Friskative Dog

Publishers Weekly

In this unusually told story, nine-year-old Sharron lives with her mother, Karen, and clings to her stuffed dog as though he were real, in the wake of her father's disappearance a year ago. About halfway through the novel, which unfolds mostly from Sharron's limited perspective, the girl overhears her grandmother telling her mother that her father has begun a new life with another woman. Karen seems to accept the situation better than Sharron, who likens her father to a wandering coyote and, even more oddly, ruminates on the relationship between dog tags and human identity changes. The true drama takes place in Sharron's school, where two spoiled girls begin bullying Sharron and stealing her dog. The often jarring narrative slips in tense, time and point of view. Although the tale centers on an elementary student, the book's complex structure and some haiku-like metaphors may well challenge even adult readers' imaginations: "The fog hung over the pool, making diamonds on the black iron railings, swirling around the carports." Things work out well enough in the end; Sharron and her mother carry on with their lives. However, it's difficult to pinpoint who might be the appropriate audience for Straight's (I Been in Sorrow's Kitchen and Licked Out All the Pots) curious novel. Ages 8-12. (Mar.)

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Children's Literature - Amber Hurt

Straight's first children's novel deals with the grief and loss of fourth grader, Sharron. Her dad, a truck driver, has been missing for a year. Sharron, her mom, and her paternal grandmother struggle to go on with their lives. All three cling together as they wait for a miraculous return. Sharron clings hardest to a toy dog her father gave her when she was five years old. Vivid writing makes it easy for the reader to feel present in Sharron's life. The dialogue throughout is generally well done—rarely stilted; however, there is the question of audience. The writing and age of the main character suggest a young middle grade audience, but the character herself is hard to relate to. She has so many problems in her life that it starts to feel overdone. Sharron does not seem to have meaningful relationships with other children, preferring instead the company of her toy dog. Her father is missing, and her mom has a low paying job as a cashier at a market. They live in low rent apartments, while classmates live in new subdivisions. In addition to the loss of her father, Sharron must cope with the tormenting of the popular girls—most of which revolves around Sharron's continued insistence her toy dog is real. The novel and author are certainly not without merit, but the appeal among young readers may be limited due to an attempt to take on too much at once.

Kirkus Reviews

Word-lover Sharron labeled her stuffed dog "friskative" when she was five, because, like its owner, it was both frisky and talkative. Now nine, she is more subdued and reflective. In her small apartment, Friskative has been her pet, helping her cope with the disappearance of her trucker father. When the dog vanishes, too, her patience in coping with loss also disappears. Thanks to helpful friends and adults, Sharron recovers both her dog, taken by bullying girls in her fourth-grade classroom, and her sense of self-worth. More psychological study than plot-driven story, the beautifully written narrative moves slowly to the crisis point, providing ample opportunity for character development and loving descriptive detail about the Southern California setting. In Sharron's multicultural classroom, the privileged bullies are stereotypically blonde and class distinctions are clear. The reminder that wealthier does not equal better is repeated, but the moral is not obtrusive. The friendship and family issues will resonate with those middle-grade readers more interested in emotion than action. (Fiction. 9-12)