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Scruffy
Life began in hardship for Scruffy, carried to survival by her mother from a fire in a condemned building, only to be orphaned by a sheepherder's rifle. Soon she is rescued and nursed back to health by some merciful children but leaves them to make her way back to the city. A kindly street performer takes her in and shower her the possibilities of human decency. But in the middle of a cold night, fate decides that Scruffy must once more be alone.
Alone that is, until a bullterrier named Butch accepts her as part of the street pack that beds down each night in an abandoned car and roams the streets and back alleys during the day. Then one terrible day they are all taken to the pound and condemned to death. But by now, Scruffy has a talent for survival. She not only saves the day but she becomes a national celebrity!
Alone that is, until a bullterrier named Butch accepts her as part of the street pack that beds down each night in an abandoned car and roams the streets and back alleys during the day. Then one terrible day they are all taken to the pound and condemned to death. But by now, Scruffy has a talent for survival. She not only saves the day but she becomes a national celebrity!
152 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1978
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 43 reviews
June 23, 2012
Read this book numerous times as a kid. Loved it so much, it survived countless moves with me, and now I'm reading it to my 8yo dd. A bit dark and heartwrenching, but the language in this book still moves me in my mid thirties.
and.. after overhearing parts of the story, my 10yo ds has decided he wants me to read it to HIM, too. Considering he HATES me to read aloud to him, this is really a miracle. LOVE this book!
and.. after overhearing parts of the story, my 10yo ds has decided he wants me to read it to HIM, too. Considering he HATES me to read aloud to him, this is really a miracle. LOVE this book!
July 4, 2017
I am normally a sucker for animal stories whether based on true events or coming in fictional format. I just couldn't get into this particular book though. At times it was too sad and yet too unreasonable as well as dry so I struggled to get through the pages.
The characters were refreshingly mainly dogs but we don't get much depth or understanding of the dogs themselves since the author didn't give them human voice to keep to the authenticity of the story. Since the dogs don't speak you would have believed the author would have given a bit more insight into their actual minds instead of having us try to guess it what was going on and thus the characters were rather flat and non-relatable.
What irritated me the most with the writing is the author's use of "it". I can understand it when a human is talking but there were whole parts in the story where "it looked at its mother", "it was scared". You said it was a female so it should be she or her other a male thus he or him! Is the author trying to weaken his own stand by making us aware of a growing problem yet still subjugating the subject of that problem to a status underneath the superiority of the reader? In a sense it was all backwards.
And although I was happy for the collie (why was she never given a name unlike the rest of the group) it made me mad about Moses. You didn't have enough drama or sadness in it that the one with the saddest story has to be the sacrifice. So glad I hadn't read this when I was younger and won't be reading it again.
The characters were refreshingly mainly dogs but we don't get much depth or understanding of the dogs themselves since the author didn't give them human voice to keep to the authenticity of the story. Since the dogs don't speak you would have believed the author would have given a bit more insight into their actual minds instead of having us try to guess it what was going on and thus the characters were rather flat and non-relatable.
What irritated me the most with the writing is the author's use of "it". I can understand it when a human is talking but there were whole parts in the story where "it looked at its mother", "it was scared". You said it was a female so it should be she or her other a male thus he or him! Is the author trying to weaken his own stand by making us aware of a growing problem yet still subjugating the subject of that problem to a status underneath the superiority of the reader? In a sense it was all backwards.
And although I was happy for the collie (why was she never given a name unlike the rest of the group) it made me mad about Moses. You didn't have enough drama or sadness in it that the one with the saddest story has to be the sacrifice. So glad I hadn't read this when I was younger and won't be reading it again.
November 20, 2008
I just loved this book as young reader. It was when I finished reading this book that I first wrote my own. I saw this as a "Weekend Special" on a Saturday morning, you know, when they televised short stories and books right after all the cartoons...Willie Tyler and Lester?! I would love to own a copy.
February 1, 2010
yeah, i i've loved this book since i was a kid. "scruffy" depicts the true story of stray dogs from their own point of view. alternately heartbreaking, inspiring, funny , gripping & unforgettable---it has something to say about life and the way we ultimately treat it as disposable. an animal rights classic!!!
July 28, 2007
It is a feel good book about heros. I have read this about 4 times since. I wish I had the book now, I would read it again. Scruffy never let life get him down.
May 16, 2008
I can hardly remember what this book was about, but I do remember reading it about 6 times between 2nd and 3rd grade, so it must have been good!
August 15, 2008
This was one of those books I bought from one of those Scholastic book order forms and re-read a million times as a kid, even though it made me cry. I'm such a sucker for a good animal story.
October 27, 2009
This book still makes me tear up a little ... This was my favorite book of all time when I was a kid.
December 22, 2009
Read this as a child and still consider it one of my all-time favorite books. It left a wonderful mark.
June 3, 2011
This is a great book about a stray dog and the people he meets. Kind of like another book about a homeless boy named Maniac MacGee. I really enjoyed this book as a kid and as a dog lover.
May 26, 2025
This is the tale of the trials and tribulations of Scruffy, a stray mongrel bitch. She was a real dog about whom the author wrote a newspaper article after seeing her at the pound. He later wrote this book about her back-story, and whilst it is fiction, he does claim that all the exploits of the dogs in the book are based on events that happened to real dogs.
