A Dog's Life: Autobiography of a Stray

A Dog’s Life #1

by Ann M. Martin

Newbery Honor author Ann Martin's "heartwrenching and heartwarming" (Kirkus) dog story, now in paperback, with After Words bonus material.

Squirrel and her brother Bone begin their lives in a toolshed behind someone's summer house. Their mother nurtures them and teaches them the many skills they will need to survive as stray dogs. But when their mother is taken from them suddenly and too soon, the puppies are forced to make their own way in the world, facing humans both gentle and brutal, busy highways, other animals, and the changing seasons. When Bone and Squirrel become separated, Squirrel must fend for herself, and in the process makes two friends who in very different ways define her fate.

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

208 pages, Paperback

First published October 11, 2005

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

[Suz · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this book after my 11 year old son. This took no convincing as it’s written by none other than the author of my favourite childhood series. This is third book I’ve read by her this year, the others being Snail Mail, No More and P.S. Longer Letter Later. The author is an advocate for animal shelters and even provides ideas and suggestions for youngsters to donate their time. So good!

This authors writing is perfect for kids around the age ten mark, she writes innocently and with simplicity. I thoroughly enjoyed this story and I was entertained by the narrator, written by the perspective of ‘Squirrel’ a lovely stray dog.

Seasons change and are explained beautifully, and the descriptions of cruelty are equally effective. These scenes aren’t morose, they are handled carefully and honestly. Lots of imagery of the animals the dog comes across, a lot of animal names I had not heard of! I know I spent the entire time hoping for the best outcome for Squirrel, and I can imagine that kids would be captivated even more so.

A good quality sincere book for kids. I love Ann M. Martin! I still remember the thrill of wanting to write to her as a 12 year old, such fond memories!

[Michelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

I didn't really expect to like this book much, but I picked up on a whim anyway. It had two basic strikes against it: (1) It's told from the dog's point of view, which can sometimes be really odd to read and (2) it's "juvenile fiction."

Well, I was wrong. This was a fantastic book and I wish I could read more like it! It tells the story of Squirrel and her brother, Bone, who are stray dogs born in a shed behind a house. After their mother leaves them, they depart together for parts unknown. The book is, at turns, sweet and sad, wonderful and heartbreaking. The ending brought tears to my eyes and made me smile. It was just a fantastic book and I highly recommend it!

[Briar's Reviews · Rating 3 out of 5]

Another lovely Scholastic Book Fair find from back in my youth!

Squirrel is a stray dog, and this is her memoir. Her life story is rough and tough but will inspire young readers. When she gets separated from her brother, she must go on an epic adventure to survive.

This book made me so sad as a kid and as an adult. It brings all the feels and will just wreck you. While it is beautifully and well written, it's still very sad to think of the poor stray dogs out there. Ann M. Martin makes this story feel so real, it's honestly really nice. She's super talented!

Overall, this book is a great middle grade read! If you want something touching that is about animals and will pull at your heart strings, this book is for you!

Three out of five stars.

[Ginger · Rating 5 out of 5]

The saddest and most "touching" *sniff sniff* book I've ever read...If you love animals lou'll love this book!

[Katherine · Rating 4 out of 5]

A Dogs Life is about a stray mutt named Squirlle, who was born in a shed with her mom (Stream) and her brother (Bone). It's a really sad book, and it actually made me cry at times.

[Laney · Rating 5 out of 5]

Still one of my favorite books.

[Audrey · Rating 4 out of 5]

I never realized how hard the life of a stray dog could be. In this book you meet Squirrel's mother and brother, and his good friend Moon. You realized that dogs really make strong relationships with eachother. The book has a wonderful plot and I recommend it to help you understand more about the feelings of dogs. Also you realize that what people do is very important.

[Dusty · Rating 2 out of 5]

A Dog's Life is a popular (and apparently commonly taught) piece of youth literature that imagines the life of a stray dog who is born in the bed of a wheelbarrow, who wanders between towns and farms for most of her life, and who finds a restful happy end with the old woman who takes her in. The story is narrated by the stray dog -- her name in Dog is Squirrel -- and while this is a unique set-up (the only other literature I've read from the perspective of a dog is a short piece by Mario Benedetti), it results in some appallingly self-conscious prose.

