Dog Stories

My Dog Beerus
by Bhavneek

Beerus was a great and affectionate dog.  He was born on April 16, 2014 and was my brother’s dog but he shared him with me. I loved Beerus.

Beerus – a black and brown German shepherd cross – could do many tricks. Whenever I said, “paw,” he would put his paw in my hand and I’d give him a treat. A dog bone. Whenever I came from school, he jumped high to lick me. Whenever we tried to cut his nails, he always pretended to be dying. 

Beerus did not like having a bath. Whenever we wanted to wash him, he would hide under a bed. He wanted to stay dirty. I felt sorry that he was so afraid of water.

Beerus did not like sharing territory. Whenever we went for a walk together, he would pee on every bush we passed. I always wondered why he had to pee all the time.

Beerus was the best dog in the world. But sadly, we had to put him down. His liver was failing due to old age. He died on October 19, 2020. I still miss him. 

More Dog Stories

“I loved my friend
He went away from me.
There’s nothing more to say.
The poem ends,
Soft as it began-
I loved my friend.” – Langston Hughes

 

 

Fighting Words

Bradley, Kimberly Brubaker. Fighting Words. New York: Dial Books for Young Readers, 2020.
Another novel with a ten-year-old main character, Della. But this time the story is not so cheerful. Not on the surface and not underneath, either. Della has always had a protector: her older sister Suki. When their mother was in prison, Suki took care of her. When their mother’s boyfriend did something terrible, Suki took care of her. But now Suki has tried to commit suicide and it’s time for Della to speak up and tell the truth. Neglect and abuse were addressed in a previous novel by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley – The War That Saved My Life set in World War II England – and now these problems occur in a story set in present-day America. Only this time, the description is grittier and the issues more immediate. A realistically hopeful novel recommended for mature readers 11 years old and up. Older readers who are fans of Joan Bauer will also appreciate this empowering story of survival. 

More stories of abuse

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The List of Things That Will Not Change

Stead, Rebecca. The List of Things That Will Not Change. New York: Wendy Lamb Books, 2020.
Ten-year-old Bea knows her parents both love her, despite their divorce. She is excited about her father’s upcoming marriage to his gay partner and excited about getting a new step-sister. So life should be as full of as much happiness as her heart can hold. But she has a secret: she has done something that worries her, something that may have harmed someone else. No one else writes about guilt as powerfully as Rebecca Stead. Her Newbery award-winning novel When You Reach Me also carries the feeling of dreadful responsibility that comes with guilt. Told from the first-person point of view, this novel will appeal to slightly younger readers, 10 to 13 years old, who enjoy stories by Patricia Reilly Giff, Patricia MacLachlan, Susan Patron, and Sara Pennypacker.

More stories about strong female characters