Is That a Dead Dog in Your Locker? by Todd Strasser
Thankfully, this was a quick read. I am not the target audience for this humorous book, so maybe my lack of amusement should not be taken as a deterrent.
The target audience of young tweens (esp. boys) must exist in enough numbers to justify another book by this author. (Oh well, I’ve never understood pink flamingos either.)
The Tardy boys (who never do homework) are your goofy group in this story. They are helping a friend of theirs who has to bring her neighbor’s old dog to school and hide him in her locker. They have to keep taking the dog out for bathroom breaks. This is complicated by the fact that he has stinky breath that permeates the whole hallway.
The humor is largely dependent on hyperbolic characters like the assistant principal who wears gloves and a mask due to his fear of germs. You’ll find the obligatory bully, the hippie-peace-child, and references to toe cheese. I found the lack of bathroom humor a plus. And underwear was mentioned as part of a joke-that-underwear-would-not-be-mentioned.
Not for the sophisticated but goofy and safe for the young tweens.
SAFETY RATING: 3 Flags
2 comments:
Oh, my... sounds like an AWFUL book for moms but just right for goofy boys! My brother-in-law and sister-in-law purchased and sent this to Bud for his birthday back in September. At first he didn't think he would read it as the title was not appealing to him - what with dead dogs in lockers and all. Since he is a homeschooled kid, I wondered if some of the humor regarding school stuff might be lost on him. He eventually got past the title (I think he thought it was going to be a scary book with dead things!) and read it and I found him laughing and snorting in his room - I guess it is humorous for the 8 yr old set! He also got one about maybe a cat in a backpack... know anything about that one?!!?
Hi Elm... I haven't read the cat one, but I believe it has the same characters that appear in this book.
My 14 yr. old girl just read his book about a dog repeating obedience school. She found it to be "silly," which means it's probably just right for young tween boys.
I'm trying to branch out and find more boy-oriented books. Sometimes it's an adventure; sometimes it's an effort!
But good for Todd Strasser...
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