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Lulu And The Dog From The Sea (2011)

by Hilary McKay(Favorite Author)

3.96 of 5 Votes: 4

ISBN

1407117920 (ISBN13: 9781407117928)

languge

English

genre

Humor

publisher

Scholastic

review 1: Hilary McKay's beginning chapter book series hits a home run when it comes to realistic, spunky characters combined with animal stories that young girls will love. The series follows Lulu, an animal-loving, menagerie-owning girl who is best friends with her cousin, Mellie. Lulu loves animals more than anything, from "the sponsored polar bear family that had been her best Christmas present to the hairiest, unwanted spider in the school coat room." A theme throughout the books is the responsibility Lulu takes for her numerous pets. Her mother's rule is: The more the merrier, as long as Lulu cleans up after them. But Lulu doesn't just clean up after them - she plays with them, feeds them, exercises them, looks them up in library books and Googles them on the Internet. She thi... morenks about animals all the time, as do many elementary-aged children.In Lulu and the Dog from the Sea, Lulu befriends a stray dog living on the beach near the cottage where her family is vacationing. Although the locals see the dog as a nuisance, Lulu works hard to gain the dog's trust and build a relationship, and she spends the rest of vacation trying to convince her parents he should become a part of her menagerie. In Lulu and the Duck in the Park, Lulu rescues an abandoned duck egg she finds during a class field trip. Although her teacher has banned her from bringing animals into their classroom, Lulu sneaks the egg in to assure its safety figuring it isn't really an animal - yet. When the duckling hatches at school, she must work with Mellie and her frustrated, yet understanding, teacher, Mrs. Holiday, to reunite the duckling back to its mother. Both stories maintain a quick, consistent pace and have a story arc that covers a short span of time. The dog installment covers a week, the duck story actually takes place during one school day. This makes it easy for young chapter book readers to maintain the continuity of the story and keep details fresh in their mind.I think the series lends itself to to teaching about responsibility and the importance of caring for animals. Lulu and the Duck in the Park would be a good springboard for discussion about following school rules and your teachers' instructions. It might also allow for a great discussion/persuasive writing activity about those times when a decision you make might have both good and bad consequences (e.g. saving the duckling vs. disobeying your teacher).
review 2: Lulu and her family go to the beach for their vacation. The cottage is not the most comfortable place to stay. More potholes than road make up the driveway making it an adventure every time they need to go to town for something. Lulu's dad is "training" for a marathon and her mom just wants to read. Mellie, Lulu's cousin and best friend just wants to build a kite which is more difficult than expected. And Lulu...she only wants to befriend the dog from the sea. He has made a nuisance of himself with the locals causing them to call in the dogcatcher. The dog from the sea is an expert at evading them while living among the sand dunes and eating from garbage cans. Lulu knows he just needs someone to love him. Though their vacation wasn't perfect, the family had a great time together and Lulu added yet another member to her menagerie. This is a great intermediate series. Lulu is a wonderful and natural character for young girls to relate to. less

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