ttuM
Description
$7.95
ISBN 0-88899-374-9
DDC jC813'.54
Author
Publisher
Year
Contributor
Patricia Morley is professor emerita of English and Canadian Studies at
Concordia University and an avid outdoor recreationist. She is also the
author of The Mountain Is Moving: Japanese Women’s Lives, Kurlek, and
Margaret Laurence: The Long Journey Hom
Review
On her way home from a tumultuous baseball game, Charlotte (the spunky
heroine of The Charlotte Stories) and her father see a small black dog
cross the street. Only Charlotte’s heroic dash saves it from being hit
by a truck. When the stray follows them home and Charlotte calls it
“Mutt,” it backs away. When she calls its name
backwards—“ttuM”—the dog responds, and Charlotte feels comforted
by her new friend.
Charlotte has never had a pet. When a class assignment required one,
she had been forced to draw on a wild mouse once caught in the family
breadbox. She desperately wants to keep ttuM, and with the help of her
friend, Mimi, persuades her mother to let the dog stay.
One day, as the girls are coming to terms with the new teacher they
will have in the fall (Miss Downing, on crutches, is a big
disappointment), ttuM goes missing and is feared dead. Miss Downing is
instrumental in rescuing him, and the girls learn to appreciate a
teacher who challenges them with difficult math.
Harvey Chan’s finely detailed graphite drawings go well with this
light tale of fun, friendship, and summer holiday adventures.
Recommended—especially for girls in Grades 3 and 4.