A Girl Called Dog

What it's about:
The book is about a girl who is shy and never talks.  She lives with her uncle who is  very strict and who is always harsh.  Until one day a box is delivered and dog's life changes forever.


What I liked about the book:
I liked the part when Dog goes out into the public and her parrot friend Carlos starts mimicking her mean uncle and everyone realises how cruel he is.


What I didn't like about the book:
I didn't like how Dog didn't say anything through the book.  Sometimes I wished she said a bit more.


Who I would recommend it to:
I would share this book with people who like animal stories and books where children run away.




By Imogen

A Girl Called Dog

A Girl called Dog by Nicola Davies

Review by Ellie Faulconbridge aged 9

A Girl called Dog is a story about a girl, whose parents weren't with her anymore. She had to go and live with her not-very-nice uncle. In the story, Dog is treated very badly, even when her uncle is in a good mood, he is still not that nice. Dog has to live like a dog in amongst the cages of her uncle's pet shop.

Dog's best friend is Esme, the coati, who helps her stay slightly happier. In the story, an unusual, noisy parcel turns up at the pet shop - it contains a very bedraggled parrot called Carlos. As the story continues the three friends decide that they need to stick together, when people come to buy them, so they escape from the sad, dangerous pet shop and Dog's nasty uncle.

After they escape they have a few more near misses, meet new friends and discover their true identities.

This book gives a dramatic description that is easy to imagine of a child who is badly treated. The threat of the big, black box as punishment was really scary. It made me feel afraid even reading it. The author uses her understanding and research of child slavery to write dramatically about the feelings of Dog.

The whole story made me feel grateful that I have a proper family and a proper name.

My favourite part of the book was when Dog got her voice back and could say her proper name. My funniest part was when Carlos needed the toilet and insisted that he need a human toilet. The description of this made me really smile.

I would recommend this book to girls and boys my age, I would also recommend this book to adults especially the serious bits at the back.

The Memory Cage

The memory cage is a truly good book, it's based on two well known wars; World War 2 and the War in Bosnia.  When you first open this book then read the first page and you will want to carry on.  If you like mystery, violence and feeling this is the book for you.  I would recommend this book for over 9 years of age.

By Emma C

A Girl Called Dog

For those of you who have enjoyed A Girl Called Dog this is a link to Nicola Davies website.  You might find some more books by her that you would like to read.
Nicola Davies website

A Girl Called Dog

A girl called dog is really good because  Dog  has an adventure with two of the animals  from the petshop.The animals are a parrot called Carlos and a coati called Esme.Dog,Carlos and Esme find Carlos,s old owner.They had to hide from a man with a knife.I would give this book 5 out of 5.
Alika aged 7

A girl called Dog

A Girl called Dog is a brilliant book about a girl who sleeps on the floor of a petshop.Then runs away with her best friends Carlos the parrot and Esme the coati and has a big adventure.I recommend this book for people who love animals.I'd give this book 4 stars out of five.
 Ella B aged 9

A girl called dog

This book has a lot of different feelings in it so you can see different points of the story in different ways.
If I was rating the book out of ten I would probaly give it nine and three quarters