By, Sarah Lean
Personal Thoughts…
I was drawn in by the cover, and honestly thought it was a simple story about a girl and her dog. It was so much more. The little girl on the front is Cally {5th grader}, and in the first pages we learn that her mother recently died, and her Dad is not handling it well at all. Things are intense emotionally right from the beginning, also revealing that Cally can “see” her dead mother. Cally goes on to befriend a boy who cannot see and is mostly deaf, a homeless man, and a homeless dog. Cally does not speak for about 30 days in the story and much of the story centers around this also.
The end is a tear jerker and leaves you with a smile, tying the whole story together. Personally due to some of the issues discussed in this book, I think 5th grade is about right for my kids. I may read it aloud to Ladybug {currently 2nd grade} earlier than that, but not this year as I had planned. It will be on Krash’s 5th grade reading list if he chooses to read it.
Leveled Reading Systems Explained
- Interest Level: 3-6
- Grade Level Equivalent: 3.8
- Lexile Measure: 660L
- DRA Level: 40
- Guided Reading Level: Q
Personally I say ages 10-12 for most kids and even then reading with a parent might be best so some of the heavier issues {death, seeing her dead mom, Cally not speaking, etc.} can be discussed.
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