Hotel for Dogs

Hotel for Dogs #1

by Lois Duncan, Leonard W. Shortall (Illustrator)

The Walkers are moving to a new town, and staying with an aunt who's allergic to dogs. Too bad for Andi and her brother Bruce, who love dogs -- and happen to meet a stray that needs help. Soon, Andi hatches a plan, turning the abandoned house down the block into a hotel for dogs. But as more and more tenants move in, the secret gets too big to keep. Can the kids save their canine castle? Or will the hotel have to close?

Genres: Animals, Childrens, Dogs, Middle Grade, Fiction, Realistic Fiction, Audiobook

165 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1971

About the author

Lois Duncan (born Lois Duncan Steinmetz) was an American writer and novelist, known primarily for her books for children and young adults, in particular (and some times controversially considering her young readership) crime thrillers. Duncan's parents were the noted magazine photographers Lois Steinmetz and Joseph Janney Steinmetz. She was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, but grew up in Sarasota, Florida. Duncan started writing and submitting manuscripts to magazines at the age of ten, and when she was thirteen succeeded in selling her first story.

Duncan attended Duke University from 1952 to 1953 but dropped out, married, and started a family. During this time, she continued to write and publish magazine articles; over the course of her career, she has published more than 300 articles, in magazines such as Ladies' Home Journal, Redbook, McCall's, Good Housekeeping, and Reader's Digest. After her first marriage, which produced three children, ended in divorce, Duncan moved to Albuquerque, New Mexico, to teach journalism at the University of New Mexico, where she also earned a BA in English in 1977. In 1965 she married Don Arquette, and had two more children with him.

Duncan was best known for her novels of suspense for teenagers. Some of her works have been adapted for the screen, the most famous example being the 1997 film I Know What You Did Last Summer, adapted from her novel of the same title. Other made-for-TV movies include Stranger with My Face, Killing Mr. Griffin, Don't Look Behind You, Summer of Fear and Gallows Hill.

In 1989 the youngest of Duncan's children, Kaitlyn Arquette, was murdered in Albuquerque, New Mexico, under suspicious circumstances. Who Killed My Daughter? relates the facts and conjecture about the still unsolved case.

Duncan's second book about her daughter's murder, ONE TO THE WOLVES: ON THE TRAIL OF A KILLER, picks up where the first book leaves off and contains all the new information Kait's family has uncovered from private investigation.

The 1971 children's book Hotel for Dogs was released as a theatrical movie in 2009, starring Emma Roberts. That book has now been republished by Scholastic along with two sequels, News for Dogs (2009) and Movie for Dogs (2010).

Duncan's Gothic suspense novel, DOWN A DARK HALL, is being filmed for the Big Screen and will probably be released in 2016.


Follow Lois on Twitter: http://twitter.com/duncanauthor
http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?i...
http://www.kaitarquette.arquettes.com

Reviews

[Sheila Beaumont · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dog lovers will enjoy this book, which is about a brother and sister who, together with some friends, rescue several homeless or abused dogs. I listened to the audiobook, brilliantly narrated by Katherine Kellgren, which made the story especially fun. There's also a movie loosely based on this book. I haven't seen it yet, but I am going to look for it.

[Amy the book-bat · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a cute story. However, it is one of the rare instances in which I prefer the movie version.

[Monica · Rating 3 out of 5]