Here's an example: "Just as the air became so heavy with moisture that the mist turned into a driving rain, I spotted a large structure. I know now that it was a barn, but I didn't know what it was then." This kind of sentence, the kind that explains Squirrel's situation then concludes with the admission that Squirrel didn't actually understand her situation, occurs frequently. The barn example is one of the less obnoxious. Just wait until Squirrel endeavors to describe colors (which she confesses she can't actually see) and Halloween costumes (would a Walgreens-bought dog costume really resemble a dog to a dog?). And what about the issue of human speech? Squirrel never converses with other dogs with dialogue. But she does have a miraculous capacity for understanding and later repeating in this so-called autobiography the exact words spoken to her, about her, by humans. Where did Squirrel learn English? This is a question that needs answering. Badly.

I was ready to suspend my disbelief for the 200 pages of A Dog's Life. I was ready to hear a dog share her adventures with me. I was really impressed by the first paragraph, which includes one masterfully ambivalent sentence: "I'm lying near the hearth... remembering... the many, many nights searching for Bone." Wow, I thought, is "Bone" some kind of doggie quest? (No, Bone is just the name of Squirrel's brother.) Ultimately, however, I have little use for this book. Its author doesn't seem interested in anything more than rationalizing the irrational (by human standards) nature of a dog. I could do that without this book. I do do that, every time I have a conversation with my parents' beagle. Why did she drag dad's bathrobe off his bed and into the living room? I have my suspicions, but I don't think they merit a 200-page book.

[Kathy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved this one.

[Sheila · Rating 2 out of 5]

Okay, I really wanted to like this story, I really did. And at the very beginning, I thought I would. But the further I got into the story, the more it started to annoy me. Probably 90% of the people this dog comes in contact with are total morons and dog haters, and I really can't believe that a dog could live for 9-10 years as a stray and only find total idiots, and only be adopted by total idiots until the very end. And of course the Animal Control Officers in this book have to be portrayed as the evil men lurking around the supermarket parking lots in their scary vans, catching the stray dogs with ropes on poles after someone leaves food out for them, hauling the jerking dogs to cages, slamming doors, searching for the next dog to snare. As as ex Animal Control Officer, I can say for a fact that we are not big bad meanies who are out to haul dogs to their doom. We actually want to get these dogs off the street and find them homes. At least the veterinarian was a portrayed as a good person, who offered to donate her time to fix up the dog after it was hit by a car.

[Howard · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 Stars for A Dog’s Life: The Autobiography of a Stray: A Dog’s Life, Book 1 (audiobook) by Ann M. Martin read by Wendy Dillon.

This story is a bit of a emotional roller coaster as we follow this puppy all the way through her adulthood. She is fending for her self much of the time but she does have encounters with people who help her out from time to time. I think this is a great book for anyone, young or old who is interested in adopting a pet.

[Kathy · Rating 4 out of 5]

A warning should be attached to this book. "You may never look at strays the same after reading this story." I've always been sensitive to the hardships that strays, dogs and cats, suffer and am easily led to leave some food or water about for such animals. In fact, I honestly am not a cat person, but I took in a stray cat and it stayed for 22 years (lol). This sweet narrative by Ann Martin is told from the first person viewpoint of the stray dog known as Squirrel and grabs you from the moment of her birth, keeping you pulling for her as she encounters so many obstacles to surviving in the wild and on her own. Kids will embrace this story as I did The Incredible Journey when I was a young girl. Adults will find it a much needed reminder of the simple pleasure reading can give you when you open your heart and imagination.

[Amanda · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this book to my eight-year-old and would highly recommend it to parents who still read to their older children. It may be too sad on many occasions for younger children to handle. The book has a melancholy ending that we could feel good about, but it will certainly make you want to hug your own dogs many times over. We talked about the book and how it could apply to people as well as dogs - a great conversation starter. Again my caution for younger kiddoes. It is violent in parts and one of the main characters dies without much ado at the hands of humans.

