Jennifer's Reviews > Dog Days

Summary:
It's not easy being a new kid. Gavin has just begun the third grade at a new school. He had plenty of friends before, but making new ones is difficult. He thinks he has made a new friend, but things don't turn out quite like he had hoped. As punishment for his misdeeds, Gavin has to walk his aunt Myrtle's Pomeranian. Not only is this little dog a horror, but how is Gavin ever going to prove he is cool while walking a little poofy dog with a bright pink bow?

My thoughts:
This is a sweet story with quite a few beautiful illustrations. Gavin goes through a lot of changes and his relationship with the dog also evolves over the course of his punishment. I liked how Gavin deals with his problems and attempts to both find himself and his new friends in this new situation. It was a book that definitely brought back memories of "I'm not your friend anymore" days in third grade. There is a good focus on responsibility and consequences, which is something that I don't see much in younger grade novels. Good lessons on some tough growing up issues.