Booklist (July 2004 (Vol. 100, No. 21) Gr. 4-6.
Kristine still hasn't recovered from the death of the family's pet horse when her grandfather surprises her with a new puppy on her eleventh birthday. She pretends to be excited, but she is determined not to care for another pet and risk being hurt again. After Kristine learns that her grandfather has some potentially serious health problems, and that her new baby sister may also be ill, she begins to learn how to manage her fears of losing a loved one. A related subplot, Kristine's interest in a sixth-grade boy, further reveals her unwillingness to take a chance on a relationship that might end painfully. Kristine's first person narration of the story doesn't feel particularly authentic, but the dilemmas she faces and the way she deals with them will ring true to many young readers. Libraries short on fiction dealing with grief or pet death may want to consider adding this.
Kristine still hasn't recovered from the death of the family's pet horse when her grandfather surprises her with a new puppy on her eleventh birthday. She pretends to be excited, but she is determined not to care for another pet and risk being hurt again. After Kristine learns that her grandfather has some potentially serious health problems, and that her new baby sister may also be ill, she begins to learn how to manage her fears of losing a loved one. A related subplot, Kristine's interest in a sixth-grade boy, further reveals her unwillingness to take a chance on a relationship that might end painfully. Kristine's first person narration of the story doesn't feel particularly authentic, but the dilemmas she faces and the way she deals with them will ring true to many young readers. Libraries short on fiction dealing with grief or pet death may want to consider adding this.
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