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Birdie for Now
 From
School Library Journal
Grade 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 Reed Business Information, Inc.
From Booklist
Gr. 3-5. A troubled boy trains himself as well as his dog in
this novel first published in Canada. Dickon Fielding's parents are divorced,
and his father has disappeared. His mother treats him like a little kid, not
like a boy ready to start fourth grade; she calls him "Birdie" and worries about
his weak eyes and hyperactivity. At least she doesn't know about the bullying
and name-calling he endures at school. Dickon is thrilled when they move to a
new home, which is near the Humane Society. He loves dogs, but his mother is
afraid of them. While she is at work, he watches the children who have dogs in
obedience-training programs, eventually makes friends with them, and is allowed
to help train a dog that was abused by a former owner. As Dickon works to calm
the dog and teach it to be obedient, he learns how to control himself. Little
certainly knows what interests kids and how to tell a satisfying story, and
young animal lovers will be secure in knowing that the ending is happy. Try this
as a read-aloud. Jean Franklin
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved
The Jean
Little Collection
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