating: 8/10

We received this from Scholastic in exchange for an honest review

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All Hal Fenton ever wanted was a dog. His rich parents are never around, and in any event don’t like messes, or spontaneity, or companionship – all things he knew he could get from a dog:

"Hal didn’t mind what it looked like; it would be alive, and it would belong to him, and it would be there

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when his father was in Dubai and his mother was out with her friends and he was alone in the house with the maid who changed every month and was always so homesick and so sad.”

Before his tenth birthday he virtually bombarded his parents with pleas and notes, and finally his father said okay, but not to what Hal thought. His father was going to take Hal to the Easy Pets Dog Agency where you could rent a dog for the weekend. He figured Hal would get tired of the dog very quickly, and would hardly notice when they returned it.

But Hal and the little mutt Fleck felt immediate and mutual devotion, and Hal’s mother had to trick Hal to get Fleck back to the Agency. Hal, desperate, prepared to rescue Fleck and run away. At the Agency, he won the assistance of the little girl Pippa who was helping to take care of the dogs. She not only went with him, but she freed all of Fleck’s other dog friends in Room A. All of them headed out to Hal’s grandparents, who Hal knew would be accepting. Along the way they were chased by greedy adults who were after the large monetary reward publicized for Hal, but the two children also made a number of helpful and wonderful new friends. The dogs too found “soul mates” along the way. Thus, Hal and Pippa and all the dogs learned what it meant to feel as if you were “home,” and even Hal’s parents started to learn as well.

Evaluation: How can you not love a book about dogs that don’t die? ….Only in this case, it was the author who died, days before seeing the page proofs for this book. She left lots of adoring fans behind, including me. This book is meant for middle grade readers, but will endear readers of any age.

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Grades 3-6: All Hal has ever wanted is a dog. His mother is far too concerned about keeping the family's huge house in pristine shape, and won't hear of it. Instead, Hal is loaded down with every gadget and expensive toy the most exclusive shops carry. Hal's father, though, absently promises his

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son a dog for his birthday. His parents think they have come up with the perfect solution with Easy Pets: Hal can have a dog for the weekend, and (since he will, of course, tire of the responsibility within those few days) the dog will be returned on Monday. But when Fleck is sent back as planned, Hal is devastated. He devises a plan to reclaim Fleck from the Easy Pets company and to make his way to his grandparents' house on the coast. And thus begins an adventure involving not only Hal and Fleck, but their new friend Pippa and four other dogs. Ibbotson's final novel is beautifully written and is a testament to friendships between people and their pets. It will make a great read-aloud and will be loved by kids who can't get enough dog stories.

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