[Dakota]

I really liked how down to earth it was! Lets just say if you cry easily this book inst for you because it involves a mother dog that was killed and her pups where stranded.

[Lucija · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was just adorable and heart breaking at the same time, and I loved it! I think that this is one of the best rainy day reads, and I think that it is so cool to read a book from the dog's point of view. I loved all the characters except George and Mrs. Oliver. I liked Squirrel, Bone, Moon and Susan the most. The story was very interesting and not boring at all. I liked the writing and I would love to read more books from Ann M. Martin, beacause this one really deserves 5/5 stars!

[Haley F · Rating 4 out of 5]

How would you feel if your mom left you, you lost your brother and had to hunt for your own food by yourself ? In the book, A Dog’s Life written Ann M. Martin, she takes you on a averturnets journey. I was attracted to this book because I really love my three dogs I have at my home. So I thought it would be neat to read about what a “dog’s life” is really like.
The main characters in the book are Squirrel and Bone. The story starts off by the two dogs getting trained by their mother. Then one day, the mom leaves and Squirrel and Bone run off and try to do things themselves. The two dogs get lost and an old couple picked them up on the slide of the road and keep them for a little bit. The couple couldn’t handle them, so they put them both back on the street. Then, some teenagers likes how Bone looks so they only take him. Squirrel is on her own till she finds a dog friend named Mine. As they wandered through the streets a truck hit them. Both dogs are taken to a vet by a family. Squirrel has a broken leg and Mine didn’t make it. A another family takes Squirrel and she lives in the family's garage. They eventually abandoned her and she makes her way back to the shed where her and her brother were born. Now a older lady lives at the barn and Squirrels lives and ends up living her whole life with her. The setting of A Dog’s Life takes place in a small country town. The author would like the reader to remember that sometimes you have to go through tough times to find true happiness. Squirrel struggles with trying to do things all by herself while finding her way back home. Some characters that make this story “move” along would be Squirrel, Bone,Mine and other families along the way because the dogs are always transitioning from one owner to another.
The ending was my favorite part. I thought at the end of the story Squirrel was going to end up finding her brother again but Ann M. Martin had a little twist. Squirrel didn’t end up finding Bone but she did find a owner that loves her and that she could trust!
I thought this book was too childish for me. I’m 14 and if I knew from the beginning this is how the story was going to go I probably wouldn’t of read it. This book would be perfect for a 5th or 6th grader who loves dogs! I did think the author kept the book moving along well! Surprisingly, I would say that I have never read this kind of book before. I realize that I enjoy reading books written in first person such as The Girl who was Supposed to Die because it feels more personal to me. I will recommend this book to my younger friends who like to read about stories with happy endings.

[Mason Noble · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Dog's Life by Ann M. Martin, Juvenile Fiction was a great book! I recommend this book to anyone who likes Juvenile Fiction but to also anyone who loves dogs. It says that this is an Autobiography of a stray but we all know that dogs can't right a book about their life. Ann M. Martin really captured one dogs life in this story and made it really seem like the dog was writing it, I thought that was pretty amazing.

This book is about a dog that has very bad luck and gets pushed away from everyone. Her, her brother Bone, and Their mom Stream, all lived in a shed in the Marrions backyard for a while. One day mother went out to look for food and relieve her self and she never came back, so bone and squirrel ( the main character) went out and decided to never return to the shed. Sadly Bone and his sister become separated and they never see each other again.

Squirrel meets many families and other dogs along her way but sadly the families pushed her away and the dogs die. End-- One cold winter night squirrel finds a shed behind a big White House so she goes in the shed and the old women living there (Susan) sees her and starts to feed her warm food every night. Finally Susan one night asks her to come inside, as squirrel looks up at Susan and finishes her food, squirrel goes inside. To find out what happens after she goes inside you will have to read the book.

