Life is getting tricky for eleven-year-old Madison Morgan. She’s not interested in boys, fashion, or the latest gossip, unlike her best friend Paige. Since her mom died, her stepdad, who she knows as Henry, has way too many complicated systems around the house but way too little to say about her mom’s death. To top it off, in her first year of middle school, Madison and her new friend Cooper have become the “school project” of a bully named Donald. And all she really wants is a dog to call her own, but all she gets is the parental-brush-off. What is a straight-talking, spunky middle grader going to do? Kids from ages nine- to twelve-years-old are sure to get a laugh from every page of Madison Morgan: When Dogs Blog, the young adult novel by author Pam Torres that charts the sometimes tough, frequently funny days of the wise-cracking, dog-loving Madison. When her dad arrives home with a foster dog, a scrawny brown terrier named Lilly, Madison is amazed to find she has an ability to understand dogs, their emotions, and often their pasts. However, this rare ability also leads her to uncover some extremely harmful activities that are happening right in her very own neighborhood. If she exposes the culprits behind them, she may risk losing Cooper, not to mention destroy her plan to remain invisible at school. As Madison struggles to feel normal and understand her ability to translate dog-speak, this coming-of-age story shares how one quirky young girl saves the day with the help of her father and their friend Netta at the Second Chance Rescue Shelter. Frank, funny, and full of adventure, Madison Morgan: When Dogs Blog is a must for any middle grader, who is certain to be enthralled by this dog blogger.
As a mom of 3 girls 8, 12, and almost 15, I decided to read this to the two youngest and see how it resonated with them as it’s geared to the 8-12 age group. The girls like the characters and loved how she spoke with all the hash tags and the rolling of the eyes. (I get that a lot here myself) My 12 year old is at that stage as well, most of her friends are boy crazy, and she is just content to play basketball and play on the wii so this story was easily relatable to her. My kids are huge animal lover having a 3 year old American Cocker Spaniel and an 8 month old kitten; they are big into respecting your animals, and treating them well. Our animals are definitely family here. The author did a great job making the characters relatable, and did a great job tackling some difficult subjects. They enjoyed the story a lot and said they would recommend it to all of their friends to read.
I give this book a 4out of 5 star rating.
You can purchase a copy of Madison Morgan When Dogs Blog on Amazon
http://www.amazon.com/Madison-Morgan-When-Dogs-Volume/dp/0615610951/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1351606678&sr=8-1&keywords=madison+morgan+when+dogs+blog
I received a free copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest unbiased review