Notes from the Dog

Did we miss something on diversity?
Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by suggesting a diversity update.
Suggest an Update
A Lot or a Little?
The parents' guide to what's in this book.
What Parents Need to Know
Parents need to know that the content is mild here: a reference to boobs, to an elderly couple living in sin, and to beer. But the story, about a young woman undergoing cancer treatment, may raise some questions and concerns.
Community Reviews
its the goodest book on the martket
Report this review
What's the Story?
Finn can't figure people out, and prefers to avoid them. His summer vacation plans are "reading as many books as I could right here on my front steps and avoiding people." But when Johanna, who is undergoing breast cancer treatment, moves in to housesit next door she won't let Finn stay in his shell. She gets him involved in gardening, raising money for cancer research, and talking to the girl of his dreams. Slowly Finn begins to discover that people aren't as mysterious as he thought.
Is It Any Good?
Despite having a cancer patient as a major character, this is a joyous book about life, not death. Whether her brush with serious illness brought out her joie de vivre, or whether she was always this way (the story doesn't tell), Johanna's vivaciousness and extroverted certainty are just the tonic for a lonely, introverted boy like Finn. With humor, strong characters, and vivid set pieces, Paulsen shows once again that you don't need a villain to propel a wonderful story.
Veteran author Gary Paulsen had a purpose beyond the story for writing this, something that can be fatal in the hands of a less experienced writer. He says that he "wanted to do something to show that cancer doesn't win, can't win, won't win." But he goes far beyond that, and shows, through Johanna's connecting of Finn to those around him, that connection to community is vital for everyone, and provides the reader with a variety of examples of ways to reach to those around them, none of them expensive or difficult. As usual, Paulsen packs a lot into a small space, and this short book will amuse and delight many young readers.
From the Book:
Matthew and I aren't anything alike. I know, for instance, that it's got to be easier to be Matthew than it is to be me. There's something so . . . easy about the way he does everything. He gets better grades than me, even though he hardly ever studies. He's on about a million teams at school, and whatever he does in football, baseball, basketball, tennis or track, he looks confident in a way that I never do.
He has friends in every group at school: the brainy people, who, even in middle school, are starting to worry about the "com app" (that's the universal college application form, but I only know that because I Googled the word after I heard them talking about it so much); the jocks, who carpool to their orthopedic doctor appointments together and brag about torn cartilage and bad sprains; the theater and band and orchestra members, who call themselves the arty geeks and then laugh, like it's some big joke on everyone else; and, of course, the losers.
Like me.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about the idea of loners being brought out of their shells by charming extroverts. Does this happen in real life? Should it?
Is there something wrong with being a loner? Is Finn happier as a loner? Would he be in real life?
In stories, sick and dying people often make the lives of others better. Does this happen in life too? Is taking care of a sick person an uplifting experience?
Book Details
- Author: Gary Paulsen
- Genre: Fantasy
- Book type: Fiction
- Publisher: Wendy Lamb
- Publication date: July 28, 2009
- Number of pages: 132
- Last updated: June 24, 2015
Our Editors Recommend
For kids who love books about friendship
Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.
See how we rate