Characters: Stream- the mom. Bone- the brother. Squirrel- the main character, bones sister. Moon- a companion of squirrel. Susan-the old lady. There are also many other families in the book that squirrel lives with for a while but there's to many to name, those families are the ones that pushed her aside.

I give this book five stars. It is an amazing book and I suggest everyone to read it. You will love it if you love dogs, but also at the same time it shows what is happening to dogs in some parts of the world and how they live.

[Pokemon, Dragon Ball Z and Naruto · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book almost made me cry because the story of what happens in the book is such a terrible story. The sstory is based on true stories of a life for strays. its about a dog who's mother was shot and killed in the forest. they were living in a farm with no one to care for them execpt for there mother. this story is really a sad one. especilly when the dog and her brothers and sisters were all sepreated. I learned that all the things that happen in this book happens to most of the strays all around the world. I give this book a five out of five because the story can change the way you feel about stray dogs. It also motivates you to help any stray dog that you see.

[Lori · Rating 4 out of 5]

an almost five. a great book about a stray dog who calls herself "Squirrel," she was born in a shed with her brother bone. they live there for a few months until their Mom leaves for good. and soon after the two puppies leave as well. the book is seen through the dog's eyes over about ten years the majority of the book she is homeless. her brother bone ends up being taken in a car, she is left to fend for herself.for awhile she has a dog friend named Moon,but mostly is on her own . she finally has a happy ending in her senior years with a kindly old lady. if you love dogs you will probably like this book. aimed toward a kids audience just as good for adults to read.

[Ashlyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

the only complaint about this book i have is after you read it 17 times, it's just not as interesting. This was my all time favorite book until i read Otherwood, and i definitely recommend this to anybody who likes animals and or adventure stories, overcoming loss.. actually this fits in with almost every book type. i recommend it to all readers.

[Rylee Bartel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Personal Response: I thought A Dog’s Life was a great book. It was an easier read for me, and I never wanted to put it down. It was a little hard for me to finish reading it, though, because I lost my dog recently and that is all the book reminded me about. Just the way the dog was treated and what it went through made me feel bad for it. It did turn out to be a great book.

Plot Summary: A Dog’s Life was about a female stray dog that lived on her own most of her life after losing her family and a very close friend. The stray dogs name was Squirrel, and the whole book was about her life from when she was born to when she hit age nine and she found a home. Squirrel didn’t have the best life a dog could have when she was little. She was treated poorly and had to live on her own. She had a brother named Bone and her mom. Bone and Squirrel left the shed they were living in when their mom didn’t come home. They ended up getting adopted into an old couple's family after being found on the side of a road. Until one day, the old man threw them out of his car window because he hated dogs. They were both badly injured. They were in a town, so some women helped them. One of the women took Bone, but left Squirrel because she thought Squirrel was ugly. That was the last time Squirrel would see her brother, after that he was gone for good. Squirrel lived in the town for awhile, but once she got better she left the town and found a friend named Moon. Her and Moon became very close and did everything together. During the winter, they stayed in a town called Claremont. They got feed twice a day for a Christmas gift and were given a warm place to stay. Once spring came they left the town and were traveling along the highway when they decided to run across. They both got hit by a truck, and the truck stopped immediately to help them and take the two dogs to the vet. Moon didn’t make it and Squirrel was severely injured. She ended up needing surgery because she broke her leg. After a few weeks Squirrel was in good shape, but she was getting older. She ended up getting adopted by the family that hit her, but they left their home after a few months because they had to move back from their summer home. Squirrel was left with nothing and it was getting close to winter again, but Squirrel just kept traveling and tried to find a place to stay. After a few years, Squirrel got to be nine years old, and she found this little house with a shed that she decided to live in. Life was getting harder for her because she was getting older. After a few days, she found out that there was an old lady that lived in the little house she was staying at. The old lady feed Squirrel everyday and eventually convinced Squirrel to come in the house. Squirrel was given everything from the old lady. That little house is where she spent the rest of her life.

