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Notes from the Dog
by
Gary Paulsen
"Sometimes having company is not all it's cracked up to be."
Fifteen-year-old Finn is a loner, living with his dad and his amazing dog, Dylan. This summer he's hoping for a job where he doesn't have to talk to anyone except his pal Matthew. Then Johanna moves in next door. She's ten years older, cool, funny, and she treats Finn as an equal. Dylan loves her, too. Johanna's...more
Fifteen-year-old Finn is a loner, living with his dad and his amazing dog, Dylan. This summer he's hoping for a job where he doesn't have to talk to anyone except his pal Matthew. Then Johanna moves in next door. She's ten years older, cool, funny, and she treats Finn as an equal. Dylan loves her, too. Johanna's...more
Paperback, 144 pages
Published
January 25th 2011
by Ember
(first published July 15th 2009)
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REQUIRED AUTHOR - GARY PAULSEN
This book talks about a loner named Finn who is brought out of his shell through his friend Matthew, his dog Dylan, and most especially, his neighbor named Johanna. Johanna forces Finn to get outside and work in a garden, befriends him, helps him learn how to talk to girls, and helps him to become a part of the community. At the beginning of the summer, Finn was going to try to talk to as few people as possible, which is thrown out the window when he finds out that...more
This book talks about a loner named Finn who is brought out of his shell through his friend Matthew, his dog Dylan, and most especially, his neighbor named Johanna. Johanna forces Finn to get outside and work in a garden, befriends him, helps him learn how to talk to girls, and helps him to become a part of the community. At the beginning of the summer, Finn was going to try to talk to as few people as possible, which is thrown out the window when he finds out that...more
I picked up my daughter from school last month, and as she got into the car, I noticed her eyes were red. I asked her what happened and if she was alright, and then she exclaimed, " Mom! You HAVE to read ' Notes From The Dog ', it is now on my top five favorite books!" I really didn't want to, as I had a lot of books on my "to read" list; Then I started browsing her copy and got sucked in.... This is a must read for you and your kids. If you have boys, I highly recommend it, as it is written in...more
As a middle school librarian, I don't have to "sell" Paulsen, so I just had not taken the time to read this book before now. However, this is not the typical outdoor adventure story so often associated with Paulsen. Rather, the main character, Finn, is a socially-awkward 14 yo boy who, along with his one close friend, gets involved in the life of a girl in her twenties with breat cancer who moves in next door. I loved this book! It has a little humor, a little teen awkwardness, a little serious,...more
Jul 15, 2012
Deborah Piasecki
rated it
5 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
middle-school-level
This is one of my favorite books because I can relate to the story and the message it relays. My own mother passed away of breast cancer and so I feel a connection to Joanna and what she is enduring. I like the characters; Finn and Matthew who befriend Joanna and especially Finn's dog, Dylan. They all become an odd little family which Finn did not realizing he was missing in his life until Joanna gave him one. There were a few things that were a bit unrealistic; Joanna training to compete in a t...more
The book notes from the dog was a book not to forget. This book was about a boy who doesn't have everything going in the right way for him socially and his friend who is just fine. A girl moves in next door and they become friends immediately. She has breast cancer and is fighting a losing battle, she wants to help the boys but can they help her? The main characters are Finn, a boy who isn't socially adapt, dylan the dog, Matt Finn's cool friend, and Johanna Finn's "good fairy". The conflict of...more
Hi readers,
I read this book calledNotes From The Dog by Gary Paulson. This is a great book.This story takes place at Finn's house, Finn's garden, and the city park concert. The time of the day is at night time. The setting looks like a park with a rock band on a stage and there is lots of people, and there is a ice cream place. You can hear the rock music and hear crickets. You can smell ice cream, the green grass, and smell the damp air. You can see the rock band, other people, the grass, and t...more
I read this book calledNotes From The Dog by Gary Paulson. This is a great book.This story takes place at Finn's house, Finn's garden, and the city park concert. The time of the day is at night time. The setting looks like a park with a rock band on a stage and there is lots of people, and there is a ice cream place. You can hear the rock music and hear crickets. You can smell ice cream, the green grass, and smell the damp air. You can see the rock band, other people, the grass, and t...more
