Book Review: Movie for Dogs by Lois Duncan
Movie for Dogs
Lois Duncan
Scholastic, June 2010
ISBN 0545108543
Hardcover
Movie for Dogs by Lois Duncan is a later installment in the popular “for Dogs” franchise. Before getting to the review I need to note two things. The first is that I haven’t read the previous books in the series or seen the movie (Hotel for Dogs). The second comment is that I do enjoy juvenile fiction. Madeline L’Engle’s A Wrinkle in Time is one of my favorite books. I even enjoy an occasional offering by Dr. Seuss or a Little Golden book (The Pokey Little Puppy is seriously underappreciated as a work of literary fiction). O.K. – on to the review.
In Movie for Dogs, Bruce and his sister, Andi, have entered a dog themed film contest. Those who have read the previous books will not be surprised to hear that Jerry Gordon and his dog also make an appearance. What I believe are the usual supporting characters – parents, aunts, etc. – are again present. The not-quite-perfect children and the appropriate social messages present in the previous stories are here again, as well. Plans are made, the villain tries to derail them and then … well, you know the rest of the story. In spite of my fondness for juvenile fiction, I can’t say that I enjoyed this book. The plot is a bit too predictable and I didn’t fall in love with the characters. Scholastic suggests that this book is appropriate for ages 8 to 12. I think if you liked the previous offerings, you will be safe with this one. I also think that if you have a young friend who likes dogs and is at the earlier end of that 8 to 12 age range, or even a bit younger, then this is an excellent choice.
Reviewed by Alva Hughes, May 2010.
June 26, 2010
Tags: animals, kids Posted in: Full Reviews
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