Listen!

by Stephanie S. Tolan

Learning to walk again is the easy part.

For twelve-year-old Charley, recovering from the accident that shattered her leg is nowhere near as difficult as facing the solitude of a summer without her best friend and with a father who does nothing, now, but work. Solitude means time to think, time to hear for the first time the awful silence left in her world two years ago by her mother's death.

But the summer holds a surprise for Charley, in the form of a mysterious dog who appears in the woods across the lake from her home. In order to connect with this wild spirit she names Coyote, Charley will have to do more than just walk. She will have to follow Coyote into the heart of her memories: the woods her mother loved so much. And she will have to learn to listen past the silence.

This unsentimental, unforgettable story comes straight from the heart of Newbery Honor author Stephanie S. Tolan. As she describes Charley's difficult emotional and physical journey, she weaves together themes of nature, family, and love into a complex and powerful portrait of recovery.

Genres: Realistic Fiction, Animals, Fiction, Dogs, Young Adult, Middle Grade, Childrens

208 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2006

About the author

Stephanie S. Tolan's earliest memories involve books. Those that were read to her and those she read to herself, often late at night with a flashlight under the covers. She always thought there was a special magic in the little black marks on paper that could turn into whole worlds and real people. Born in Ohio and raised in Wisconsin, she wrote her first story in the fourth grade. It was thrilling to discover she could make the magic herself, and she decided then and there to be a writer.

Other ambitions came and went, but writing stayed on, and she majored in creative writing at Purdue University, then went on to a Master's Degree in English. Marriage and the sudden addition to her life of three young stepsons, and then a son, forced writing into the nooks and crannies, but she wrote poetry and plays for adults as she taught college English. In the mid-seventies, Stephanie began working in the Poets-in-the-Schools program in Pennsylvania. Her first group of students were fourth and fifth graders, and she found among them a new generation of intense readers, still using the flashlight-under-the-covers trick.

"They brought back to me that special reading joy that most adults, even the readers among us, have lost, and I wanted to try my hand at writing for those kids, so like myself at their age and yet so different."

The difference, she felt, was less in the children themselves than in the fast-changing world they lived in. Her writing for children and young adults, beginning with Grandpa -- And Me in 1978, has reflected that contemporary world.
Stephanie Tolan is also well known as an advocate for extremely bright children. She co-authored the award-winning nonfiction book, Guiding the Gifted Child, and has written many articles about the challenges gifted "asynchronous" children and adults face as they find a way to fit into their world. She lectures throughout the country to audiences of parents, educators and counselors attempting to find ways to meet the children's needs. Her experiences with these "amazing, off-the-charts" young people inspired the themes of Welcome to the Ark, a powerful novel about four brilliant young misfits in a world teetering on destruction.
Stephanie Tolan currently lives in Charlotte, NC, with her husband.

Reviews

[Cheyanne · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have read this book a few times everytime it never gets old. It's different than what I normally read but I still like it it just makes me happy inside.

[Shaya · Rating 4 out of 5]

I got this book for my favorite elementary school teacher because it sounded very me. I really liked me. The storyline is that it's about a girl, Charley, who is hurt in an accident. School is over and it's summer. Her mother died two (?) years ago and she hasn't really dealt with her grief. Her best friend went to camp for the entire summer with another girl. Her father tells her to get out and exercise her leg. She meets a halfwild dog and makes it her goal for the summer to tame him. She calls him Coyote. Her mother was a nature photographer. She hasn't been in the woods around their house since her mother's death because she spent all the time there with her mother. But in order to see Coyote she has to go to the places and trails. Slowly she connects with Coyote and in doing so feels more confident. I liked it a lot. It amused me she called her physical therapist a physical terrorist. There were some typos, not too many. The age range is about 4th-6th grade, I think.

I love the telepathy aspect. It is written as a way that makes sense in the world. By paying attention and listening Charley was able to hear Coyote when he was off in the woods. But it wasn't accurate and could be easily clouded by her own hopes.

