Dog Lost

by Ingrid Lee

Overview

You can't judge a dog by its cover: The heroic story of a sweet, loyal pit bull pup that defies expectations and her breed's reputation to save the day--and the boy she loves!11-year-old Mackenzie has got one friend in the whole world: Cash, his brown-eyed pit bull. His dad won the runt after a long night of gambling--ever since Mack's mom died, that's all he seems to do, and soon he erupts in a rage at the innocent pup, takes her away in the trunk of his car, and dumps her in the middle of nowhere. Mack vows to find Cash and bring her back home--he has to! All strays are about to be outlawed and put down. Little does Mack know that while he searches for Cash, she's surviving her own adventures and proving in the process that all dogs--even pit bulls--are born good

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780545347709
Publisher:	Scholastic, Inc.
Publication date:	11/01/2011
Sold by:	Scholastic, Inc.
Format:	eBook
Pages:	208
Lexile:	570L (what's this?)
File size:	3 MB
Age Range:	7 - 10 Years

About the Author

INGRID LEE is a writer and a schoolteacher. Her first novel, DOG LOST, is based on a true story. Ann M. Martin called the book "wonderfully heart-rousing." Lee lives with her family in Toronto, Canada.

Editorial Reviews

Gr 4-6

Mackenzie's father wins a pit bull puppy in a card game and, in an uncharacteristic gesture of kindness, gives her to his son. From the moment Cash enters the boy's life, she is a bright spot in a sea of darkness. With Mackenzie's mother dead and his father uninterested in raising him, he and Cash must take care of themselves in their rough neighborhood. Things go smoothly as long as they stay out of Dad's way, but when Cash tries to defend Mackenzie from one of his father's rages, the furious man takes the dog away. Life on the streets is not easy, but Cash has brains and a warm heart and survives until she's captured by a teenager who is part of a dog-fighting ring. After she escapes, Cash begins to perform brave deeds, dispelling local concern about the viciousness of pit bulls. All the while, boy and dog continue to search for one another. The writing is not stellar, and the ending predictably pat, but the simply told story is gripping. The kindness of some neighbors and the unfair attitudes of others toward the breed raise questions about stereotypes and fairness, making this an interesting book group selection.-Sarah Provence, Churchill Road Elementary School, McLean, VA

School Library Journal

In her first novel published in the United States, Canadian author Lee takes on negative attitudes toward pit bulls with this tender story about a boy and his dog. Eleven-year-old Mackenzie O'Rourke's dysfunctional home offers him little comfort until his widowed, alcoholic father brings home a pit-bull puppy won in a card game. Mackenzie christens the dog Cash, and the two become inseparable. Months later, Cash fiercely defends Mac from his drunken father's rage. Angered by the dog's ferocity, Mr. O'Rourke takes Cash and abandons her in a field. Throughout the next several months, Cash barely survives. Meanwhile, as a debate about outlawing the owning of pit bulls heats up in town, a mysterious pit bull performs several acts of bravery. Is it Cash? Will it be enough to change voters' opinion? Without moralizing, the author argues that dogs, regardless of breed, can be trained to be violent-or not. Several scenes where dogs are treated cruelly are well presented. Based on a true story, this moving, fast-paced tale will appeal to fans of Shiloh. (Fiction. 9-12)

Kirkus Reviews