"It's raining hard and I can't get to sleep.
Blue Daisy should be my dog! Or maybe Katie's.
We're the ones who like her best. I keep
thinking how she wouldn't have
a name if we hadn't painted a daisy on her back.
I made her a dog bed, and Mom let me save
a whole hamburger for her. Now
she won't even get one little bite.
The Tracy twins! I don't see how
she could choose them instead of us."
Neighbors Sam and Katie are surprised, and curious, when an stray dog shows up in their neighborhood one summer's day. They are also worried as it skinny, collarless, and very dirty. The two follow it, watching when it is chased from a neighborhood flower garden. Next, they worry as they see the mean Tracy twins follow the dog on their bikes, while throwing rocks at it.
The dog is soon nowhere to be found, even though the four are doing their best to discover where it has gone. When they find it in Sam's back yard, Sam and Katie play a mean trick on it. They paint a blue daisy on the poor dog's back. Suddenly, everyone notices the dog because of the marking, and that is how she gets her name.
In alternating first person voices - Katie's in prose and Sam's in verse - we are privy to all the action and to the feelings aroused by the dog's arrival in their neighborhood. When Blue Daisy shows preference for being with the Tracy twins, they are both astonished and upset. In the end, Blue Daisy finds a new home and the four young people who love her find new friendship. Everyone wins!
This is an accessible new novel for those longing to read early chapter books. Its focus is community, friendship, emotions, perspective and thoughtfulness. Back matter includes two very special cookie recipes from Mr. Jenkins, and an author's note explaining the writing styles.
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