Big and Bad

Gr 7 Up–Fifteen-year-old Candy’s family is barely getting by, with her mother near death and a father who would rather drink and gamble than pay bills. She trusts no one and is close to dropping out of school when she meets Carlos, her bookish Latino 18-year-old neighbor, who lends a sympathetic ear. As their friendship deepens, they discover that Candy’s father is involved in an illegal dogfighting scheme to make money. With Carlos’s help, Candy takes a brave stand to save the dogs and herself. This novella is a dog story like no other, told with brutal honesty by both Candy and Bear, the “big and bad” canine protagonist. Bear’s descriptions of life with a family, on the street, and in the shelter are expertly written with the heightened senses of a dog. The dog fight scenes are just as vivid and not for the faint of heart. The author’s commitment to accuracy is a shocking look into a bloody, inhumane, underground world. The parallel cruelty in Candy’s life is equally crushing, but a few kind minor characters keep readers hopeful that she will persevere. Poet Scotti gives voice to the most helpless creatures in a heart-wrenching story of pain and redemption. Candy’s appearance isn’t described.