Dog Called Kitty
Dog Called Kitty book cover

Dog Called Kitty

Paperback – April 1, 1992

Price
$7.99
Format
Paperback
Pages
176
Publisher
Aladdin
Publication Date
ISBN-13
978-0671770815
Dimensions
5.14 x 0.45 x 7.74 inches
Weight
4 ounces

Description

From the Publisher The puppy was small and fuzzy, with a friendly, wagging tail -- and Ricky was afraid of him! No wonder, since he was attacked by a dog when he was just a baby. So when a stray puppy comes sniffling around the farm, Ricky tells it to get lost. But the puppy keeps trying to play with Ricky. And every time Ricky's Mom feeds the cats, the little dog comes running. The cats aren't sharing their food, however, and the poor pup is slowly starving. If Ricky doesn't overcome his fear, the little puppy may die -- but if he lets himself get close enough to feed it, he may find the best friend he's ever had! Winner of the Texas Bluebonnet, the Oklahoma Sequoyah and the Nebraska Golden Sower Awards. Bill Wallace grew up in Oklahoma. Along with riding their horses, he and his friends enjoyed campouts and fishing trips. Toasting marshmallows, telling ghost stories to scare one another, and catching fish was always fun. One of the most memorable trips took place on the far side of Lake Lawtonka, at the base of Mt. Scott. He and his best friend, Gary, spent the day shooting shad with bow and arrows, cutting bank poles, and getting ready to go when their dads got home from work. Although there was no "monster" in Lake Lawtonka, one night there was a "sneak attack" by a rather large catfish tail. Checking the bank poles was not nearly as fun or "free" after that point, but it was the inspiration for this story. Bill Wallace has won nineteen children's state awards and been awarded the Arrell Gibson Lifetime Achievement Award for Children's Literature from the Oklahoma Center for the Book.

Features & Highlights

  • The puppy was small and fuzzy, with a friendly, wagging tail -- and Ricky was afraid of him! No wonder, since he was attacked by a dog when he was just a baby. So when a stray puppy comes sniffling around the farm, Ricky tells it to get lost. But the puppy keeps trying to play with Ricky. And every time Ricky's Mom feeds the cats, the little dog comes running. The cats aren't sharing their food, however, and the poor pup is slowly starving. If Ricky doesn't overcome his fear, the little puppy may die -- but if he lets himself get close enough to feed it, he may find the best friend he's ever had! Winner of the Texas Bluebonnet, the Oklahoma Sequoyah and the Nebraska Golden Sower Awards.

Customer Reviews

Rating Breakdown

★★★★★
60%
(177)
★★★★
25%
(74)
★★★
15%
(44)
★★
7%
(21)
-7%
(-21)

Most Helpful Reviews

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Great pick for a bookclub

I heard of this book and wanted to check it out for a bookclub for 4th and 5th graders. After checking out some on-line reviews, many of which were from people who read it when orginally published in the 80's, I decided to use it. What impressed me most about the reviews was that the people who read it back then remember it making a big impression on them and couldn't wait to share it with their children. I have several books I feel that way about so figured if it had such a strong impression it would be worth a shot.

It turned out to be a good call. Most of the children finished it and almost all really liked it. We had a discussion about the fear the main character had of dogs and fears they have. Mnay of them felt a lot of different emotions throughout the book and although it had some diffecult scenes they really liked how the story unfolded and the end of the story.
17 people found this helpful
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Traumatized me

I read this book when I was in fourth grade. It had such a negative impact on me, I cried for days every time I looked at a dog. I can't even remember the plot, just that the dog dies and it's violent and completely meaningless, so upsetting, I would NOT recommend this for children; it should be banned from the little kids' section. Such a terrible book. 15 years later I am still traumatized by this book and tell people about how horrific it is.
9 people found this helpful
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Reminder of childhood (Over 100 words per page, grades 4-6)

I remember reading this book perhaps 10 years ago, and that cute innocent puppy on the cover. My mom had had several dogs and I had just gotten a Shih Tzu named Fluffy. He looked like my dog! It's hard to remember exactly what happened, but there was a soccer field, and some bullies, and he had to behave like one of them or be hurt himself. He was already hurting, and I very much identified with the coming-of-age understanding with quite literally, the underdog. I have always had mild cerebral palsy, preventing me from walking normally and requiring me to always act more grown-up. I never really had a childhood, but this book affected me greatly, its pages, its changes, and taught me a little bit about returning to a wise innocence. That it is okay to cry and laugh and to be vulnerable. I have always had problems with girlfriends and the usual social problems, but I have always loved dogs.
9 people found this helpful
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A Dog Called Kitty

This book is about a boy who's afraid of dogs. A stray puppy comes around looking for food. The Mother of the family always puts out scraps of food for the cats and calls "Here Kitty, Kitty, Kitty, Kitty!" The Puppy comes too, but the cats attack him. He is about to starve when Ricky decides to feed him. In the process of giving him the food, Ricky overcomes his fear of dogs. The dog is called Kitty because he comes running for the food every time Ricky's mom calls Kitty! They become friends. I think the writer has a unique writing style. He writes in the first person. It is so vividly written that you feel like you're standing there listening to the story of his childhood. The book had a great storyline and was vividly described. The book had a funny theme. I'd give this book 6 stars if I could
6 people found this helpful
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Favorite childhood book

I read this book as a child (well over 30 years ago) and loved it. It was the first book I remember reading that I got emotionally invested in and thus loaned it to a friend that kept it and is letting her children read it. So, I have now purchased it to share with my own children and can’t wait to read it again myself.
5 people found this helpful
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Let your kid enjoy less violence with a movie like Full Metal Jacket

My son had to read this book for his fourth grade project. He hated it. He can deal with violence in movies very well but this book was full of hate and senseless violence without purpose. I watched Full Metal Jacket that night and wish he could have watched it instead or any other rated R movie than read this book. Wish I could give this book zero stars.
5 people found this helpful
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So Bad It's A Family Joke

The dog doesn't get killed in the heroic fight to save the boy. He dies in the next chapter, when an oil-pipe pointlessly falls on him. Those darn oil companies, eh?

This tells you everything you need to know.
5 people found this helpful
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Kitty Lover

I love this book. I was a library clerk in a school when I was reading it. I was sitting there crying and the librarian asked me why and I told her that I had just finished the book. I kept asking her to get it for review. The students picked up on it and they wanted to read the book too. There are some viloent parts in it, but that is what makes a great story. Bill Wallace did a great job making you feel like you were there with Ricky and Kitty. It has been over 20 years since I first read the book and yet it only seems like yesterday. Some books you always remember and this is one of them.
5 people found this helpful
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not for sensitive children

This book has a very graphic scene (one of many) of a dog attack. The boy beats off several dogs (who are mauling his dog) and he breaks a German Shepard's back with a club. The language is very graphic/mean-spirited within the book and I'm not really sure it's suitable for children--maybe older children--but certainly not for children who love animals. Plus, Kitty dies suddenly in the end when he is crushed by pipes. At that point, children won't care about the "message" within the book at all. Bottom line: I wouldn't suggest this book for sensitive kids, it made my 9-year-old cry and she wants me to get rid of the book.
5 people found this helpful
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Parents beware

It is a lovely book. However the dog meets a tragic end. It is not for young or sensitive children.
5 people found this helpful