Strider (Cleary Reissue)

Rating:
Summary: This book is O.K.
Review: It is the sequel to Dear Mr. Hanshaw. You can tell it's by the same author, though. The author is Beverly Clearly. She is one of my favorite authors. Strider didn't impress me though. This book is not seperated into chapters, it's seperated into journal entries. My favorite part is when Barry and Leigh find the dog on the beach.

The story is about a boy named Leigh, who, is the new kid in school. Leigh finds a stray dog on the beach. The dog was laying down, so Leigh and his friend Barry tried all sorts of ways to get him up. None of them worked. So, Leigh and Barry started running. The dog followed them. Then, he layed down exactly where he was again. The dog looked sad and lonely. So, they decided to have a joint custody with the dog and name him Strider. Barry would keep Strider in his yard during school,Barry and Leigh would play with him after school, and Leigh would keep the dog at night. Leigh's mom and dad are divorced. Leigh has been worrying about his dad because he's losing alot of money. Anyway, Barry has to go on a vacation with his real mom and dad, so Leigh gets to keep Strider for a whole two weeks! But, Strider kept chewing on Leighs bedroom rug, so he decided to build a fence. He called his dad to build one. His dad got a new job. Leigh was relieved. Then, when Barry came back, they had a fight about who keeps the dog. But, they worked it out. Then, Leigh gets this cool new shirt from the thrift shop. The next day, he wore it to school. A rich kid shouted "Hey, that's my shirt!" and it was his shirt. His mom took it to the thrift shop and sold it. So, he ran after him. They did this every morning until they became friends and joined track and became friends. At track, he meets a girl named Geneva who does hurtles at the track. Now, Leigh has three friends. How will the story end? Read Strider and find out!

Rating:
Summary: CHARIOTS OF FUR?
Review: Man's best friend does it again! Well, it's been two years since Leigh Botts closed the diary which boys' writer, Mr. Henshaw, had inspired him to keep. Now he's taller, still living in a "shack" with his divorced mom, but totally cool about his trucker dad's permanent absence from the family portrait. One day at the beach he finds an abandoned dog--of a breed which runs and herds other animals. Starving but obedient to his last command, the forlorn canine guiltily follows Leigh home.

This is a light read, but it does provide insight into the emotional, financial and social struggles of young teens. Named for his easy, loping stride, the dog gradually transforms Leigh's aimless, joyless existence into an intentional pattern of planned activities with definite goals: the track team, permanent and total custody of the dog, real rapport with a girl, and the respect of teachers. Nor are teens the only humans who have issues to sort out in this book; young readers will realize the problems facing adults and single parents. STRIDER is a satisfactory sequel to DEAR MR. HENSHAW, as Leigh carves a legitimate niche in his world, where he finally "belongs."

Rating:
Summary: CHARIOTS OF FUR?
Review: Man's best friend does it again! Well, it's been two years since Leigh Botts closed the diary which boys' writer, Mr. Henshaw, had inspired him to keep. Now he's taller, still living in a "shack" with his divorced mom, but totally cool about his trucker dad's permanent absence from the family portrait. One day at the beach he finds an abandoned dog--of a breed which runs and herds other animals. Starving but obedient to his last command, the forlorn canine guiltily follows Leigh home.

This is a light read, but it does provide insight into the emotional, financial and social struggles of young teens. Named for his easy, loping stride, the dog gradually transforms Leigh's aimless, joyless existence into an intentional pattern of planned activities with definite goals: the track team, permanent and total custody of the dog, real rapport with a girl, and the respect of teachers. Nor are teens the only humans who have issues to sort out in this book; young readers will realize the problems facing adults and single parents. STRIDER is a satisfactory sequel to DEAR MR. HENSHAW, as Leigh carves a legitimate niche in his world, where he finally "belongs."

Rating:
Summary: My Strider Review by Nicole O.
Review: The book I read, called Strider, is about a boy named Leigh who finds a lonely dog while walking to the beach with his friend Barry. When Leigh calls the dog, it doesn't budge, but then it comes to him eventually. He names the dog Strider because the dog takes long strides when it runs. This dog changes Leigh's life. Before he found Strider, Leigh's parents were divorced and Leigh still wasn't comfortable with that. Now he realizes that he has responsibilities (such as taking care of Strider,) and starts to feel happier about his life. I liked this book because it told about someone's normal life and how people have their ups and downs in life. I would only recommend this book to those who like books written in a journal format.

Rating:
Summary: Make the movie!
Review: This book is light reading, but it's honest and serious, sad and funny, realistic and heartwarming. It's a pleasure to read for children and adults, and has plenty of humor without ever getting silly. I usually don't like stories written in a journal style, but in this case, it works great. We watch as Leigh comes to a major fork in the road of his life, and with the help of friends, family, and Strider, he chooses a good path. One warning: If your kids read this book and they don't already have a dog, you may end up with one.

Rating:
Summary: If you like dog stories read this book NOW!!
Review: This story is about a boy named Leigh and a dog named Strider.Strider gets found by Leigh and his friend Barry.They both own Strider.Furthermore, Barry has to visit his real
mom.So Leigh can have Strider for a whole week.Durning
that week Leigh's dad turns up.In this story Leigh's dad comes to visit Leigh a lot.When Barry comes back it's time for school again.Also,durning school Barry and Leigh loses their friendship.Barry runs a lot in this story because of Strider.He even makes the track team with Kevin.Leigh want's his friendship back with Barry so he leaves Strider in Barry's yard ,but Strider comes back and they become friends again.At the end Leigh gets closer with his dad and gets a new frienship with Geneva.One more thing I forgot to say is that Leigh does real good in the track race.