This book is called Notes from the Dog, by Gary Paulsen. This book has 144 pages. This book is about a fifteen year old boy named Finn, he’s a very shy boy who doesn’t like to talk to people in fear that he will slip up and everybody will laugh at him. Finn plans to get a job during the summer where he doesn’t have to talk to anyone except for his best friend Matthew (who is very outgoing). But all that changes when a 25 year old girl named Johanna moves in next door, she’s pretty, funny, cool,...more
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
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The sound of Johanna hitting the ground as she fell resonated through his ears during the summer of adventures of a boy named Finn, a young, shy, and socially-awkward schoolboy who begins to find himself. Finn and his friend Matthew make a plan to have a lazy, self-loving summer. Finn had always lived his life introverted, too content to make new friends. Then Johanna becomes the boys’ newfound friend and neighbor. Johanna hired Finn to plant a garden, treated the boys as equals although she was...more
Dari judulnya saya pikir buku ini bakal berisi cerita 'ajaib' tentang anjing yang bisa nulis dan memberikan catatan kepada majikannya. Dan memang awalnya kesan itu yang saya dapat. Tapi ternyata? Hehe.. no spoiler :p
Buku ini bercerita tentang seorang penderita kanker yang datang untuk menempati sebuah rumah yang ditinggal penghuninya yang pergi keluar negeri selama musim panas. Istilahnya house-sitting. Jadi rumah itu dia tempati selama yang punya rumah pergi. Ide bagus juga ya? Secara rumah kal...more
Buku ini bercerita tentang seorang penderita kanker yang datang untuk menempati sebuah rumah yang ditinggal penghuninya yang pergi keluar negeri selama musim panas. Istilahnya house-sitting. Jadi rumah itu dia tempati selama yang punya rumah pergi. Ide bagus juga ya? Secara rumah kal...more
The front cover for this book carries a quote from the "New York Times" calling Gary Paulsen one of the most beloved writers of our time. I love Gary Paulsen for giving me this book! It is not the typical fare one would associate with Paulsen. This is the second Paulsen book that I have read recently that is not typical for him. "Notes from the Dog" is a warm, touching, humorous piece of realistic fiction. aimed at a middle school, early high school audience.
The Biblical quote that begins the bo...more
The Biblical quote that begins the bo...more
Jul 20, 2011
Kay Mcgriff
rated it
5 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
young-hoosier-11-12
Are you looking for a book that’s short, funny and by an immensely popular author? Gary Paulsen delivers all that and more in Notes from the Dog (Wendy Lamb Books 2009). I was expecting a fun read when I opened this book, but what I got was so much more.
Finn just wants to spend the summer alone, with no one to talk to but his dad, best friend Matthew, and his dog Dylan. That plan gets thrown out the window–or is it garden–when Johanna moves in next door. She hires Finn to create a garden for her...more
Finn just wants to spend the summer alone, with no one to talk to but his dad, best friend Matthew, and his dog Dylan. That plan gets thrown out the window–or is it garden–when Johanna moves in next door. She hires Finn to create a garden for her...more
Feb 18, 2013
CH13_Caitlin Murphy
rated it
5 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
realistic-fiction
Finn Duffy is a teenage boy trying to make it through the summer before 9th grade. Finn is an extremely shy boy and his only goals for the summer are to read as many books as possible and to only have to talk to less than 12 people all summer. However, when 20 year-old breast cancer survivor, Joanna, moves in next door and Finn's dog, Dylan, starts bringing him mysterious notes, Finn finds his self confidence.
I would recommend this book for 6th - 8th grade students. I think there are many stu...more
I would recommend this book for 6th - 8th grade students. I think there are many stu...more
Jan 24, 2011
Amy Bailey
rated it
4 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
teen-lit-course-9434
This was a really cute story, and I definitely feel it's a worthwhile read for young people. I was surprised how short it was, especially for something I found billed as a young adult book. Aside from the subject-matter I felt it was even on the level of children's fiction. Along those same lines, as the book dealt with the subject of cancer, I felt that the author could have expanded on this a bit more. I really liked the lead character, Finn, and I felt that we could have delved into his chara...more
4.5 - I picked this up on a whim while strolling in the library the other day. I was looking through the "new" YA books and this caught my eye. I had no idea what the title was about because other than a few non-descriptive blurbs (which I hardly ever take at face value anyway) there was nothing to tell me anything about the story. But I took it out anyway. I guess I liked the cover.
