who let the dog out?

Celebrating 60 years since winning the Newbery award is Eleanor Estes', Ginger Pye, the story of a puppy and the family who love him. The story follows the Pye family, of Cranbury, CT (based on New Haven), particularly Rachel and Jerry; Jerry's adoption of a puppy being the catalyst for the book.  The book was ok, definitely has that hokey, everything works out perfectly and everything turns out happily ever after thing going that I believe is possibly due to when it was written. When Ginger Pye goes missing the book lulls over the mundane to kill time and add girth to the book; don't punish us so, Ms. Estes! You could have cut out about 50 pages of fluff in the middle!

Would I recommend it? No. Not my favorite, but also because it feels long for its intended age audience--the times they are a changin'; kids don't read books that they did for their age group decades ago--and too childish for kids who would read a book this long.

Age: Scholastic recommends grades 3-5

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