"'I didn't say I wanted a dog. I said a brother or sister might have been nice.' That's the first thing I can remember Nick saying. Nick doesn't remember coming home from the hospital when he was born, but I remember coming home from the farm. That is the first happening I can remember, coming home. And Nick's first words."
Aleasha is so excited to part of her new family. She loves Mom, Dad, and Nick and excited to be just like them. Imagine her surprise when she realizes that she isn't really like the rest of the family. But if she has her way, that is about to change.
Why I Love It
Though it's language is surprisingly simple, this story is nothing short of magical. I love the depth that Hinton gives the characters and how well we get to know them in such a short time.You Should Know
The most challenging part of this story is that it requires a lot of inferring. Because we are hearing the story from the point of view of Aleasha the puppy, there are a lot of things that require some reading between the lines. For instance, we need to engage our background knowledge to realize that the jumping animal Aleasha chases that has "very long ears, whiskers, and wild buggy eyes" is a rabbit. She doesn't know so she doesn't tell us. Take the time to talk as you read this and make sure you catch all the little things that are going on behind the basic action of the story.Talking Points
- Who is telling the story? How would the story be different if it had a different narrator.
- Sometimes Aleasha doesn't really understand what is going on. Can you find any examples of her misunderstanding or figuring something out?
- What part of this story was the funniest? The most exciting? The saddest?
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