I ended up being surprised by the book. It's a very fast read. Very fast. Like, a one sitting type deal.
The main...more
I ended up being surprised by the book. It's a very fast read. Very fast. Like, a one sitting type deal.
The main...more
14 year old Finn plans to have a quiet summer. But when he meets Johanna, a 20 year old graduate who moves in next door, things change. Johanna is currently undergoing chemotherapy, and Finn always tries to cheer her up. When Johanna decides to hire Finn to plant a garden, Finn immediately takes the offer. Johanna decides to run in the triathlon and she needs to raise money. Finn and his friend Matthew go and stop by construction sites and nursery homes to find money for Johanna. Finn then disc...more
Mar 07, 2013
Alex Jurado
rated it
5 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
3rd-quarter-reading-list
To be honest, I choose this book because I forgot my reading book, so I grabbed the first one I saw, and this book happened to be it a book I really enjoyed. The plot of this book is that Finn, a fourteen year old boy at first wanting to be alone in the summer until the new neighbor, Johanna moves in. Johanna has breast cancer, and because of her chemo therapy, Finn and his best friend Matthew, decide to help her fulfill her dream of having a garden. FInn and Matthew also help Johanna by raising...more
Gary Paulsen's Notes from the Dog is a beautiful, funny, life-affirming story that I would place on a par with Sherman Alexie's The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-time Indian, which I dearly loved. Specifically, it's the story of a socially-awkward introvert named Finn who plans to spend his summer vacation reading as many books as possible and interacting (speaking) with no more than 12 people--and four of those people are already accounted for (i.e., his dad, Grandpa, friend Matt, and dog Dyl...more
It's been ages since I've read a book that made me laugh out loud, frequently. It felt good, and I'm looking forward to getting to read another like it. But this isn't just a funny book. There's a lot more going on here.
Finn is a socially awkward loner, but that's not really the focus of the story. The focus is on Finn's new neighbor, Johanna. Johanna is 24, outgoing, lively, and she quickly befriends Finn and takes him under her wing. She also has breast cancer. (Let me just point out that this...more
Finn is a socially awkward loner, but that's not really the focus of the story. The focus is on Finn's new neighbor, Johanna. Johanna is 24, outgoing, lively, and she quickly befriends Finn and takes him under her wing. She also has breast cancer. (Let me just point out that this...more
This fantastic little book really captures some wonderful characters. I feel like there are some parts of this book that won't appeal to all teens or children. On the other hand, there are other teens who could really relate to this story and the characters. This book is not about dogs, as I had originally thought, and the dog only serves as a minor plot device. This wasn't disapointing, it just was unexpected. Instead of a story about a dog and his loyalty to his owner, this book is about the l...more
This was not a very exciting book, although I learned a lot about breast cancer. This book was very odd to me in the fact about the dog. I recommend this book for boys and girls in middle school. There was good grammar and good for kids who enjoy reading. The book was about a girl named Johanna who recently moved into the neighborhood and she was diagnosed with breast cancer. Her neighbors were to boys who were eager to help and a border colie. The boys tried to help her do choirs and made her f...more
Finn is 14 and feels like a total oddball. He lives with his dad, his dog Dylan, and his best friend Matthew, who's moved in while his parents are busy getting divorced. Finn hates talking to people, because he always feels like he's saying the wrong things, so he's hoping for a summer job where he doesn't have to talk to ANYONE. Johanna, a graduate student who talks to Finn as an equal, arrives next door to house-sit for the neighbors for the summer, and she hires him to create a garden for her...more
It's hard to find a 12 year old who has not read Hatchet. However, I find that those same kids have not heard of the books I especially enjoyed from Gary Paulsen, like Harris and Me and Cookcamp and now I can add this title. The story is about a boy who wants nothing to do with other people, because he is a miserable failure at relationships of almost any kind. He meets a woman who has cancer, and things begin to change. She is one of those characters we all wish were real people. She sees somet...more
GARY PAULSEN
Notes for the Dog tells the story of fifteen-year old Finn who is determined to speak to no more than a dozen people during the summer. However, when charismatic, energetic, twenty-five year old Johanna moves in next-door everything changes. Johanna is a breast cancer survivor who appears determined to let little impede her dreams and progress. She invokes Finn's help with building a garden, and similarly helps him to reach out to more people. Eventually, Finn talks to more people th...more