[Britt Meter · Rating 4 out of 5]

Quick and easy read for me, it was the third time reading this book. I liked the main character Charley who was in a car accident which was caused by her best friend's brother, which left Charley with significant injuries and causing to break friends with Amy. Her main project for the summer is to be friend a dog which she called Coyote who lives in the woods and has no home. A bond is created throughout the story between Charley and Coyote. It was an enjoyable read for me.3.5-4 stars

[Kim Reads · Rating 5 out of 5]

When I was a kid, just a 11 year old, I reread this book countless times. Each time my senses were awakened, everything felt and smelled real. In my mind I could see the cloudless blue of the day sky and that panting, scruffy mutt. Each time I found myself near tears as well. With being able to relate to Charley's isolated feeling and her powerful road to recovery.

Yet seeing the book after nearly a decade of not reading made me slightly nervous; as things you built up as a child are sometimes not that powerful as an adult. However, I'm happy to say nothing has changed and the book may be even more enjoyable as an adult. Now, being able to appreciate it beyond the gorgeous imagery and descriptions comes a powerful story of loss and gain.

The character growth is amazingly well written and just as wonderfully paced. The juxtaposition between our main character and the wild dog is clear but not in a predictable way. The story allows the reader to feel almost every emotion in a way that is so humanizing and relatable. This book maintains amazing reread value and that is a the best measure of a books worth, at least to me. 5/5

[Katt Hansen · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book has a certain biographical feel which makes sense given that the author lives in this setting with a dog of this name. I will wager that much of this came from experience and it shows.

A story of healing, a little girl struck by tragedy twice and a dog who has suffered far too much find each other in this endearing and realistic tale of a summer that wasn't anything special at the onset. I dove into this book and loved it all the way through. Things didn't always happen as I expected, and I kept wishing that the girl's mother would somehow walk back through that door because it was just too heartbreaking growing to love her the way her daughter did.

Awesome book and one I would recommend to anyone who loves dogs and / nature, or is just looking for a book to escape into that will tug at your heartstrings. Worth the five stars!

[Carlos Woods · Rating 3 out of 5]

Yay the dog lived in this one! I was expecting it to come pack with a mom and puppies, then Charley tames all of them, but it didn't happen like that. It could have been something more, to be honest. Charley did tame the dog kind of so there's something.

[Bri Grant · Rating 5 out of 5]

Maybe it's just because I love dogs, or maybe it's the way Tolan's writing was so clear and able to be visualized, but I fell in love with this book! There are not many chapter books or novels that I can read nearly in a single sitting- but this one, I definitely could! I don't really know what qualifies as a 5-star rating in most other eyes, but this one definitely qualified as one to me! I wanted to continue on this journey with Coyote and Charley!

[Mr. Kenney's Happy Hippies Literature Group]

This book is a good book not only if you like animals, but if you like books that have a little bit of adventure to it. Like so far there is a girl named Charlie and she got in a car accident and has a really bad cut open leg. she goes on an adventure trying to overcome her fear and finds a a stray dog, that has been abused and she tries to take it in but it is scared of her.

[Nikki Wilson · Rating 3 out of 5]

My son bought this book at a book fair. Surprise, surprise, he picked a book about a dog! LOL! It was written really well, lots of great description and visuals. But all in all a little boring for me. My son loved it though, and I guess that's what counts

[Lorraine · Rating 4 out of 5]

Luna picked it because she can't resist a story about a girl and a dog. I was initially thrown off by the slow pacing, but was eventually won over by some pretty exceptional nature writing. Also, a touching story about a girl and a dog.

