Because of Shoe and Other Dog Stories

by Ann M. Martin (Editor), Olga Ivanov, Margarita Engle (Contributor)

Hilarious and heartwarming stories by nine renowned · Ann M. Martin· Wendy Orr· Pam Muñoz Ryan· Mark Teague· Thacher Hurd· Valerie Hobbs· Margarita Engle· Matt de la Peña· Jon J MuthAdventures abound in this illustrated anthology. Max the Dax tracks a poodlenapper; Peanut, a mutt, is mistaken for a wolf; and a rescue dog named Gabe searches for a lost boy. This collection has a story for anyone who's ever wanted, known, or loved, a dog.

Genres: Middle Grade, Short Stories, Dogs, Realistic Fiction, Animals, Juvenile

272 pages, Kindle Edition

First published June 5, 2012

About the author

Ann Matthews Martin was born on August 12, 1955. She grew up in Princeton, New Jersey, with her parents and her younger sister, Jane. After graduating from Smith College, Ann became a teacher and then an editor of children's books. She's now a full-time writer.

Ann gets the ideas for her books from many different places. Some are based on personal experiences, while others are based on childhood memories and feelings. Many are written about contemporary problems or events. All of Ann's characters, even the members of the Baby-sitters Club, are made up. But many of her characters are based on real people. Sometimes Ann names her characters after people she knows, and other times she simply chooses names that she likes.

Ann has always enjoyed writing. Even before she was old enough to write, she would dictate stories to her mother to write down for her. Some of her favorite authors at that time were Lewis Carroll, P. L. Travers, Hugh Lofting, Astrid Lindgren, and Roald Dahl. They inspired her to become a writer herself.

Since ending the BSC series in 2000, Ann’s writing has concentrated on single novels, many of which are set in the 1960s.

After living in New York City for many years, Ann moved to the Hudson Valley in upstate New York where she now lives with her dog, Sadie, and her cats, Gussie, Willy and Woody. Her hobbies are reading, sewing, and needlework. Her favorite thing to do is to make clothes for children.

http://us.macmillan.com/author/annmma...

Reviews

[Shelby · Rating 5 out of 5]

My sister read this book and she really liked it, so I thought I would try it out andI really enjoyed reading short stories about dogs. I guess maybe because I am animal lover and I have dogs. I really lime reading different stories about dogs and there owners. I have to say that some of the short stories I did not like some of them and some of them I really enjoyed reading. Overall I really liked it.

[Brooke · Rating 5 out of 5]

CuTe!

[Wendy Orr · Rating 5 out of 5]

Although I'm one of the nine authors in this book, I loved the other stories so much when I read them in the ARC, that I had to comment. There's a great mix of styles and genre, from the crazy humor of Mark Teague's "Science Fair" to Margarita Engle's heart-rending verse story "Trail Magic". And Olga & Aleksey Ivanov's illustrations perfectly capture the doggy characters and the children that interact with them.

[Etchison · Rating 4 out of 5]

There were a couple of stories that I thought were weaker than the others, but the good ones really worked. My favorites included "Trail Magic" by Margarita Engle, "Things People Can't See" by Matt de la Pena, and "Brancusi and Me" by Jon J Muth.

[Stefani · Rating 5 out of 5]

I think it is so awsome kinda sad to!! I LOVE the book so much I just got done with because of shoe!!!!!! it is split up into all kinds of stories the 2nd story is because of shoe in the book.

[Eastonreads · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love funny books and dogs, so this book is a perfect combination! It's thrilling and has lots of suspense too!

[patty murray]

it was a very cute book
it talked about the dogs, that was sweet
the dog were very cute

[Stacey Mulholland · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lovely collection of short stories about dogs. Most of the characters are around 12 years old and mention the desire of independence. Fantastic collection of authors.

[Pamela Kramer · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Because of Shoe and Other Dog Stories" edited by Ann M. Martin is a compilation of stories that are all, obviously, about dogs. The forward, appropriately, is by Martin's dog, Sadie.

Sadie states, "Between the covers of this book you'll read about funny dogs, adventurous dogs, brave dogs, smart dogs, and dogs who perform rescues." What Sadie doesn't say is that some of the stories will bring a tear to your eye. Some of the stories will make you smile. And all of the stories will be stories you want to share with others.

Classroom teachers, listen up. There's nothing kids like more than dogs and stories about dogs. The stories are not as short as those in Cynthia Rylant's fabulous book, "Every Living Thing," but each of them brings to life kids' short attention spans, their sense of humor, and their ability to overlook differences when united to help a dog.

"Because of Shoe," the title story, is actually the second story in the book. It's a charming story of a young girl in court recounting a long, humorous story about her dog named Shoe. She rambles on, charming the judge and the spectators, in spite of the judge's tight schedule. The reader doesn't find out until almost the end why she is in court. It works -- really well.

Read the whole review at: http://www.examiner.com/review/becaus...

[Shirley · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a great collection of dog stories for kids written by their favorite children's book authors.

My favorites were:
The God of the Pond by Valerie Hobb
Old man Brennan was the classic Disney Cruella de Ville.