'Hotel para perros’ es un libro de ésos que, de algún modo, hacen que te reconcilies un poco con el mundo. Ver el encanto y pasión que ponen sus protagonistas: Bruce y Andi, dos hermanos que adoran a los animales abandonados o atormentados y los defienden de la hambruna así como de la crueldad de seres sin corazón, consigue que su lectura te toque en su esencia y te saque una sonrisa cómplice; aunque hay ciertas cosas que se sostienen con ‘alfileres’ (seamos realistas..¿un hotel para perros y salen bien parados?)
Pese a tratarse de un libro más infantil que juvenil (yo me lo encontré en la sección juvenil de la biblioteca), con una trama mixta entre la narrativa de enredo y educativa, es en su desarrollo que te gana, aunque al principio pueda parecerte tontorrón.
Por descontado, y en todo libro de ésta índole, hay un malo por excelencia: Jerry, un mimado y cruel adolescente de la casa vecina dónde vive la tía de Bruce y Andi. Además de los personajes secundarios, algo tópicos (padre y madre) y tía viuda algo insufrible que después acaba mejorando (pero muy al final). Todo el conjunto hace que te centres en las andaduras y desventuras de los hermanos recogiendo perros, atrayendo adeptos a su causa benéfica (por separado y no sin alguna que otra disputa), hasta trapicheando y consiguiendo trabajillos para pagar la manutención de los forzosos y peludos inquilinos...cuando deciden hacer de canguros de otros sabuesos del barrio mientras sus dueños están fuera.
Un punto en contra es que el desarrollo, pese a estar bien pensado y estructurado, resulta corto en su nudo y se resuelve todo muy rápido, cuando está en su punto más álgido de narración. Por otro lado y a todas luces, comprensible por estar destinado al público más joven.
Por último quisiera resaltar un dato curioso, y es que su publicación original data del 2008. A mí al leerlo me ha parecido cómo si fuese una lectura de al menos una década (sino dos) anterior; en la línea de Bente o ‘Qué día tan béstia’.

Así pues, UN LIBRO PARA AMANTES DE LOS ANIMALES, ENTRETENIDO, ÁGIL, QUE PUEDE RECORDARTE A TU INFANCIA Y SACARTE MÁS DE UNA SONRISA DEL CORAZÓN, QUE CONSIGUE NUEVAMENTE QUE VEAS MUNDO AL NIVEL DE UNOS CHIQUILLOS QUE NO PONEN BARRERAS NI LÍMITES, QUE HACEN LAS COSAS POR UNA BUENA CAUSA..UNA NOBLEZA Y HONESTIDAD IMPOLUTA EN ÉSA MARAVILLOSA ÉPOCA DE LA VIDA.

[Laura5 · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think I enjoyed this one more because my first grader loved it so much.
He would probably give this one 5 stars. He loves a good dog story, and asked to keep listening to the audiobook every time we got in the car. I loved the gasps, and cheers from the backseat as we listened.

[Alisha Brook · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a cute story! 5 stars

[elemsr · Rating 3 out of 5]

ευχάριστο αλλά δεν μου αρέσουν οι ιστορίες με σκύλους τις (ψιλο-) βαριέμαι 🫣

[Jackie · Rating 5 out of 5]

hotel for dogs is about two kids named andi and bruce walker there father loses his job and they have to move in with there aunt alice.while there there they meet this guy named jerry gordon. aunt alice thinks that he is an angle but he is a bully. jerry has a dog named red rover and jerry treats him like a peice of trash and bruce sees that there is an empty house down the street from aunt alices and and the next day bruce and andi find a stray dog and so they take the dog in and hide it in andi's temperarly room (sewing room) the next morning the kids awake and fing four little baby puppys.So they take the dogs to the empty house and put the dogs in it. as time moves along they keep getting more and more dogs. one day jerry and his crue were sitting in a wagin and jerry slapped red rover and told him to start walking.it ended up where they hurt red rover so bruce found him and took him to the hotel.but to find out if jerry gets red rover and if bruce and andi get to keep their hotel for dogs open you have to read the amazin "HOTEL FOR DOGS"

:)jackie harmon:)

[Erin Reilly-Sanders · Rating 3 out of 5]

Despite some issues the outdated female role portrayals, I actually really enjoyed this. The descriptions of dogs can't help but to win affection and the kids' feelings feel honest and real. Duncan does a good job of balancing male and female interest by having two main protagonists, one of each gender. However, while the book has been updated with the names of the characters in the movie, the gender stereotypes have not been changed. The girls do the cleaning and feeding housework while the boys go out and earn money. At one point, Andi/Liz even mentioned that she wants to practice for the day when she'll have her own kitchen while making excuses to do the dishes and gather dog scraps. It's unfortunately a bit of a turn off. Otherwise, the book would work well, appealing to lots of different students and possibly making some fun math connections, as the characters talk about paying for the things they need (bog food, bowls, brushes etc) and reimbursing for things taken or damaged.

