LS 5623 MOD 3



juniorlibraryguild.com

 

randomhouse.com





Notes From the Dog by Gary Paulsen

Module 3 Adventure, Mystery Sports

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Paulsen, Gary. Notes from the dog. New York: Wendy Lamb Books, 2009. ISBN 9780385738453

CRITICAL ANALYSIS
Finn was a sensitive, insecure young man before Johanna moved in next door.  His world was womanless, quiet and lonely.  But caring for Johanna as she battles cancer, teaches Finn to cherish the people he cares about and that his family is whoever he loves.   Johanna uses Dylan, Finn's dog, to send him notes of encouragement and affirmation.  Finn's confidence and social life begin to grow as he finds the strength and belief in himself to build Johanna a beautiful garden, compete in a triathlon in her place and get the girl of his dreams.  The turning point for Finn comes when he finds a way to use the wedding china his mother left behind the day she also left him and his father.  It is as though he unwraps a new Finn when he unpacks the china that has never been used.  This is a heartfelt story of a young man who is surrounded by good male role models but is hurting from the lack of a loving mother.  Finn struggles with wanting to love and be loved but not having the confidence to risk getting hurt. The notes from the dog are just what he needs.


BOOK HOOK/EXPLEMPLARY OR FAVORITE LINES

“A completely bald woman drove up, parked in front of the house next door and jumped out of her car. I knew she'd moved in a couple of weeks ago to house-sit for our neighbors, professors on sabbatical. I'd seen her a few times from my kitchen window, but I hadn't spoken to her. I hadn't noticed she was bald, either, and that kind of detail didn't seem like one I'd miss. She was probably in her early twenties. She was wearing faded jeans that looked way too big for her and purple cowboy boots. She carried a leather backpack and had one of those bumpy fisherman sweaters draped over her shoulders even though it was hot. She saw me, waved and headed in our direction. Dylan sat up as she got closer and looked at her with that teeth-baring border collie grin that scares people who don't know that dogs can smile.”



Meet Gary Paulsen on Scholastic’s website

http://teacher.scholastic.com/activities/iditarod/top_mushers/index.asp?article=gary_paulsen



EXTERNAL ASSESSMENTS

School Library Journal

Fourteen-year-old Finn is terrified of meeting new people, and conversation is painful. His true friend, Matthew, is talkative, overly confident, and sometimes a thorn in his side. The boy is content with books and Dylan, his canine companion. He's determined that his summer vacation will not be marred by the intrusion of people, and thus, the discomfort they cause him. Then he meets his pretty new neighbor, 24-year-old Johanna, who shares her joy of life with Finn and Matthew and employs Finn to help her create gardens in his sorrowful-looking backyard. Johanna's enthusiasm for research, compost, fertilizer, and all things garden break down Finn's barriers. When she tells the boys that she is a breast-cancer survivor, their initial trepidation shifts to friendship. As she trains for a triathlon to raise money for cancer awareness, Finn and Matthew join her team. Right before the race, more adverse reactions to chemotherapy thwart her run, and the two boys take up the torch. Johanna's spirit and optimism infuse Finn with courage and love, and he finds his voice. Paulsen's fans may miss his trademarks: the notorious exploits of boys, the page-turning wilderness adventures, or the sled dogs that often take center stage. Yet this candid and tender tale, told with his signature humor, is a salute to the bravest of the brave.

VOYA Voice of Youth Advocates
This brief novel explores one eventful summer in the life of a meek and geeky teen, Finn, who would rather have his nose in a book than interact with family or friends. Then in moves a force of nature next door named Johanna, a bald but ebullient twentysomething cancer patient. She immediately turns Finn's life upside down by hiring him to plant a garden, coercing him to help her raise funds for a cancer fun run, and making a date for him with a girl he has been too shy to approach. Thrown into this mix are Finn's only real friend, Matthew, his single-parent father, and his unusually human dog, Dylan, who keeps showing up with handwritten notes for Finn in his mouth. Consequently Finn discovers a developing talent for connecting with others as he breaks out of his seclusion and soon the lives of his father and even his granddad are touched by his efforts. There is an undercurrent of lighthearted comedy in Finn's efforts with the garden and his fundraising speeches. Given the brevity of the book and its inclination to be a book for "boys," it could be recommended to reluctant readers. The author certainly has a long history of success in reaching the teen audience, however, in this book, the dialogue and story line seem a little too pleasant and the lives of the teens lack any real angst or conflict outside the horrors of Johanna's chemo side effects. Reviewer: Kevin Beach

.