Review by Booklist Review
Sabrina Bree Davies' journalist parents have never-ending news monster deadlines, so Bree's border collie, Danny, has always been her main companion in their upscale Santa Monica neighborhood. When her mother, rushing to work, accidentally leaves the gate open and Danny disappears, Bree's anger, brewing after years of neglect, surfaces. The distraught 12-year-old visits local animal shelters, where she discovers countless abandoned and lost dogs, many of which are red listed to be euthanized in a matter of days. In her search she meets free-spirited Katrina survivor and dog rescuer Rayleen, and soon Bree finds herself running an animal shelter adoption day, with help from her friends Rayleen and Ashton, Bree's Shakespeare acting partner and potential boyfriend. This quick-paced story with a spunky tween heroine and typical mother-daughter angst will encourage young animal enthusiasts to get involved in their community animal-rescue efforts and readers of all sorts to stay connected with friends and family.--Leeper, Angela Copyright 2010 Booklist
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by School Library Journal Review
Gr 4-7-Bree Davies, 12, is an only child living in Santa Monica with her journalist parents who are too busy with their careers to pay attention to her. She's drifting away from one of her two best friends because of diverging interests. And now she is paired with Ashton Adams to do a scene from A Midsummer Night's Dream, and she's nervous because he is popular and ignores her. The only thing that makes up for her parents' absence and all of her problems is her beloved Border collie. When her mother neglects to close the gate one day, Danny goes missing and Bree is unable to forgive her. The high points of this book include the girl's determination to find her pet and her time volunteering at an animal shelter. The rest remains dull, melodramatic, and cliched, and problems have thin resolutions. It is unfortunate that readers would have to plow through all of this in order to get a glimpse of the harsh realities of animal shelters.-Adrienne L. Strock, Maricopa County Library District, AZ (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Horn Book Review
When her beloved border collie goes missing, Bree starts volunteering at an animal shelter. Soon she's organizing adoption days while still searching for her pet. New connections with an older volunteer and the popular boy from school help Bree work on her relationship with her mother. Although message-laden, the book has great appeal for dog lovers. (c) Copyright 2010. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted. All rights reserved.
(c) Copyright The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Kirkus Book Review
Only child Bree, 12 years old, feels all but abandoned by her career-driven parents: Her father is a writer who travels a great deal, and her mother is a broadcast journalist hoping to move up to an anchor position. When her mom loses their Border collie, Danny, it seems like the final blow, proof of her mother's narcissism and lack of interest. While searching for the lost dog, Bree is befriended by quirky, drawling Southerner Rayleen, an animal rescuer who introduces the girl to animal shelters and the plight of "red-lined" pets, due for imminent euthanasia. Thinking of Danny, Bree finds a way to make a big difference. The heartbreaking plight of lost and abandoned animals is real; unfortunately, the characters and dialogue in this superficial effort are flat and predictable, significantly diminishing the impact. An additional subplot follows both Bree's budding romance with a classmate, Ashton, who shares parent problems, and her friendship issues with two girlfriends, but even the inclusion of these typical tween issues fails to elevate the novel beyond average. (Fiction. 9-12) ]] Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