[Neda · Rating 4 out of 5]

In my opinion, this book was amazing! I think that this book really has an important moral or theme which is to always rescue animals in need. In the story, a young girl named Andi must visit her aunt and is forced to leave her dog, Bebe, behind in order to go on the trip. She is a young poet who loves writing and she is not very happy about the trip to her aunt's place because it is in a different state. Later on in the book, Andi and her brother sneak dogs into different houses but I won't spoil the story for you. I can't really explain the story thoroughly without spoiling the whole book, but let me just say that Andi and her brother secretly start a dog hotel. Later in the book, you will find out how they get in trouble and you will also find out about other surprising things that happen. In conclusion, this is an AMAZING book and I would recommend it to anyone who likes feel-good stories, happy stories, dog stories, and animal stories because the the story is mostly based on dogs. P.S. Even though I am more of a cat person, I still really enjoyed reading this book.

[Rhiannon20 · Rating 3 out of 5]

The movie "Hotel for Dogs" is, surprisingly, based on this book -
"Hotel for Dogs" (who'd have guessed?)! This book is about a boy, Bruce, and his sister, Andy, who move from their Albuquerque home to New Jersey. They, unfortunately, have to leave their dashund, Bebe, behind, but they do, however, manage to rescue a stray with puppies and move her into the abandoned house down the way. Son that one stray turns into six, and they start to board dogs there to make money. But will they be able to keep it a secret?
This is a nice, easy read. I liked it because it has a nice ending, but disliked it because it was a bit too short and even though the ending was nice you could tell what was going to happen.

[Shane Fritz · Rating 4 out of 5]

A cute story of 2 kids whose kindness lead them to shelter a wet & hungry stray dog, who gives birth to puppies in the closet overnight. The problem is that Aunt Alice, with whom they are staying, is deathly allergic to dogs. To solve the problem, they make use of an empty house on the block as a temporary shelter. Then Bruce rescues a dog who had been abused, run away, then come to their yard to possibly die. Red Rover is the second tenant in the house...and the story goes on from there. I red it aloud to my grandson and he really enjoyed this "chapter book".

[Tarissa · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a fun childrens' book! Both my brother and I liked "Hotel for Dogs". It was a charming, childhood story. After all, wouldn't every pet-loving kid relish in the idea of creating a hotel for doggie visitors? Sounds like a terrific idea to me. I wish that I could join in the with the characters in the book. If you're looking for a fun book with new original storyline concepts, this should be the one you pick up.

[CLM]

I am sure I read this long ago - but just got it from the library for my 4th grade niece who rated it A+.

[Jenni · Rating 5 out of 5]

(audio) listened on our way to and from cincinnati. roman LOVED it and is the one who gives it 5 stars.

[Meredith · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well it's completely different than the movie! A few things I enjoyed more, like Andi being a poet and trying to get her work published, but most of it I enjoyed less.

I missed the strong bond of friendship I remember between Andi and Bruce as kids shuffling from home to home in the foster care system. Also the idea of needing to save a surplus of unwanted, abused, and stray pets seems to make a lot more sense in a city setting like the movie. It felt unlikely that there would be so many neglected dogs in need of a home in the suburban neighborhood setting of the book.

Some other things in the book felt contrived as well - like an Aunt with dire pet allergies and a conveniently abandoned house in an otherwise thriving neighborhood. I was also kinda weirded out by some subtly sexist and racist dialogue, until I realized this story was originally published in the early 70s and I'm pretty sure is meant to take place in the 50s or 60s.

Otherwise, it is a cute story. And I tried not to rate it too harshly given that had I never seen the movie I probably wouldn't have as much criticism. I'd say it's still worth a quick read.

[Doggy Peixinho · Rating 5 out of 5]

I think I've liked more the second book and the movie, but that does not means that I didn't like the book. I swear that it is amazing.