I found the first half of the book a little dull, but it improves once Scruffy joins up with a pack of other strays, who all have interesting personalities. The author doesn’t always get the dog behaviour and body-language right, and I was also annoyed by the way he incorrectly writes “bullterrier” as a single word. However, I quite enjoyed this book. It’s not brilliant, but if you’re a dog lover, it’s worth a read.
I found the first half of the book a little dull, but it improves once Scruffy joins up with a pack of other strays, who all have interesting personalities. The author doesn’t always get the dog behaviour and body-language right, and I was also annoyed by the way he incorrectly writes “bullterrier” as a single word. However, I quite enjoyed this book. It’s not brilliant, but if you’re a dog lover, it’s worth a read.
February 23, 2020
This was one of the defining books of my childhood! I loved it so much I read it over and over again. Absolutely heartbreaking and at the same time gripping. A must read for todays generation of 8-12yr olds!
May 28, 2018
C. fiction, animal story, children's fiction, grade 6, mom's stash, discard
December 29, 2018
One of my favorite childhood books, one I read and reread countless times. If you want to know why I have a soft spot for dogs in general and shelter dogs in particular, read this book.
March 20, 2019
If you like Lassie and books similar to that story pick up this book and join Scruffy in adventure.
April 26, 2019
My very first loved book that started me down the road of reading!!!
April 9, 2020
Good book, I left a rating of 3 for the story. I love dogs and the story made me sad at the injustice of some of the dogs.
April 10, 2020
Good story bit the emding was abrupt and came from nowhere
October 11, 2020
A favorite from my childhood. Still makes me teary at the end.
August 15, 2020
This was one of my favorite childhood books. I read it aloud to my 8 and 12 year old boys. It held up well, though I did not quite remember how sad and upsetting some parts were. It made for some difficult questions and explanations, but some good lessons, too.
August 13, 2014
This book is also known as "Scruffy" or "Scruffy: The Tuesday Dog", the latter being the title of the Kindle edition. This is the fictional story of a real life stray who became famous when reporter a for the Daily Mirror did a news article on her. That reporter was Jack Stoneley, and he was so touched by the reaction (apparently) he went on to write this book. He also penned a sequel, "The Return of the Tuesday Dogs".
This is quite a short read and I was absorbed by it for the whole 2 hours it took me to read it, but I am a lot older than the books target audience. The story is filled with heartbreaking and heartwarming moments. The book also isn't afraid to get its message home with a good deal of material not suitable for the fragile out there. Death, gore, and violence all play their part and are described graphically enough to build the picture without going into unnecessary detail. Of course, the horror makes the heartwarming moments much more rewarding and this rollercoaster ensures the book comes to a very satisfying close. A lot is packed into this short tale but it's a very enjoyable read that I will pick up and read again. Many times over.
This is quite a short read and I was absorbed by it for the whole 2 hours it took me to read it, but I am a lot older than the books target audience. The story is filled with heartbreaking and heartwarming moments. The book also isn't afraid to get its message home with a good deal of material not suitable for the fragile out there. Death, gore, and violence all play their part and are described graphically enough to build the picture without going into unnecessary detail. Of course, the horror makes the heartwarming moments much more rewarding and this rollercoaster ensures the book comes to a very satisfying close. A lot is packed into this short tale but it's a very enjoyable read that I will pick up and read again. Many times over.
April 10, 2010
This was one of my favorite books from childhood. Scruffy’s mother is left tied up outside the house when her owners move. Ready to give birth, she escapes and seeks shelter in the abandoned house. She has three pups, but the puppies are starving and freezing. When there is fire, Scruffy’s mom saves Scruffy by climbing out the chimney, but she is later shot by a farmer in an act of self-sacrifice to save her remaining puppy. Scruffy is then on her own, were she is pet to a homeless man, and she spends time with other unwanted dogs. She and her friends end up in the pound. This story is a total tear-tearjerker.
January 8, 2014
I thought that "Scruffy" was a good book. I mean there are a lot of stories out there from a dogs life, but this book goes farther than just "A dog eats, s****, and then sleeps everyday." That is just what a regular human would say, but Stonely goes farther to a different type of living dog. He does to a better perspective and says the personality of the dog. The personality is a rascal, so sort of all over the place and energetic.
April 21, 2012
The animated film based on this book is one I must have watched dozens of times as I was growing up. I adored it, and reading this so many years later was like reliving that movie. It's interesting to know that the story was based on a real stray. It was a slim read, but the ending still made me tear up.
October 9, 2017
The first part of the book I actually found more convincing than I expected. Canine perils, changes of scenery, never really settling down.
Joseph P. Tibbles was the turning point to cheesiness, which continued to the end, but the cheesiness was good cheesiness.
The ending caught me off-guard, in a good way.
Joseph P. Tibbles was the turning point to cheesiness, which continued to the end, but the cheesiness was good cheesiness.
The ending caught me off-guard, in a good way.
February 21, 2017
This was one of my favorite books ever. It is the story of a stray dog with plenty of action and adventure to keep the reader interested without ever feeling unrealistic. Perfect for anyone who loves dogs.
July 10, 2013
I loved this book throughout my sixth grade, seventh grade school years. It is a very well written story of a dog, looking for what a dog needs, acceptance in a human world and love from a human heart.
October 12, 2013
Back in the 80's, ABC ran an animated adaptation of this as a weekend or afterschool special. I saw it, then read the book, which is a fictionalized story of a real stray, told from the perspective of the dog. Very engaging story for young readers.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 43 reviews