Fenway and Hattie have always been best buddies. They play, romp at the dog park and Fenway sleeps cuddled up in Hattie’s mint and vanilla scented bed. But a big move from the city to a house shakes everything up. Most concerning, Hattie suddenly doesn’t have time for Fenway and seems to be pulling away.
Fenway’s exuberant personality means that’s he’s undaunted. Despite veiled warnings from the dogs next door, a sad move from Hattie’s cuddly bed to a room with a gate, Fenway is sure he can get his beloved short human back.
Written from Fenway’s point of view, this book will doubtless charm young readers. The text is fairly simple, meaning it will work well for either K-2 readers who are reading above grade level or 3rd graders. The point of view will require a lot of inference on the part of students which is a great skill to develop.
Unfortunately, I just didn’t love it. I wish I had, but I found it slow in parts, pretty repetitive and I wanted bigger plot, bigger goings on. So while I know plenty of young dog lovers that would enjoy it, and it certainly is a welcome break from the likes of the endless Puppy Place series, I would likely only recommend it to readers who already had a love for dogs.
Age Recommendation: Fenway and Hattie is appropriate for all ages, but will probably hold the most interest for students up to age 10.
Sex, Nudity, Dating – None.
Profanity – None.
Death, Violence and Gore – Dogs and squirrels are clearly enemies.
Drugs, Alcohol and Smoking – None.
Frightening or Intense Things – None.
