Boys Are Dogs (Annabelle Unleashed, 1)

Here's the description and the Editorial Review, with the genders switched. If THIS book came out, how many of you would be OUTRAGED?

George's all-boys elementary was very different from Birchwood Middle School where the girls run through the halls like wild animals. But with a little experimenting, George realizes that like his new puppy, maybe girls can be trained too.
Featuring George's hilarious take on friendship, girls, and his all-new life, this novel / survival guide perfectly captures the joy--and agony--of junior high school. And it might just teach you how to tame the wildest beast of all, the teenage girl. REVIEWS FOR GIRLS ARE DOGS
"The [Leslie Margolis] premise of Margolis's effervescent story--a boy uses the techniques from a dog-training manual on girls--has been seen before (e.g., Sandra Dee in If a Man Answers), but rarely has it been so well grounded and developed. Right before the start of sixth grade, George returns from sleepaway camp to move into the house that his single father and his father's sensitive if geeky girlfriend have just set up. Their surprise gift of a puppy, George realizes, is their attempt to "bribe" him into liking the new arrangements, but he loves the puppy anyway. School, on the other hand, is a battleground, especially because it's George's first time going coed. Margolis gets the details of middle-school girl behavior just right: the girl sitting behind George torments him with endless kicking; his two lab partners hog the equipment; others play keep-away with his homework. When George does connect the dots between puppy training and communicating with girls, his breakthroughs come across as genuine. The story lines--melded household, moving, girls as dogs--coalesce naturally, giving male readers a thoughtful story along with, just possibly, some substantive female advice."

The author gets everything pitch perfect as she details eleven year old Annabelle's struggles with accepting her mom's new boyfriend, starting her new school, and training her new puppy. The story will by turns make you laugh out loud and wince in sympathy. Most importantly, you will cheer for Annabelle as she finds the courage to stick up for herself. This is a wonderful book for both kids and adults alike and contains valuable lessons for all of us.

BOYS ARE DOGS
LESLIE MARGOLIS
Contemporary Middle Grade
Bloomsbury

Rating: 4 Enchantments

When Annabelle returns from summer camp, she's in for a whole lot of changes. She knew her mother was moving them into a house with her boyfriend Ted, aka Dweeble, but there's also the change in schools, from an all girls elementary to Birchwood Middle School and the biggest surprise of all--a cute new puppy--to deal with. Getting used to a new school is hard enough, but dealing with boys, especially bullying, jerkish boys is harder than Annabelle originally thought it would be. But then she comes up with the idea to start applying her puppy training manual to dealing with the troublesome boys at school.

BOYS ARE DOGS is a really fun middle grade read. Annabelle's a very likeable, spunk tween who comes up with a unique way to deal with things, especially the annoying boys she's forced to deal with at school. Her newfound friends at Birchwood, including neighbor Rachel, who unfortunately is the younger sister of one of the bigger jerks of the entire school. One of my favorite scenes in the book is when Annabelle's out eating lunch with her new friend Rachel at school and finds out the boy who sent her to the wrong classroom that morning on the first day of school is none other then Rachel's older brother, Jackson.

Ms. Margolis does a great job capturing what its like dealing with a new puppy and struggling to fit in at a new school at the same time and I loved the uniqueness of Annabelle applying the puppy training manual to dealing with boys. Anyone looking for a fun middle grade read won't go wrong picking up BOYS ARE DOGS.

Leslie Margolis lives in Brooklyn, New York, with her fairly well-trained six toed mutt named Aunt Blanche and her less-well-trained husband, Jim. She is also the author of the young adult novels FIX and PRICE OF ADMISSION. Visit her online at [...]

Lisa
Enchanting Reviews
December 2008

Boys are Dogs is one of the funniest, sweetest young adult novels I have read in a long time, and as a middle school English teacher, I read a lot! Annabelle, the main character, is genuine and likable. She is the kind of character that young girls will aspire to be like. She is a fabulous mix of strong, shy, and smart. Like many of us, she is nervous around new people, wants to be cool but not in charge, and doesn't like her mom's boyfriend . . . at first. Margolis has created a character that will stand the test of time. I hope there are many, many more Annabelle books!

Leslie Margolis has done it again! Her first two novels- "Fix" and "Price of Admission" were a grand slam! She has done an excellent job in "Boys Are Dogs", she perfectly describes the troubles of a new girl and how she fixes them. Ms. Margolis has a way of writing in a true voice of a kid character. She can get readers to walk in the street with their nose dived deep into the book. Margolis's magic for feeling children and capturing their emotions is astounding. She can make people feel like the book was written by a kid. She really has that power. Leslie Margolis's books are always a fun and exciting read. I love to gorge into her books, intent on the expert writing. So if you are ever looking for a book, pick up "Boys Are Dogs" from your Amazon.com and enjoy! (I know you will!)

Annabelle isn't too pleased when her mom moves her to a new house and new school so she can live with her new boyfriend. This new school is different from her old one in that it has boys, and as Annabelle learns pretty quickly, dealing with boys is NOTHING like making friends with girls. And then when Annabelle's mom and her boyfriend then get her a new puppy, Annabelle finds herself a little stressed out. But as Annabelle learns to train her new puppy, she sees some surprising similarities between training dogs, and training boys...

Funny, wise, and a bit thoughtful, Boys Are Dogs is an innovative and fun-filled read. Annabelle is an engaging and relatable narrator whose perfect combination of smarts, independence, and shyness will capture even the reluctant reader's attention. Boys Are Dogs will have you roaring with laughter one minute and wincing with empathy the next. Margolis's unique talent of emulating her characters' ages and attitudes perfectly carries through in Boys Are Dogs and succeeds in establishing a bond between reader and author that offers empathy and comfort to young girls surviving the highs and lows of middle school, and a vivid trip down memory lane for older audiences. Margolis has created the ultimate must-read for tweens, packed full of fantastic advice, laughs, and a bunch of confidence-boosting girl-power.

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