A dog like Sam

Format:

Book

Title:

A dog like Sam

Uniform Title:

Toen kwam Sam. English

Author:

Vendel, Edward van de author

ISBN:

9780802854841

Publication:

Grand Rapids, Michigan : Eerdmans Books for Young Readers, 2016.

Physical Description:

111 pages : illustrations ; 22 cm

Summary:

A heartwarming story about family and belonging. When a big white dog turns up unexpectedly in their front yard, Kix and Emilia immediately want to adopt him. They name the dog Sam, and even though their parents say they can't take him in, it isn't long before Sam becomes a part of the family. But when Sam's original owner comes looking for him, Kix realizes that deciding where Sam belongs is anything but simple. Emotional and gripping, this book will be an instant favorite with any reader who has a soft spot for animals. -- From amazon.com.

Reading Level:

580L lexile

Decoding: 4 (hard) Vocabulary: 5 (very hard) Sentences: 5 (very hard) Patterns: 5 (very hard) Lexile.

Subject(s):

Dogs -- Fiction.

Families -- Fiction.

Dogs -- Juvenile fiction.

Families -- Juvenile fiction.

Family life -- Fiction.

Genre:

Added Author:

Holds:

Available:*

Library	Call Number	Status
Searching... Dallas Public Library	+ FICTION - VENDEL	Searching... Unknown
Searching... Woodburn Public Library	Vendel	Searching... Unknown

Bound With These Titles

On Order

Summary

A heartwarming story about family and belonging

When a big white dog turns up unexpectedly in their front yard, Kix and Emilia immediately want to adopt him. They name the dog Sam, and even though their parents say they can't take him in, it isn't long before Sam becomes a part of the family. But when Sam's original owner comes looking for him, Kix realizes that deciding where Sam belongs is anything but simple.

Emotional and gripping, this book will be an instant favorite with any reader who has a soft spot for animals.

Author Notes

Edward van de Vendel has written dozens of books for children and young adults. In 2011 and 2012 he was nominated for the Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award. He lives in the Netherlands. Visit his website at www.edwardvandevendel.com .

Reviews (2)

Horn Book Review

Great Pyrenees dog Sam appears one day at Kix's family's farm. The story seems to be headed along familiar foundling-pet lines, but things take a darker turn when Sam's original owner--the mentally unstable adult son of an unpleasant neighbor--turns up. This Dutch import speaks the international language of dog-lovers while also providing an unvarnished yet ultimately compassionate portrait of mental illness. (c) Copyright 2017. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

Kirkus Review

A Canadian familys emotional life is enriched by the affections of a shaggy white dog. Nine-year-old Kix and his younger sister, Emilia, are delighted by the unexpected appearance of a Great Pyrenees who quickly adopts them as his family. While the children unreservedly embrace their new pet, naming him Sam, their parents are more cautious, as it emerges that he belongs to the violent son of the curmudgeonly old couple across the road. Sams former master is in a mental institution following the failure of his farm, and the rightful ownership of the skittish dog, desperately in need of both physical and emotional nourishment, becomes a source of bitter contention between and within the two families. A dramatic, heart-stopping denouement finally brings an end to the tension. The elegant simplicity of both the prose and the lively pen-and-ink illustrations allows the full power of the feelings to shine through. Van de Vendel (The Dog that Nino Didnt Have, 2015, etc.) based this novel, translated from the Dutch, on an actual experience he had while visiting relatives in Canada. While the characters race is never specified, all appear from the illustrations to be white. A moving and memorable tale of love, forgiveness, and compassion among beings both human and canine. (Fiction. 8-12) Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.