Birdie for Now

by Jean Little

Overview

Dickon wasn't happy in his old home or his old school. He hopes that in his new neighborhood he will meet children who never knew his old, hyper self, who will like him for who he is now. And he hopes for a dog of his own. Dickon's mother calls him Birdie. She feeds him milk from a teddy bear mug. She worries if he's out of her sight for a moment and she knows how filthy and vicious dogs can be. Dickon is delighted to discover that the Humane Society is right on the other side of the fence behind the new house, but only by disobeying his mother will he ever get close to a real dog.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781554695782
Publisher:	Orca Book Publishers
Publication date:	09/01/2002
Series:	Orca Young Readers
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	160
File size:	2 MB
Age Range:	8 - 11 Years

About the Author

Born in Taiwan, celebrated children's author Jean Little (1932-2020) grew up in Ontario and graduated from the University of Toronto with an honors degree in English. A Member of the Order of Canada, Little received six honorary degrees and was awarded the Queen's Diamond Jubilee Medal in 2012. Her books have been translated into a dozen languages and have won numerous awards, including a Canada Council Children's Literature Award (now known as the Governor General's Literary Award); a CLA Book of the Year; the Little, Brown Children's Book Award; the Vicky Metcalf Award and a Boston Globe–Horn Book Award honor book.

Read an Excerpt

One minute she was not there and the next she had dashed in among them, her dangling leash sailing through the air after her. Her silky coat rippled in the breeze and she had incredible ears, black and tall, shaped like butterfly wings. Her feathery tail curled up over her back one minute, streamed out behind her the next and, a second later, tucked itself out of sight between her legs.

To Dickon, that tail shouted, "I want to be friends … I'm running away … I'm afraid."

He understood the little dog completely. He, too, had felt confused and desperate.

Editorial Reviews

Gr 2-5-A satisfying and heartwarming story. Dickon Fielding's mother expects him to take on adult responsibilities and "read" her moods, yet she babies him. He is on medication for hyperactivity and is hoping that the move to a new town will not bring the teasing he has silently endured. The main thing Dickon wants is a dog, but his mother won't allow one. Through a dog-obedience class at the Humane Society, Dickon finds that he can control himself and comfort an abused animal. The workers are impressed with him, and share their opinions with his mother, resulting in a happy ending. Similar to Jack Gantos's "Joey Pigza" books (Farrar), this one is not as zany or energetic, but Little does relate some of the feelings of children who can't always keep themselves on track and develops her protagonist as a believable and sensitive person. Large font and a few illustrations done in charcoal make this a good choice for early chapter-book readers.-Sharon R. Pearce, Chippewa Elementary School, Bensenville, IL Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information.

School Library Journal

"In no time the reader is launched into a wonderful story of the hero-s yearning for a dog."

St. Catharine's Standard

"Little certainly knows what interests kids and how to tell a satisfying story."

Booklist

"The emphasis that this book puts on relationships and their development makes it an outstanding read."

CM Magazine

"Fast-paced action and lively dialogue transport readers through conflict, challenge, suspense, and satisfactory resolution."

Quill & Quire

"This is an enjoyable book."

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"Little certainly knows what interests kids and how to tell a satisfying story."

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