Another Short, Sweet Chapter Book—Not My Dog!

Here’s another short, sweet chapter book—Not My Dog! by Colby Rodowsky. Eight-year-old Ellie wants a puppy, one she can name something special, one she can take for a million walks, and one she can teach to come and sit and stay. But what she gets instead is a full-grown square-headed, pointy-eared, skinny-tailed dog. One she’s forced to take on as her pet because her great Aunt Margaret can no longer care for him. And one she insists is “not my dog!”

As you might expect, Ellie slowly learns to love Preston (a name she dislikes almost as much as the dog). The cool part is that readers can see Ellie change. The events that help transform Ellie from a Preston- hater to one that loves and accepts him are transparent enough for young readers to take note of and follow. You might want to read this book aloud and, as you do, make a chart like the one I’ve posted along the right-hand column that lists and helps students think through the characters, setting, problem, main events (i.e., those that lead to the problem being resolved), and finally the resolution itself. Your children will surely identify with this book as they’ve undoubtedly had to deal with similar compromises that do, in fact, end happily ever after.