Notes for the Dog tells the story of fifteen-year old Finn who is determined to speak to no more than a dozen people during the summer. However, when charismatic, energetic, twenty-five year old Johanna moves in next-door everything changes. Johanna is a breast cancer survivor who appears determined to let little impede her dreams and progress. She invokes Finn's help with building a garden, and similarly helps him to reach out to more people. Eventually, Finn talks to more people th...more
Notes from the Dog
by Gary Paulsen
Finn plans on doing nothing during his summer off before entering the 9th grade and high school—nothing but read and vegetate that is. He has absolutely no plans to interact with people; in fact, he really doesn't like socializing all that much. But when a young, skinny, bald girl sachets up to his doorstep, he finds himself thrown into a crazy summer job, and a summer that makes him wonder if people aren't so bad after all. How can you go wrong with Gary Paulsen...more
by Gary Paulsen
Finn plans on doing nothing during his summer off before entering the 9th grade and high school—nothing but read and vegetate that is. He has absolutely no plans to interact with people; in fact, he really doesn't like socializing all that much. But when a young, skinny, bald girl sachets up to his doorstep, he finds himself thrown into a crazy summer job, and a summer that makes him wonder if people aren't so bad after all. How can you go wrong with Gary Paulsen...more
Can courage’s hearts overcome hopelessness? Finn is a fifteen years old, shy guy, who is anti-socially person. He is living with his excellent dog and his father. He’s looking for a job; also his only friend is Matthew. Johanna, his new neighbor moves in next house. She was funny, and Finn likes her, also Dylan likes her. He was so happy about her, until they find out Johanna has a breast cancer. Then Finn and Matthew help her physically, and also emotionally. They started to work to raise mone...more
this was a pretty good book
i dont think i enjoyed this as much because i really dont read these kinda of books.
the story line was good, but i found kind of wierd how fin just suddenly became more open it was slow and tenatie like his personality would indicate but alitttle overly fast
joanna was an enjoyable charecters through this book.
so one of the problums i had with this book was the way it was ritten
though this might just stem from the fact that this book was read to me instead of me readi...more
i dont think i enjoyed this as much because i really dont read these kinda of books.
the story line was good, but i found kind of wierd how fin just suddenly became more open it was slow and tenatie like his personality would indicate but alitttle overly fast
joanna was an enjoyable charecters through this book.
so one of the problums i had with this book was the way it was ritten
though this might just stem from the fact that this book was read to me instead of me readi...more
I LOVED this book! The characters were great, the story was great, everything was great about it. What I really liked about this book is how it isn't about survival like so many of Gary Paulsen's other books, it showed me another side to this author. Paulsen's books are often about tough, hard core, dead or alive, kind of people, not this one. This book is about a kid, his best friend, his dad, and their neighbor who just happens to have cancer. That brings me to another point, this book, unlike...more
Fifteen year old Finn is sure he’d rather spend his summer vacation camped out on his stoop with a stack of books. His aim is to avoid talking to anyone outside of the four guys in his life—dad, grandpa, his best buddy, Matthew, and his amazing dog, Dylan. However, there is a spirited young woman who is sure she can convince him otherwise. Johanna is a graduate student ten years his senior, who has moved in next door to house sit. Soon after she arrives Finn and Matthew learn she is struggling w...more
Well, it may have been a little helpful if I realized that the review on the back of the book actually wasn't for THIS book. Well, duh. I've seen that plenty of times, but for some reason I thought the back that said something like funny! was meant for this book. Well, I guess times were funny, or I made them seem funnier because well the back of the book said it was funny, so maybe this was what they meant.
ANYWAY- this book reminded me a little of the Back of Sean Griswold's Head. A little bit,...more
ANYWAY- this book reminded me a little of the Back of Sean Griswold's Head. A little bit,...more
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Although he was never a dedicated student, Paulsen developed a passion for reading at an early age. After a librarian gave him a book to read--along with his own library card--he was hooked. He began spending hours alone in the basement of his apartment building, reading one book after another.
Running away from home at the age of 14 and traveling with a carnival, Paulsen acquired a taste for adve...more
More about Gary Paulsen...
Running away from home at the age of 14 and traveling with a carnival, Paulsen acquired a taste for adve...more
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Feb 07, 2011 12:26am