[Annie Z. · Rating 4 out of 5]

I saw this movie with the kids many years ago and I loved it. I saw the book on Libby and decided to read it and I was not disappointed. It’s a cute book with adventures and misadventures and lots of dogs!

[Patricio Padua · Rating 5 out of 5]

My second Duncan, and I’m starting to realize that with her efficient prose and crisp plotting, she may have been the YA Donald Westlake.

[Libby · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun book with twist and turns and other cool stuff


If you really like dogs like I do I would read the book

[Yarno · Rating 5 out of 5]

At first in the library i had no idea what kind of book i wanted. I was just looking around and then i saw this book, "Hotel For Dogs" by Lois Duncan. And because i love dogs and animals in general i chose this book. I didn't regret it. This is so amazing. It is about a family who had to move away to Aunt Alice because of dads work. And because of Aunt Alice is allergic to dogs Andi can't take her dog Bebe with her. So she and her brother Bruce Walker came with an idea to start a hotel for dogs. They take homeless dogs to an house that was for sale down the street to take care of them. And it begins with 4 dogs , then 5 , then 6 and so on till 9. On a moment Mr. Walker (father of Andi and Bruce) was told that he promoted so he can move away again. And Mrs. Walker came with the idea to go to the house down the street. And Andi and Bruce panicked so hard when they heard that. Then the family did go take a look to that house and of course there were 9 dogs. So then Andi was crying and Bruce told to their parents how the dogs came there. And Andi loved a dog named Friday and Bruce loved Red Rover so they asked to their parents if they can keep those 2 dogs. And the other dogs they are going to sell them. Mr. Walker and Mrs. Walker agreed so they are going to have dogs in that house (because of Bebe). I recommend this book because it reads so fine and it isn't boring to read. The ending isn't predictable at all.

[Kim · Rating 4 out of 5]

I listened to the audio version narrated by Katherine Kellgren, who did a great job. The audio length is 3 hours, 27 minutes.

I really liked this story. I'd recommend it for kids grades 4 - 7 who like animals, especially dogs. The story was fun to listen to. It included humor, touching moments and life lessons.

I haven't seen the movie.

[Laura Vanagaitė · Rating 4 out of 5]

I picked this book up, because I wanted something easy and fun. This was a great choice. Although, this is my second time reading it, it was still entertaining. The characters were interesting, the story was fun and it's really easy to read this book. I know that "Hotel for Dogs" is aimed at younger readers, I still enjoyed it. Not much to annotate though! :D I need to watch the movie now.

[Brenda · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this book with my step-daughter. She loves all things pets and animals, so this book was right up her alley. It was a cute story about siblings Andi and Bruce, who start a hotel for dogs. It talked about tough situations like bullies and animal abuse... but done tastefully so that it was kid appropriate and taught my daughter about these tough situations.

[Anne · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is not the same as the movie. My son picked it up thinking he would like it because he loves the movie. He loved it anyway. Great story of a brother and sister willing to do anything to keep their precious dog.

[Tara · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fun story for kids. My children enjoyed it, but who doesn't love a good dog story. I thought the author did a good job with childhood logic that doesn't do the right thing all the time, that can't see obvious adult answers. Good book.

[Susan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Andi (Andrea) Walker and her brother, Bruce, take over the neighborhood’s empty house to house dogs without homes. And it was fine until their parents were looking at the house because it was for sale.

[Abigail · Rating 4 out of 5]

A dog-lover's dream.
Andi and Bruce Walker have temporarily moved into their aunt's house, leaving Andi's beloved dog Bebe behind. So when Andi finds a stray dog outside their house, she wants to keep it. Her mother says no. But Andi really REALLY wants to keep the dog. Will she find a way?

[Sandra Frey · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book played on my early childhood fantasies. Dogs everywhere.

[Susan Forsgren · Rating 3 out of 5]

Bewitching book for younger readers and the dog lover.

[Caroline Jin ying · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good book for animal lovers, especially dogs. Every part is so touching as you feel what you attract to.