BIBLIOGRAPHY:
Byars, Betsy. My Dog, My Hero. ( 2000). New York: Henry Holt and Company, LLC.
Synopsis:
This is a collection of short stories. Each story is about a different, brilliant dog and their heroic feat. At the very end, one dog is select to receive the "My Hero Award," in honor of the dog who saved so many lives.
My Impression of the Book:
I would recommend this book for either grades 2-5. I think this would also be a good book for parents to read to their kids. This book is comprised of 8, extremely short stories (3-4 pages long). Each story is about a remarkable dog who undertakes some heroic feat. It’s definitely one of those ‘feel-good’ books, and I enjoyed it very much. Each story has the same formula, written in the first person. I think that younger students would definitely like this book. The writing is very simplistic, and the story is straightforward and predictable. I could use this book in a library program that promotes short stories for young readers.
Uses Within a Library Environment:
This would be a cool book to use for a summertime Story Program. Or any other program, that has a dog theme.
Awards and Reviews:
South Carolina Children's Book Award, 200
Recommendations: Booklist; Horn Book; Publishers Weekly; School Library Journal; Wilson Library Bulletin
From School Library Journal
Gr 3-6-Byars and her daughters set up this collection of eight stories as though a contest for the "My Hero" award were underway and they were serving as judges. A cross-section of citizens enter, each relating a story of one canine's valiant behavior, from rescuing a baby to restoring joy to a lonely person's life to finding people trapped after a tornado. Happily, not a single dog is lost in the process. The authors provide a distinct voice for each narrator and a distinct personality for each animal while highlighting the common themes of gratitude, admiration, and love. The short-story format and popular topic make this a sound choice for older reluctant readers as well as for younger children.From Booklist
Gr. 3-6. Newbery Medal-winner Byars and daughters Betsy Duffey and Laurie Myers--dog lovers all--collaborate for the first time in this collection of eight stories about extraordinarily heroic dogs. Each of the first-rate tales is told from the point of view of a contestant entering a dog in the My Hero contest. Among the entries is one from a gruff gardener who has no use for dogs until one alerts him to a poisonous snake lurking in his petunias. In another, a 93-year-old woman relates how a dog's cold nose and loving touch transformed her after she'd given in to depression in a nursing home. Drama, humor, excitement, and love fuel these short, well-written stories that are certain to be relished by dog lovers.
