Surfer Dog

Surfer Dog by Elizabeth Spurr Dutton Children's Books, 2002, 103 pp., $15.99 Boy-Dog Friendship/Surfing ISBN: 0-525-46898-6

Does your dog know how to surf? Maybe, not, but young Pete's dog does.

Pete has just moved to a new town where he knows no one. But, things are not all that bad: the nearby beaches are splendid for surfing, and from nowhere, a dog enters Pete's new life. The dog, which Pete names Blackie, is a stray black Labrador whose obsession with the sand and surf parallels Pete's own fondness for water and waves.

Soon, Pete is out on the water, trying to teach Blackie to surf, an event that captures the imagination and intrigue of a whole host of new grade school friends. Pete and his parents wonder, though, if these new found friends only interested in him because he has a dog who is learning to surf.

Obsessed with Blackie and the ever alluring waves, Pete starts failing in school. He is grounded at home, during the time that he and Blackie are training for a major surfing contest. And to make matters worse, Blackie's long lost owner shows up to claim the dog.

Young readers will revel in the fun-loving and highly recognizable youngster, Pete, and enjoy the authentic surfing details and lingo in this fast-paced, high interest read.

Jeffrey S. Kaplan

Orlando, Fl

Copyright Assembly on Literature for Adolescents -- National Council of Teachers of English Fall 2002
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