Characterization: The main character in this book was the female stray dog Squirrel. She had a rough life growing up. She lost her mom and her brother got adopted by some women. Squirrel also made a friend throughout her days of traveling between towns, countrysides and the woods, but she lost her friend after being hit by a truck. Her life did eventually get better when an old lady accepted Squirrel into her home. Squirrel got spoiled after she got adopted, the old lady got her everything.

Settings: The book takes place all over the place because Squirrel was always traveling around. It started off in a shed building. Then changed to a house and after being thrown out of a car window the setting changed to a town. Once Squirrel met Moon, they lived in the town of Claremont for the winter, but after winter passed they got up and started moving again. Then Squirrel lived in a shed again after losing Moon and getting adopted, but then she was left alone again. A few years later after traveling through towns and woods, the setting finished in the old lady's home.

Recommendation: I recommend this book to both boys and girls ages ten and up. It is an easier read, but it is a great book. I never wanted to put it down. Anyone that is like me and loves dogs you would love the book as well. I gave this book a five out of five stars. It was very interesting and I loved reading it.

[Cory Dorn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Personal Response:
I thought the book was pretty good but depressing in the middle part.

Plot:
The book starts with Squirrel and Bone and their mother living at the Merrions shed, because they are strays. They live with cats and mice and a fox and her babies living under the other shed. The fox dies and the babies walk off, Bone and Squirrel’s mothers walk off and never comes back. Leaving the Merrions behind. Then Squirrel and Bone get discovered by the Merrions son, Matthias. The Merrions son feeds them chicken until Bone decides to leave, so Bone and Squirrel head out into the woods. They then find a highway which the get founded by Marcy and George. Marcy and George then take Squirrel and Bone in. Which does not last long because Bone and Squirrel get on Georges temper. So one day when Marcy left George he decided to take Bone and Squirrel to a mall parking lot where he chucks them as hard as he could on the pavement and drives off. Two ladies then find Bone and Squirrel and one of them decides to take Bone because he was cute. They called Squirrel ugly, and then the two ladies leave and Squirrel stays in the parking lot with a fractured leg not knowing it. Squirrel then walks straight into the woods finding Moon who is another girl dog. Moon and Squirrel start traveling together and searching for food or garbage. One day Moon and Squirrel find a highway, and they both get hit by a car. Moon takes most of the impact dieing instantly and Squirrel’s fractured leg gets hurt again. The people who hit Squirrel and Moon stop and take them to the vet. The vet’s name is Dr. Roth, a gentle vet to be exact. They do surgery on Squirrel’s leg fixing it and taking care of her fleas. The family then takes Squirrel in but they only let her live in the garage. Squirrel then gets a new name which is Daisy. The family's name is the Beckers and they are a nice family until they leave Squirrel behind. Squirrel then leaves by herself finding Susan. Susan is a very nice old lady who takes in Squirrel or Daisy. Susan names Squirrel Addie, Susan and Addie live happily.

Characterization:
Squirrel is a black and white female dog just like on the cover of the book. Bone is Squirrel’s brother who is practically the boss of Squirrel, wherever Bone goes Squirrel also goes. Marcy and George are a couple that take in Bone and Squirrel, but they don't go into much description of the characters just their attitude. George is a real mean person, Marcy on the other hand is very nice until Squirrel and Bone get into trouble. Matthias is a young boy around 8 or 9 and is the son of Mr Merrion, the family that Bone and Squirrel’s mother lives with in the shed. He is nice to Bone and Squirrel but they all leave but not at the same time, Bone and Squirrel’s mother leaves first. Susan is an older lady which Squirrel lives with at the end. She is very nice and finally he is taken care of.

Setting:
The book takes place in modern times in a lot of places like Claremont. The town is in the country and has woods around for the animals to wander around in. This is important because it gives the dogs a place to find shelter when they have nobody to take care of them.




Theme:
The theme of this book is how you should treat all animals you come into contact with. Even if it isn’t your’s, you should treat them like they are. You should never be cruel to an animal just because you think it may be fun. Being cruel to animals is a crime and you can get into trouble if you are caught doing this.


