Martin, Ann M. A Dog’s Life. New York: Scholastic Press, 2005.
If you’ve ever had a dog, you know that they need lots of things, like food, water, baths, trips to the vet, walks, and lots of petting! But Squirrel is a dog who has none of those things: she’s a stray. She and her brother Bone must wander in the woods and between backyards, with nowhere to sleep at night, hunting for whatever food they can scrounge up. They get mighty cold and hungry, but they’re together, so it’s not too bad. One day though, when they’ve had no luck at all hunting and are beginning to worry that they’ll starve, the puppies smell something.
“The odor was coming from across the road. I ran back to Bone, strained to see past the rushing cars, and when there was a little break in the traffic, I saw a paper bag lying on its side. There was chicken in that bag, and Bone and I knew it. My mouth started to water and I drooled as I stood at the edge of the field, separated from the chicken by two lanes of cars. Bone took a step forward, then another. I was right behind him, but when a truck whizzed by me, I jumped back, yelping. Bone glanced at me, then faced the traffic again. He looked as though he were getting ready to run-to bolt across the road and hope for the best—when suddenly one of the cars that had just sped by pulled to the side of the road and screeched to a stop.” (p. 39-40)
And just that suddenly, Squirrel’s life changes forever.
