Bringing Up Beauty

Beauty #1

by Sylvia McNicoll

As if bathtub floods, chewed homework, and accidents on the floor weren't enough! Being saddled with so much responsibility for bringing up Beauty only adds insult to injury. With a flapjack tongue and oversized feet, this is the ugliest puppy Elizabeth has ever seen. It will be easy to resist loving her. And since Beauty is only staying until she can be trained as a guide dog, there is no room for love in this relationship...

At the age of twelve, with busy parents, a sister who's too cool for words, and two best friends suddenly dating each other, Elizabeth could use a little unconditional love.

Genres: Animals, Young Adult, Fiction, Childrens

204 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1994

About the author

Born in Ajax, Sylvia McNicoll (pseudonym Genna Dare ) grew up in Montreal, Quebec where she received her BA in English with a minor in Economics from Concordia University. She began her writing career with adult short stories and household tips that were published in women's magazines, and moved on to freelance articles for Burlington local newspapers. Her friend and published author, Gisela Sherman, convinced her to take a children's writing course by Paul Kropp at Sheridan College. It was under his guidance that she wrote her first book "Blueberries and Whipped Cream" as a class project. Nine published books later she returned to Sheridan College to teach creative writing for a decade. She also edited "Today's Parent Toronto" for eight years.
Among her award winning published works are:

Project disaster, illustrated by Brian Boyd (Scholastic Canada, 1990) – Winner of Our Choice, 1990-91

The big race! Illustrated by Susan Gardos (Scholastic Canada, 1996) – winner of Our Choice, 1996-97

Jump Start, illustrated by Janet Wilson (Collier Macmillan Canada, 1989) – winner of Our Choice, 1989-90

Bringing Up Beauty (Maxwell Macmillan Canada, 1994) – winner of Our choice, 1995-96; Silver Birch Award, 1996; Manitoba Young Readers’ Choice Award, 1997

Caught in a Lie (Scholastic Canada, 2000) – winner of Explora-Toy award, 2001

Reviews

[Lynda Simmons · Rating 5 out of 5]

A must-read book. The kind that makes you laugh and cry and want to go out and get a dog, even if you're a cat person.

[Faye · Rating 5 out of 5]

When. I was younger Sylvia McNicoll came to my school to read this book. I fell in love with it then. I bought a cope and she signed it for me. I've kept all my most read and favorite books from a kid but this one was missing. I had to buy the newer version which I didn't like the cover and stuff as much as the original cover. I wish I could get my hands on one. Anyway, I highly recommend this book. It's as good as it was when I was a kid and even though it's been a while since I read it as soon as I started reading again it all came back to me. I read this so much as a kid it's not funny. My book probably got worn out.

[Ella Schilling · Rating 4 out of 5]

A random little novel I plucked off my middle school library's shelf and read during Silent Reading Hour. I'm glad I was able to find it again after much searching.

[Kerri · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book examines the raising and early training of a guide dog puppy through the eyes of Elizabeth, a Canadian teen who also feels overshadowed by her older sister and insecure about boys and friends. A lot of people, especially kids, aren't familiar with what goes into puppyraising and I thought this book did a great job of portraying the process realistically, including the heartache raisers often feel upon giving their puppies back and their triumph upon learning that the puppy they raised is now the means of independence for a blind person. All the friend and family drama often present in YA literature is present here, and if you love black Labs and their antics then you'll adore Beauty. Highly recommended for both teens and adults.