The No-Dogs-Allowed Rule

Gr 2–4—Ishan desperately wants a dog, but his mother, a busy pediatrician, has a "no dogs allowed rule." The third grader spends most of his time trying to convince her, often through misadventures of one kind or another, that he and his older brother, Sunil, deserve one. Children will relate to his stubbornness and creativity as Ishan hunkers down and focuses on dogs, dogs, dogs-to the point of driving his parents, neighbors, and extended family to distraction with his one-track mind and exploits. The story's pacing, geared toward beginning chapter-book readers, moves swiftly toward its resolution and has enough mild surprises along the way to keep youngsters turning the page to see if the boys are victorious at the end. Occasional black-and-white illustrations work well in tying the story together.—Lisa Kropp, Suffolk Cooperative Library System, Bellport, NY