Paulsen, Gary. 2009. NOTES FROM THE DOG. New York: Wendy Lamb Books. ISBN 9780385738453
2. Plot Summary
Finn is a fourteen year old boy who has a plan for the summer. He only wants to talk to his best friend Matthew, his Dad ,and his dog Dylan. He wants to keep to himself and have a peaceful and uneventful summer vacation. "I planned in fact, to speak to fewer than a dozen people over the entire summer" (14). Everything is going smoothly until he meets his new neighbor Johanna. She is a graduate student that is house sitting for the summer. Johanna has breast cancer. The boys help her with her treatments and become friends with her. Johanna forms a plan for Finn to plant a beautiful garden in his backyard. "But somehow I didn't have the heart to come right out and tell her that digging in the wormy dirt and pulling weeds in the sun all summer long was not anything I'd ever want to do even if I knew the first thing about plants and flowers" (15). The only problem is that Finn does not have a green thumb. "I would have said anything to make the sad look in her eyes go away" (15).
3. Critical Analysis
The story is told from Finn's point of view the protagonist. He tells the story with the tone of a fourteen year old boy who feels he is not a part of the world around him. The setting of Finn's story takes place during summer break in a normal suburban town. The location and time period of the setting makes any reader able to relate to the story. The plot of the story is self vs. self. The main character Finn does not know how to interact with people. He would rather be reading. "It's not that I don't like people, but they make me uncomfortable. I feel like an alien dropped onto a strange planet and that I always have to be on the lookout for clues and cues on how to act and what to say" (3). It is interesting to see how the story progresses to see if Finn will be able to grow and be able to build relationships and communicate with the people around him. How will the new neighbor Johanna change Finn? The interactions between Finn and the different characters in the book make the reader want to see what will happen next. "Before Johanna, I had never been the highlight of anyone's day" (9). "I didn't want to confess to Johanna that my only plans for the next three months involved reading as many books as I could right here on my front steps and avoiding people" (13).
The theme of the story is believing in yourself. Don't be scared to talk to people and live. If a person does not take part in the world around them how can they really live? "I try not to wonder what what she saw in me, sitting on the front steps with a book, that made her know there were so many things I needed to hear' (131).
This is a wonderful book! It is a great read for young adults and adults. The author did a great job of reminding the reader what is important in life and to believe in yourself. Life is a learning experience that cannot be achieved gazing at the world while sitting on your front steps.
4. Review Excerpts
SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL: "Johanna's spirit and optimism infuse Finn with courage and love, and he finds his voice. Paulsen's fans may miss his trademarks: the notorious exploits of boys, the page-turning wilderness adventures, or the sled dogs that often take center stage. Yet this candid and tender tale, told with his signature humor, is a salute to the bravest of the brave."
VOYA: "Finn discovers a developing talent for connecting with others as he breaks out of his seclusion and soon the lives of his father and even his granddad are touched by his efforts. There is an undercurrent of lighthearted comedy in Finn's efforts with the garden and his fund raising speeches. Given the brevity of the book and its inclination to be a book for "boys," it could be recommended to reluctant readers."
5. Connections
Other books about neighbors:
Baskin, Nora Raleigh. ANYTHING BY TYPICAL. ISBN 9781416995005
Jones, Kimberly. SAND DOLLAR SUMMER. ISBN 9781416903628
Naylor, Phyllis Reynolds. CRICKET MAN. ISBN 9781416949817
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