Recommendation:
I would recommend this book to younger children in the age range of three thru seven. This book teaches how to take care of an animal. If they read it when they are younger maybe they will grow up knowing how to care for an animal the right way.

[Megan · Rating 2 out of 5]

I love books about animals, especially when the story is told from their perspective. But this book doesn't have that "special something" that other animal books have that I've read. It seemed like the author enjoyed writing it but didn't put her heart into it. I felt like I was being lectured about the horrors a stray dog may experience out in the world and how we should take action, instead of a story about a dog trying to find someone who would love and care for her.

The story really dragged in the middle of the book. All that the main character seemed to do was wander from destination A to destination B and so forth. A whole sequence of events, when put together, really didn't add up to much or make sense.

Although I pitied the poor Squirrel (yes, that's the dog's name), her story isn't really intriguing. The satisfying ending is a ray of sunshine compared to the somewhat gloomy atmosphere that permeated almost the entire book.

When you're bored and have nothing else to read, it's an okay book but not worth another read. If you're looking for some good dog books with heart, search elsewhere. There are plenty more out there better than this one.

[Jackie · Rating 2 out of 5]

An extremely depressing, no-nonsense book about the life of a stray dog. Virtually every form of animal abuse is covered in the story...starvation, cruelty, abandonment, and reckless injury is brought upon Squirrel after her mother's death. Although the abuse is more frequent than animal lovers care to admit, it evidently does happen. It is hard to fathom that this is a young reader's introduction to animal welfare issues, for its relentless episodes of abuse after abuse. Squirrel lives ten years before she finally comes 'home' to Susan, a kind elderly woman who craves companionship as much as Squirrel craves affection and care. A Dog's Life: The Autobiography of a Stray surely is meant to teach and enlighten readers about animal abuse and does so without reservation. If nothing else, it will make every dog lover cuddle up to the furry friend of the family and recognize the unconditional love that makes a pet owner happy.

Used for Hiawatha School Book Talk: January, 2011.

[Chaseh · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was very interesting and shows a whole new way to look at the life of a stray dog and what a dog can encounter and experience in the world by herself. The dog in the story is named squirrel and she is being raised by her mother and is taught skills on how to survive as a stray dog. But when her mother is taken away squirrel and the other dogs are forced in the world and encounters people that are brutal to animals and kind to them. THe book was kind of depressing because I like dogs and it shows the way the dogs were being treated. I would recommend this book to younger kids because it shows how to take care of animals and the responsibility it takes to care for an dog. This book is great for people who like animals and want to read about them. The part I didn't like was when people would pick up the puppies and get frustrated at them and dump them on there own in the streets. A great book.

[Elizabeth · Rating 5 out of 5]

I saw my neighbor's dog today and suddenly remembered that he looked like the cover of one of my favorite childhood books -- A Dog's Life. Reading it 10 years later, I can still attest to its greatness. Written from the perspective of a stray, Martin tells Squirrel's heartbreaking and resilient story with an honest voice. She addresses loss, abuse, and companionship in ways children can relate to, but still touched me today ❤️

[Charles · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked it pretty well. Very nice ending. Although told from a dog's point of view, it seemed to be told primarily in a very human fashion. I might have liked it to have been a bit more "animal like," but it was a quick read and held my interest. This is really a young adult or juvenile age book but I'm always a sucker for animal stories.

[Tonya · Rating 4 out of 5]

Such a sweet story from a dog’s point of view! She had such a tough life bringing me to tears that some dogs actually have to live this way! The best part for me was when a family adopted her naming her Daisy, just as I named my new dog the same thing. A very touching read that my daughter and I greatly enjoyed reading together!

[Palak Chaujar · Rating 4 out of 5]

This story from Squirrel’s (a stray) pov was heartbreaking but also cute. A little slow in the middle.

[Namrata · Rating 5 out of 5]

UGH... WILL LOVE THIS BOOK FOREVER!