Here’s another mini-review of a middle grade book.
A Dog’s Life: The Autobiography of a Stray by Ann M. Martin
It’s a fantastic story about a dog who lives most of her life as a stray. The dog, called Squirrel, tells her story in first person.
Her mother is a stray herself, so Squirrel doesn’t have an owner to begin with. When her mother goes out and doesn’t return, Squirrel and her brother start surviving on their own. She and her brother get separated, and she lives alone, foraging for food. Another dog comes into the picture, and they become friends, but something happens that takes them apart. Squirrel lives with a family for a time but then goes back to being a stray.
Living as a stray can seem bleak, but Squirrel does experience a sweet surprise as a town feeds stray dogs at Christmastime. And she does get her happy ending, which I won’t spoil here. 🙂
This book is for advanced readers, from fourth grade to eighth grade.
Note for discernment: Squirrel passes by different places in this book, including a house with children and two women. It isn’t clear who these two women are. Some readers may interpret this as a family with two moms, but it can also be a mom and an aunt or even a mom and a grandma.
Here’s another version of the cover. I personally like the other one. 🙂
K.A. Ramstad 