Trail Magic by Margarita Engle
"I'm alone in the cabin with his friendly
search-and-rescue dog, a shelter mutt
with the glow of a golden retriever,
the genius of a border collie,
and the name of a boy: Gabe.
Tio thinks dogs deserve human names
to remind us that they're alive,
with real feelings like joy and pain." (p. 172)

"Thru-hikers, call my uncle a trail angel,
meaning a stranger who spreads trail magic,
which is any unexpected act of kindness,
like sharing food or finding the lost." (p. 175)

"Dogs think work and fun
are exactly the same thing." (p. 175)

"At night in the cabin, Gabe curls up
beside me, and I listen to his breath.
The unworried rhythm is like music,
helping me relax and forget to be scared
of memory-dreams that make the past
still seem real." (p. 178)

The boy in the story fights lingering fears and learns forgiveness.

[Shazza Maddog · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a collection of short stories (mostly) about pre-teens and the dogs in their lives. None of the stories are interconnected, except for the ages of all but one of the main human characters in the stories. The dogs are just as diversified, from a search-and-rescue dog to a dog who lives with an artist to a rescue dog who manages to draw a family together to an elderly mutt who has horrible gastric distress.

My favorites of the stories involve the stinky mutt and his boy, as well as a free verse poem about a boy in foster care with Gabe, the search-and-rescue dog, and how they managed to find a missing boy.

A very nice collection of stories, I'd recommend it for a younger reader or for a family of dog-lovers to read together.

[William V · Rating 5 out of 5]

This collection of dog stories offers a delightful and often heartwarming glimpse into the profound bond between humans and their canine companions. The various narratives provide a charming range of perspectives and experiences, appealing to anyone who cherishes the unique spirit of dogs. However, as with many anthologies, the quality and emotional resonance of individual stories can vary, with some feeling more impactful or fully realized than others. Despite minor inconsistencies, it serves as a lovely, comforting read that celebrates the joy and sometimes the poignant lessons that dogs bring into our lives.

[Astrid Yrigollen · Rating 1 out of 5]

I did not care to much for this book. The stories seemed to meander on and off theme and oh yes, there is a at least one dog in all the stories. But that was not enough to hold my attention. I realized my mistake because one, I thought it was non fiction, and two it seems like this book is for elementary age children, not young adults as it is listed. However I do like children's books and enjoy them when the story is fresh and moves like the Cat Wings series I just finished. But this book is a collection of stories from a range of different authors.

[Meghan Nels · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have been trying to read Because of Shoe and Other Dog Stories for weeks. I finally sat down yesterday to read it and finished it very quickly. I love Ann M. Martin's other two books A Dog's Life and Everything for a Dog and enjoyed her newest offering. My students love books about dogs and I think will enjoy these short stories. Some of the stories were better than others but I enjoyed reading them. I am planning to add this book to my collection as soon as possible!

[Kerri · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm usually not a big fan of short story collections, but this one was fabulous. All of the stories are unique, creative, and highly entertaining. Dogs are the stars in each story. I think my fourth grade readers will love this book because it is not too tedious to stick with, because of the short story format, and it is very entertaining.

[Ina · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a collection of nine "heartwarming" dog stories. There is something for everyone in this book...and scattered throughout are charming pencil illustrations. The stories are well crafted and the dogs and their people are easy for a reader to fall in love with. My only complaint would be that many of the stories ended somewhat abruptly.

[Ingrid · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a collection of short stories about dogs that was compiled by Ann Martin. There are all different types of stories included: funny, sad and poignant. Some stories I liked better than others, but my favorites were the funny stories.

[Kellie · Rating 3 out of 5]

As with all short stories, some are good and some are not-so-good. The first story is about a dachshund named Max, so obviously I enjoyed that one, but my favorites were absolutely "Because of Shoe" and "Trail Magic". A good collection for the young or not-so-young dog lover. :D

[Great Books]

Adventures abound in this collection of nine hilarious and heartwarming tales, written by well-known children’s authors, perfect for anyone who’s ever wanted, known or loved a dog.
Reviewer 16

[Mary Lee · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fun collection of short stories featuring dogs. I liked some stories a lot more than others...but that's the way it usually goes with collections.

Blog review soon.

Summer 2012 #bookaday #20

[Lola · Rating 3 out of 5]

Because of Shoe was my favorite story. :)

[Mary · Rating 4 out of 5]

A collection of great dog stories by very talented authors. Wonderful summer read for all those kids looking for dog stories.

[Debbie · Rating 3 out of 5]

This has some good stories about dogs in it.

[Edward Sullivan · Rating 3 out of 5]

A fun, appealing collection of dog stories by a collection of great writers.

[Bridget · Rating 5 out of 5]

I can never resist a good dog story. This is a whole collection of them!

[Donna · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good short story collection of dog tales. Some told by humans, some told by the dog. Most are humorous, some are touching and sentimental.

Good for elementary and up.

[Melissa Wehunt · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cute stories...solid read for juveniles who like animals.

[Christine D · Rating 2 out of 5]

some stories were cute others not so much

[Sam W · Rating 3 out of 5]

A collection of nine dog stories from various authors, large print and quick chapters make it a good choice as an early chapter book.

[Kayla · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really good read