Notes From the Dog

Paulsen, G. (2009). Notes from the dog. New York: Wendy Lamb Books.

Fourteen-year-old Finn is a loner by choice. His single dad is raising him since his mother abandoned them, and his dad is a career student devoted more to studying than his son. Finn’s closest friends are his dog Dylan and his neighbor Mathew, but he prefers to spend most of his time reading books. Finn had planned on spending his summer vacation without speaking to anyone since he prefers books to people, but his plan is thrown out the window when he meets Johanna. She is house sitting next door for the summer, and she quickly brings Finn out of his shell. Due to Johanna’s persuasion, Finn begins cultivating a garden for her from scratch to help her raise money for cancer research. Johanna is battling cancer herself, but that doesn’t stop her from attempting to train for a triathlon. While Finn attempts to make his garden grow, and he and Mathew head up fundraising they both experience love for Johanna that they had never experienced before. When Johanna became too sick to race, Finn and Mathew gladly completed the triathlon for her. Dylan would bring Finn notes with positive words in his mouth, and he soon realizes they are from Johanna. After her passing, Finn realizes that because of her he began to truly understand the meaning of living and the importance family. Best suited for grades 7 and up, Notes From the Dog is a story that can bring a positive outlook to someone who has lost a loved one to cancer.