[Emily Mayville · Rating 5 out of 5]

Pain is not a new concept when it comes to Charley. The death of her mother two years ago, her father indulged in his work leaving him with no time for anything else, and now is left with a shattered leg. With nothing to do Charley thinks she will spend this summer by herself but Charley is surprised with an unexpected challenge of trying to tame what seems like an untamable wild dog. Will Charley and this dog be able to help each other?
I really enjoyed this book because the story captivated me and drew me in. I feel like this book had a good main character that is easy to connect with and you can instantly fall in love with Coyote is you’re a dog lover like me.
The only con I can think of when discussing this book is the predictable aspect. Although this isn’t a mystery themed book it would have been nice for some parts to have a plot twist almost.
If you are looking for a book and don’t want to have to worry about offensive content then you should definitely consider reading Listen! This heartwarming story about a girl and a dog will have you hooked not shaking your head.
This was a great read to me because me myself I like exciting adventurous stories and I love animals and this book have both wrapped into one. I feel like Listen was well written and had a good story line about how a dog can change someone’s life for the better. This is the kind of book that you can’t get enough of. I could of read this in one day, I found myself always wanting to know what happened next and once I finished the book I was sad because I wanted to read more about Charley and Coyote.
“Charley marks a big red 2 on her calendar for this day, June 11. She intends to keep track of this process she has named “The Taming.” She writes the words beneath June on the calendar because she hopes it will be finished by the end of the month. That’ll be nineteen days, very nearly three weeks. She plans to use food and treats to win him over. Every single one of the Eagle Lake dogs comes willingly to get a treat, even Bo, Mrs. Jensen’s black Lab, who is eighteen years old now and has trouble hearing. Lots of the people at the lakes take treats for the dogs when they go for a walk, even if they don’t if they don’t have a dog for themselves.
Wild and frightened as Coyote is, Charley thinks, he is still a dog. Dogs and people go together. By the end of the month, she wants him in her room at night instead of alone in the woods. Whatever people might have done to him before, she’ll prove to him she’s different.”

[Lukas .K · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read the book Listen and I thought it was a good book. It is about a
girl who broke her leg and lost her mom, and a random stray dog comes by.
Read how this dog changes her life.

The main character is named Charley. She broke her leg and lost her mom in a plane crash. Then one day randomly this stray dog comes out of the woods.One conflict in the book was character vs self. Charley has to face her broken leg and her dead mom and she can't change the past. Next is an example of character vs character. Charley has to deal with coyote (the dog) running away a lot and not eating. She also has to deal with her father ignoring her and the dog and not caring. This book is realistic fiction because it's a story about how a dog or any animal in that manner can change your life.


I liked the book because it was about how an animal can change a really sad person to the happiest person ever. I also like it because it changes the perspective of the entire book from a depressed sad one to a feel good happy one. The type of people that would like this book would be people that like animals and feel good stories. I like this book because it's a feel good book and it makes me happy. When I read this book I was excited after every chapter to see what would happen next. I give this book
4 ½ stars

[Skuya B · Rating 4 out of 5]

The title of this book is “Listen!”. The author is Stephanie S. Tolan. This book is basically about this dog getting abused and Charley wanted to help this dog. Charley wanted to help that dog because Charley knows what’s going on and Charlie's father was always gone for work and the mother passed away. So Charley probably wanted that dog either way.


This is based off a true story. This happens a lot in real life often. And the reader said in the beginning “To Coyote, loving spirit, and the dogs and people of Eagle Lake who helped bring him from the wild.”


I recommend this book because it’s interesting especially when you learn about Charley. I like this book for the most part. It was easy to read. it’s fun when you try to predict what’s next. I liked the ending of this book. It was about Coyote getting a little house built for him.

[Vera · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book made me cry tiny tears of warmth.

Bough my copy from an old bookshop that was closing. I got it as a remembrance of the comfort of the place. I personally went for this book because it had a dog on its cover, and I recently just became a dog owner.

The chapters were easy to read, which felt comfortable and light. Being part of Charley's shared healing journey with Coyote was such a delight. The tiny moments of realizations that Charley had in the woods melted my heart because I adore the greens just like her mom. The transparency of Charley's thoughts resembles that of a child. The author did a great job capturing a child's innocence and imagination, even in parts of Charley's trauma.

I would absolutely reach for this book again. I'm glad I found this book as a remembrance of that old bookshop and as a new comfort space on my shelf.

[Raleyv12 · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this book in middle school and it was one of my favorites. However, I forgotten about it all these years until luckily, it was at a store. All these memories came back and I just had to reread it.

