Module 14

Summary

For the poetry and story collections this week I read My Dog, My Hero by Betsy Byars, Betsy Duffey and Laurie Myers. There is a My Hero Award, and eight dogs are featured in the book. Each person submitted a story of how and why their dog was a hero to them. Submitters were children, adults or next door neighbors telling the story and each dog did something for the person in the story. The stories vary from the dog saving their life to just being a companion. In the end one dog is given the My Hero Award, but every dog in the short stories receives an award.

Impression

I enjoyed these stories because they were fun to read and they also had great things to tell about dogs. I could tell in the tone of the writteres how much these dogs ment to them and how they changed their life for the better. I really felt like I knew these dogs and I just wanted to give them all a hug. I love dogs and this is a child friendly book for any age.

Reviews on Amazon.com

From School Library Journal

Gr 3-6-Byars and her daughters set up this collection of eight stories as though a contest for the "My Hero" award were underway and they were serving as judges. A cross-section of citizens enter, each relating a story of one canine's valiant behavior, from rescuing a baby to restoring joy to a lonely person's life to finding people trapped after a tornado. Happily, not a single dog is lost in the process. The authors provide a distinct voice for each narrator and a distinct personality for each animal while highlighting the common themes of gratitude, admiration, and love. The short-story format and popular topic make this a sound choice for older reluctant readers as well as for younger children. A full-color painting and a cameo portrait of the pet accompany each selection.-Pat Leach, Lincoln City Libraries, NE

Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist

Gr. 3-6. Newbery Medal-winner Byars and daughters Betsy Duffey and Laurie Myers--dog lovers all--collaborate for the first time in this collection of eight stories about extraordinarily heroic dogs. Each of the first-rate tales is told from the point of view of a contestant entering a dog in the My Hero contest. Among the entries is one from a gruff gardener who has no use for dogs until one alerts him to a poisonous snake lurking in his petunias. In another, a 93-year-old woman relates how a dog's cold nose and loving touch transformed her after she'd given in to depression in a nursing home. Drama, humor, excitement, and love fuel these short, well-written stories that are certain to be relished by dog lovers. The selections can also provide students in English classes with excellent examples of point of view, characterization, and plot construction. Loren Long's evocative full-color artwork not only shows off each canine but also invites readers into the crises and emotions of the episodes. Ellen MandelCopyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Lesson

In a classroom I would use this book as a read aloud each day. Then I would have them think of an animal or person they think is a hero to them. I would have them write and illustrate their own story about “their hero”. Once the stories were complete I would take the finished product and make a book for the class.