Little Dog Lost by Marion Dane Bauer, 240 pp, RL 3


Meanwhile, Mark, is growing up without a father or siblings. He asks his mother, the mayor of Erthly, for a dog over and over. And over and over, she refuses. All of Mark's friends have dogs and one bright summer morning, while thinking about dogs like always, Mark gets the idea to ask his mother to create a dog park. With the help of his friends, he prepares a speech to give at the next town meeting, despite the fact that he is desperately shy.
Finally, there is Charles LaRue, the elderly caretaker of a grand mansion, sitting on a green piece of land with a large oak tree. While the mysterious mistress of the house died - or disappeared - long ago, Charles stays on, the rumors about him swirling. Somehow, dog, boy and man come together and things change for the better, for everybody, making for a very happy ending. One aspect of Little Dog Lost I especially like is the narrator, who shares stories about the beginning of Erthly, past stories of some of the characters and more, filling out the story.
Source: Purchased Library Bound Edition