Based on a true story that the author experienced, Charley builds a bond with a wild dog she named Coyote. Going at Coyote’s pace, she was able to “tame” him in a way that he feels free to do what he likes. I love how she is able to communicate with him by thinking and telling him what she is doing. Surprisingly, he can understand her back. I can only associate that with friends who understand each other by their facial expressions. Its a connection I can relate to with my own pets who are wild by heart.

[Caeden Berhow · Rating 3 out of 5]

In my personal opinion, this book was not that good. It started out with good potential but slowly got more boring at some points in the book it seemed to run out of story behind it. However, when the story made sense it was very good I'm disappointed that they let such a good plot go to waste.

To summarize the book it was about a girl injured in a car crash finds a dog while taking a walk. Then she tries to tame and train the dog over the course of summer it just talks about the troubles of the injury and training the dog named coyote. I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a touching story, but personly I don't like it

[Janice Gard · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is considered juvenile fiction. Don't let that keep you from reading it. It is a beautifully conceived story of a young girl whose life has been turned upside down in a number of ways. It has been 2 years since her mother's death but neither Charley nor her father have worked through their grief. In addition, Charley is recovering from an accident that shattered her leg and she is facing a long lonely summer without the company of her best friend. When she discovers a mysterious dog living in the woods near her home, she sets out to befriend him. In order to do so, Charley must push herself to walk even when it is painful, and to revisit the woods her mother had loved so much.

[Anna · Rating 3 out of 5]

this book was okay. I liked the storyline, but it was sort of distracting as it was written in present tense. Anyone who has a hard time with reading this, better leave it alone.

The story was about a girl named Charley who was recovering from a shattered legbone. She doesn't seem to want to do anything with her life anymore until she meets a stray dog who's been abused. Together they both struggle to heal their mental pain and sadness and the two of them become friends.

[sonnet :) · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a book about a girl and a dog. The girl, Charley, was heartbroken from her mother dying and then she broke her leg. Later she found a dog in the forest, named him Coyote and tamed him throughout her summer. She had some kind of connection to Coyote. This book ends abruptly and now I want to know more.

[Terry]

This is an excellent coming-of-age story. The book reads like a Hallmark Presents theatrical offering: somewhat predictable but neither too sappy nor too sweet. Tolan is a classy author and has given us a wonderfully professional offering. Our teen reviewer wasn't as enamoured. Click to read their review.

[Jennifer · Rating 3 out of 5]

Charley has had so much change in her life: her mother’s death and a car accident that left her with major surgery. The only bright spot is a wild dog she has dubbed Coyote. She dedicates her summer to getting him used to her. Ultimately, she saves him but truly he saves her as well and puts her back on the path to happiness.

[Kathy Parish · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely charming and heartwarming book about pain, loss, and love. Meant for young readers (ages 10 and up) but a good read for animal lovers of all ages, Highly recommend. A young girl’s taming of a wild dog leads to her own healing, both physical and emotional. Loved it!

[Lexi (Soda's version) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Charley is an injured girl who has trouble walking. Then she meets Coyote, a dog wild at heart. As she tames Coyote, her heart heals as well as her leg.
This is a heartfelt story and I hope you’ll enjoy it as much as I did!!

[Janelle Hammonds · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was a cute book with a good message, the main character never giving up despite many reasons to.

[Sue Milano · Rating 4 out of 5]

A book about healing and nature as much as it is about taming a wild dog. Beautifully written, especially if you enjoy the woods and all their glory.

[Alivia · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was very interesting but didn’t end how I wanted. But that’s how books go and I cannot wait to read more by this author.

[Urdadsfavorite · Rating 4 out of 5]

i read this lil gem in elementary school and it was my shit. so cute

[Terri Dreismeier · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sometimes just have to dust off a library book and read it. Love my library job and modeling for students.

[Belén Lòpëz · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read this book multiple times as a preteen. Was a huge fan of it.

[Emily · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great story of connection and renewal.