Product Description

After losing Dandy, her family's beloved horse, Kristine decides that she will never get close to another pet again. It's just too heartbreaking. So when her father surprises her with a new puppy for her birthday, Kristine is furious! With a new sister on the way, who need a wriggling, messy, noisy yellow ball of fur to look after? But how can an animal-loving girl resist the sweet brown eyes of a puppy that just wants to be loved?

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #115595 in Books
• Published on: 2005-05-17
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 224 pages

Features

• ISBN13: 9781416903819
• Condition: NEW
• Notes: Brand New from Publisher. No Remainder Mark.
• Click here to view our Condition Guide and Shipping Prices

From School Library Journal
Grade 4-6–Fifth-grader Kristine Rankin is grieving for the recently deceased family horse. When she receives a puppy for her birthday, she is horrified by the idea of a new pet and instantly rejects the dog while trying to maintain a facade of liking her gift. She pretty much ignores Mattie, despite the pup's enthusiastic affection. Kristine has other issues to deal with as well. Her preoccupation with the dog has caused her to distance herself from her best friend, and now their relationship is in trouble, and she is worried about her grandfather's health. Also, a boy from school has been teasing her. He lives near her grandparents' house, and when he meets Mattie, he is instantly smitten with the dog. Kristine gradually gets to know him better, and her feelings for him begin to change. As events unfold, she finally learns that you have to open your heart to love, despite the risks. Kristine is likable and realistic as she struggles through her grief and resistance to emotional involvement with another pet. The book is written with humor and enough drama to keep readers interested, and they'll relate to the story and to Kristine's ultimate surrender to adorable Mattie. Also suggest Colby Rodowsky's Not My Dog (Farrar, 1999) for a twist on the theme.–Alison Grant, West Bloomfield Township Public Library, MI
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From Booklist
Gr. 4-6. Kristine still hasn't recovered from the death of the family's pet horse when her grandfather surprises her with a new puppy on her eleventh birthday. She pretends to be excited, but she is determined not to care for another pet and risk being hurt again. After Kristine learns that her grandfather has some potentially serious health problems, and that her new baby sister may also be ill, she begins to learn how to manage her fears of losing a loved one. A related subplot, Kristine's interest in a sixth-grade boy, further reveals her unwillingness to take a chance on a relationship that might end painfully. Kristine's first person narration of the story doesn't feel particularly authentic, but the dilemmas she faces and the way she deals with them will ring true to many young readers. Libraries short on fiction dealing with grief or pet death may want to consider adding this. Lauren Peterson
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

About the Author
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.

Customer Reviews

No Dogs Allowed!
No Dogs Allowed! By: Bill Wallace
Reviewed By: A. Quizon (Firecracker)
Period: 1

Kristine is a very fun, happy, young girl who surely loves her pet, Dandy. Dandy was her horse that she loved so much, and played with her every single day. Kristine's horse was part of her family. Then suddenly a heartbreaking tragedy struck-Dandy died. Of course this was so heartbreaking to the family, and especially to Kristine. Anyways, Kristine's birthday was coming up, and she still had not gotten over the incident about Dandy. She thought that it was way to heartbreaking for her whenever she thinks about this, so she made a decision: Kristine decided not to ever get a pet again, because she couldn't afford to get her heart ripped out again! Then, on Kristine's birthday, she receives a present from her father. She opens the present with much excitement. When she sees what the surprise is, she turns so furious because it was pet dog! She started to think of Dandy more every time she looked at it. She didn't know how to deal with this problem. Along with the dog, she had a new baby sister coming and she would have a lot to look after. As days go by, Kristine starts thinking of how cute her dog looks. She starts loving it more and more, and thinks of Dandy less, now that she has this dog in her hands.
I like many parts of this book, especially when Kristine gets her dog. I don't like her reaction though. I would really want the same thing to happen to me too. "Look, Kristine. She's all yours." Papa's voice was so excited all around. That was when Kristine's papa gave her the dog for a present. I wish someone gave me a dog as a present sometime.
What I dislike about this book is Kristine's reaction of when she gets the dog. "I don't want a puppy!" I blurted out as I whirled around to face him. Kristine was so mean to her papa, and made him feel bad. She should at least be nice to him for trying to cheer her up about the Dandy incident. I thought that this was also a heartbreaking moment for her papa, which was sad.
My most favorite part of the book was when Kristine starts liking her dog, and actually starts being nice to it. She got to experience loving an animal again. I also like all the description about the dog. It shows that the dog is very cute, cuddly, and playful. My least favorite part of the book was when Kristine was being so mean to her puppy at first. I felt so sorry for the dog because its owner was being so mean to it. Other than that, this book was fantastic!

NO DOGS ALLOWED!!!!
This wonderful book is about a ten-year-old girl named Kristine, who has just lost her horse, Dandy. After losing Dandy, Kristine vows never to get close to another pet again in life! But this promise just keeps getting harder and harder to keep once her father surprises her with a new, adorable, sweet, little puppy that is just waiting to be loved. Even though Kristine vows to never get close to another pet again in life, do you really think she can bear ignoring this sweet, adorable, little puppy? Can her parents convince her enough for that this puppy deserves for her to love the puppy? Find out if you read this heart-warming story which all people- including adults would enjoy.

PCE Student Review
My favorite book is No Dogs Allowed by Bill Wallace. The genre is fiction. The book theme is a girl learning to love. My favorite characters are Kristine and Maddie.

I like Kristine because when you read the book she has action. I like Maddie because she is just trying to get attention. Maddie is just trying to be loved.

The author's writing style is sad and funny. The author also uses the right descriptive words.

I love this book because my favorite characters have emotion. For example, the characters try to love Maddie but when Kristine gets mad and slams a door she breaks Maddies foot then she learns even if you love an animal and he/she dies it doesn't mean you have to be upset your whole life. I recommend this book to everyone kids and parents. They will love it.