Book: My Dog Made Me Write this Book (2019)
Author: Elizabeth Fensham
Genre: MG, Contemporary
Basic plot: Eric is having dog trouble. It’s all he’s wanted forever… a dog of his own. He gets to pick out a dog, and chooses a mutt that he calls Ugly. Not as an insult. But Eric, aka Eccle, starts to wonder if Ugly is insulted by his name and is taking it out on his poor owner. And if something doesn’t change, Eric going to lose his dog. Because Mom has had enough with a dog that won’t behave.
Opening lines from the book …
Running away is a very difficult thing to do if you are going to do it right.
WHAT I LIKED ABOUT THIS BOOK…
1) Eric has a fun voice in this book. In some ways, he kind of clueless that he’s part of the reason why his dog is so unruly.
2) I loved the scenes where Eric and his friends come up with a list of reasons why Ugly doesn’t like Eric. And one of the reasons has to do with Ugly’s name. So, Eric tries thinking of a new name for Ugly, but one that will sound like his old name.
3) I think my favourite side character is the grandfather. I love mentor characters, and Grandpa fits the bill. I love how he encourages Eric to work with Ugly.
4) The story begins with a runaway scene. There’s something quite charming with scenes where a kid prepares to run away from home. This scene works very well. Eric ends up at the park and nothing exciting happens. Nobody seems to care that he’s run away.
5) And then there’s Mrs. Manchester and her cat (aka Ugly’s nemesis!) I enjoyed seeing the progression of the relationship between Ugly and the cat. (In fact, if I remember correctly, that cat is one of the reasons Ugly might be sent away.) But then comes Maggie the dog whisperer.
THINGS THAT BOTHERED ME…
1) I didn’t really like Gretchen the older sister. She’s practically an adult (I think she’s supposed to be 18 or 19), but in many ways, she acted like she’s in her early teens. I think I could have handled her better if she had been only 13 or 14.
FINAL THOUGHTS
A good book for dog lovers! It also helps kids see that it takes work to have a dog. Take it from the dog whisperer…
YOUR TURN…
Have you read this book? What are your thoughts? I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments!
Note: I’m posting this for Greg Pattridge’s Marvelous Middle-Grade Monday…
Of Maria Antonia 
Yes, having a dog is a huge undertaking. Those first two years of a dog’s life can bring havoc to any home so being prepared is the key. I missed seeing this book when it came out but you have renewed my interest. Thanks for featuring on Marvelous Middle Grade Monday.
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I love stories about dogs! This sounds pretty realistic and it’s so interesting that it starts with a running away scene. I’ll have to check it out!
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This sounds like such an entertaining story—perhaps it’s a perfect summer read! Eric sounds like a fun protagonist, and the adventures in pet ownership and pet nemesis-ship sound quite fun as well. Thanks so much for the great review!
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Dog stories always steal my heart. What a really fun summer read for dog lovers! Thanks for sharing today.
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This sounds like a fun story kids would love. I really like the title.
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Great title! We just got our first dog last week, so I can totally relate to how much work dogs can be. This sounds like such a fun book. I like the opening line and your description of the first scene definitely makes me want to read this.
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It’s a good thing for kids to know what they are getting into when they get a dog. It’s not all fun. The book sounds great. I will try to check it out. Thanks for the post.
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