Just Grace Walks the Dog, 3

My daughter loves this series. I love it because the subject matter is not too mature.

One of the most important skills we tried to teach our children is the art of a respectful appeal. Just Grace learns many lessons in her wise approach at earning the privilege of a dog. In an effort to convince her parents to allow her to get a dog, Grace doesn't resort to begging, pleading tantrums. A tip from her wise houseguest, Miss Dupre, sets Just Grace off on a plan to prove herself responsible and dependable. She constructs a cardboard dog and goes through all the motions of having a real one. She takes it out for walks (made easier with a skateboard), "feeds" it, and takes it to the park to socialize it with other dogs. While at the dog park, she begins to collect a pros/cons list of the all the dogs' traits to decide what type of dog would be best to choose when the permission is given. Even her pretend dog's name is designed to evoke a positive response from her parents. Chip-up was the toddler word she used for Ketchup and was always sure to generate a sentimental "Awwww." Other side stories - a neighbor who climbs out of her window at night for unknown reasons, another neighbor's dog who loves garbage, and her budding friendships at the dog park - all culminate to teach Grace that patience produces insight and that you can't judge a dog by its cover. This Just Grace book is packed full of good lessons, however. Just Grace learns patience, sales skills, the rewards of hard work, and a caution about making hasty assumptions with people or dogs. The author is unfailingly consistent with her glimpse into the mind of a young child that beams through all of the Just Grace series. If your child wants a dog, this book will show them the big responsibility in all areas of dog ownership and gives wise insight about researching and having practice in interacting with different breeds before choosing one.

Just Grace is back and even more hilarious than before. She's still trying to cheer everyone up and she still draws Not-So-Super comics, but this time she's on a different mission. She wants a dog and she wants one bad. Her best friend, Mimi, also wants a dog. They decide that Grace has a better chance of getting one, so when Grace does get a dog, they plan on sharing it. Of course, it's not easy convincing Grace's parents that she's responsible enough to have a dog -- and there's also the fact that Grace and Mimi can't decide on what type of dog to get. It turns out that getting a dog is harder than Grace expected. JUST GRACE WALKS THE DOG is a great addition to the humorous JUST GRACE series. Harper does a great job of capturing the voice of a young tween. The writing style, while very simple, is perfect for the intended audience and makes the book great for those who are just beginning to tackle chapter books. I recommend this to fans of the AMBER BROWN and JUNIE B. JONES series'. Reviewed by: Harmony