Foxy

by Helen V. Griffith

Jeff, camping with his parents in the Florida Keys, finds Foxy--a homeless, starving dog. "Griffith imparts a strong sense of the vivid Florida flora and fauna as the boy-dog attachment grows."--School Library Journal.

Genres: Middle Grade, Childrens, Animals

Paperback

First published April 9, 1984

About the author

In Her Own Words...

"What I like about writing books is that I can sit and think about things that most adults never think about, and it's okay because I'm a children's book writer.

I can imagine what my dog is dreaming about or what she and my cat discuss when I'm not around. I can design a time machine or make up a tall tale, and nobody says, "Grow up, Helen"--because I'm a children's book writer.

I was born and raised in Wilmington, Delaware, and I work in the family business. We're distributors of roofing and siding materials, and I've never yet gotten a story inspiration from that. Most of my ideas seem to come from dogs I have known.

My grandfather was part of our family and used to read to me a lot-the Sunday funny papers, turn-of-the-century primers, and The Arabian Nights. When I could read for myself, I read fairy tales, dog and horse stories, and comic books by the dozen.

I started writing poems and the beginnings of novels by the age of seven or eight, but I was forty before I thought about writing for publication.

For fun, I like reading (especially Anthony Trollope) and birdwatching, and I've just started learning to play old-time fiddle!"

Reviews

[Educating Drew · Rating 4 out of 5]

Foxy is a childhood book that I don't think about often. In fact, it only recently came to mind within the past year and then after signing up for the Flashback Challenge I thought there wasn't a more appropriate book to be included in my list. You see, Foxy is the only book that I remember reading as a child that was both a book on grade level and one that stayed with me emotionally for over twenty years.


Most of my childhood reads blur together. I was a voracious reader and devourer of books and never thought once to keep a list (which is surprising because I've always been list maker). Foxy, I believe, was the first book that I cried over.


As an adult, I shy away from books where the main characters or main plot devices are animals. I cannot stomach an animal dying or being abused, in books or films. When I watched Jaws, I always rooted for the dog in the ocean to survive, not the person. I've never seen Benji, Lassie, or Old Yeller. Nor have I read Where the Red Fern Grows, Old Yeller, or Cujo. I believe strongly that books should put some sort of warning label when an animal is viciously abused or dies. Marley & Me? Nope. Won't ever read it, regardless of all its hype.


You can probably guess where that paragraph is taking me, right? Foxy is about a dog (who looks like a fox). An abandoned dog. An abused, starving, abandoned dog. Luckily Foxy gets rescued in the beginning of the story by Jeff, a young boy who is camping in the Keys with his folks. But, because there has to be conflict, enter Amber. Amber is daughter of the campground owners and geez louise is she one obnoxious bratty little girl. Really. Like, someone needs a spanking troubled girl. She decides that she wants Foxy for herself and manages to cause more physical and emotional misery to the dog and Jeff that I began to wonder if she was the spawn of Satan or something.


This book is discontinued and I just so happened to find it on Bookmooch. It's a quick read and still invoked the same tormented images in my mind as it did as a child. I think I'll stick to my rule of not reading books with animals in it. (I mean really, look at that cover. Doesn't it just break your heart???)

[LINN · Rating 3 out of 5]

Lovely. Would definitely read it to kids

[L · Rating 4 out of 5]

Heartwarming and touching; this delightful children’s book gave me such pleasure, by igniting a passion for reading.

This charming, warming tale of a young child and their love for an abandoned dog called ‘Foxy’ is just sublime and which personally gives one a sense of nostalgia. I recall having such fond memories of this tale that instilled an ardent passion for reading (for pleasure), which has since become a huge part of my life and so I highly recommend this book to all. Helen V Griffith’s writes with such understanding, depth of feeling and compelling intensity so as to draw you in to the story, and thus make it impossible to put this book down! I acquired this book through a charity book sale in my local country village green, and whether it was providence or fate on that notable day, I am always most grateful. Once I had read this story I instantly had to re-read it, for this has to be one of the most absorbing page-turners that I encountered as a child. As a nation of animal lovers, the saying that “a Dog is a man’s best friend” cannot be more appropriate with this tale of outstanding courage, friendship and bravery. Love is also at the heart of this tale, emphasized between Jeff and Foxy whose strong bond is irrevocably etched within reader’s hearts and minds.

Whilst camping in the Florida Keys with his parents, Jeff finds an abandoned and mistreated Dog that he desperately wants for his own. Unable to train her Foxy becomes Jeff’s best friend and so when outside forces tries to separate them, Jeff does everything to keep them together…including the horrific car crash.

This is a book that moved me to tears due to its heady poignancy, but which also exudes such warmth and fulfillment. Ultimately satisfying, mesmerizing and totally gripping this is a delightful book that although aimed towards readers aged 12, is suitable for those slightly older too.

[Emily Purvis · Rating 4 out of 5]

I quite literally wore my copy of this book out when I was younger. It's one of the few books from my childhood that I've kept around. It also gave me an unreasonable love for key lime pie - even though I've never tasted it.

[Debbie Tanner · Rating 1 out of 5]

I gave up on this one because I couldn't figure out what happened to the dog. Maybe I wasn't reading carefully enough but it seemed really confusing to me and I couldn't stand the girl character... what a pill.