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Jan 27, 2012

Kathryn rated it:

I put off reading this book for a long-time because I wasn't sure my heart could take a bad ending for a family and their pet. I was I hadn't waited - this book was wonderful and not quite what I expected.

The story begins as a family's young son lobbies heavily to have a dog for a pet. Eventually his parents relent. They make the decision to get a dog in the wake of the mother's breast cancer diagnosis, reasoning that if she does not survive then her son will have someone around t More...

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Oct 17, 2011

Pat rated it:

David Letterman did two segments with this author so I got the book expecting something more of an Edgar Sawteel story but this very short vanity book was a little disappointing. Reading the credits made me realize that Janet Elder and Regina Lasko Letterman are friends, thus the good plug on national television. It was quick, cute renewal of faith in the kindness of strangers but not much more.

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Jan 22, 2012

Hattie rated it:

This is a heartwarming true story about a family and a new, Red Poodle pup. There are the parents and Michael, their son. Michael has wanted a pup it seems like forever. After his mother is diagnosed with cancer, she spends more time thinking of what will keep Rich, her husband, and especially, Michael, her son, less consumed by her chemotherapy and radiation treatment. In other words, she becomes totally selfless. It's not difficult to decide a pup would make the best addition to the family bec More...

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Aug 03, 2011

Julia rated it:

I wanted to like this book, if for no other reason, then I loved the cover picture which so reminded me of Dublin. But unfortunately, I couldn't. So many reasons why. First, the author Janet Elder is writes for the NY Times. Which would lead you to believe that she is a good writer. She may be a good "reporter" but writer, no. I found the writing tedious. Very laborious. Really do I need to know every whine your son makes and every back story of how each couple who offered to help you More...

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Jan 30, 2011

Heidi rated it:

I won this book in a drawing here at Good Reads. When I won, they asked me to make sure to review the book on Good Reads but they may change their mind.
I hate to say it had to be one of the worst books I have ever read. I hated the condescending attitude of the author to all things not in New York City - as if the rest of the country was just set up as a theme park for New Yorkers to visit where everything is wonderful, time goes slowly and no one has any cares. Believe me - non-New Yorker More...

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Nov 22, 2010

Donna rated it:

This is a book for dog lovers. Janet Elder's son Michael, has begged for a dog for years, even going so far as to create a powerpoint for his parents explaining why he should have a dog. When Janet is diagnosed with breast cancer, she and her husband Rich decide that the time has come for Michael to have a dog, once she completes her cancer treatments. Enter Huck, an adorable 4 month-old red toy poodle puppy who comes with instructions from the breeder to keep him on leash when he's not in a More...

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Nov 21, 2010

Judywi rated it:

Somewhat disappointing. The dog on the cover is adorable, and if you are any kind of animal person at all it is a hard book to resist reading, based on that alone. However, the writing and story were so-so at best. After the author and her family completely give their hearts to a new puppy in their life, they leave "Huck" with relatives in New Jersey while they take a vacation. Sadly, the dog runs away, and the family cuts short their trip to mount a full-scale search campaign for More...

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Jul 16, 2010

Marissa rated it:

Huck is an interesting story about a families search for their missing dog. I don't know about you, but I am a huge dog lover. I have three wonderful dogs and if one of them was missing I would search until I find them. So Huck hit home for me. I couldn't picture going through what this family went through, but they never gave up hope of finding their dog which is amazing.

Michael is eleven years old, and for his whole life he has wanted nothing but a dog. He feels that dog will be h More...

1 comment like (1 person liked it)

May 11, 2010

Jamie rated it:

I saw an ad for an ARC copy of this title through Shelf Awareness, and was lucky enough to receive a copy. This is one of the most sturdy ARC's I've ever received, and it arrived very quickly. Now, as my copy is an ARC, it may look different than the final product. From the copy I have, I can say I liked the formatting of the book. The cover is absolutely adorable. The font and spacing making it easy to read. I loved the cute pictures of Huck at the beginning of each chapter.

Huck, a More...

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Sep 01, 2010

Sharon rated it:

Janet Elder's memoir, "Huck," is a delightful story of love and courage.

Elder's son, Michael, lobbies heavily to have a dog for a pet for several years until his parents relent. They make the decision to get a dog in the wake of Elder's breast cancer diagnosis, reasoning that if she does not survive then her son will have someone around to comfort him.

Elder, of course, survives. However, in the meanwhile she and her family have fallen madly in love with Huck More...

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Jul 11, 2011

Lisse rated it:

I feel the better story here would've been focusing on a woman and her family overcoming cancer, not the short loss of their dog. Huck is a cute little dog who gets lost while his family is on vacation, and while it's great how many people come out of a small town to help this family find their dog, it doesn't seem any kind of overwhelmingly new or out-of-the-ordinary to me. As my mom said, what she found extraordinary was not how people came to help this family, but how odd this NY family fou More...

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Oct 12, 2010

Erin rated it:

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here

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Jul 20, 2010

Jelder rated it:

I wrote HUCK to share with readers a remarkable true story about a lost puppy, a family's devotion to each other, and the unexpected kindness of strangers. The advance praise from Jon Katz, Caroline Kennedy, and others has been wonderful. So too have been the reviwes from people like Jen,a mother in Pennsylvania who read an advance copy of HUCK. She had long grown cynnical about people but said that reading HUCK had restored her faith. I felt happy, sad, excited, and scared reading this book, of More...

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Dec 19, 2011

Genine rated it:

Once again, bear in mind my terrible cold, and resulting current gloomy outlook on life.
I was surprised at this book. I am a sucker for books about animals, any kind, so expected to love this. I didn't.
It's the story of a mom not wanting to get a dog, a boy who really wants a dog, mom gets breast cancer, mom gets a dog so the boy will have a happy thing, mom gets better, they go on vacation to celebrate, dog runs away from mom's sister's house, mom, dad and boy fly back at gre More...

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Mar 15, 2011

Kristy rated it:

I loved Janet Elder's tale of "Huck" the true story of a red-haired poodle who ran away and was eventually found, after a lot of heartache, and searching for this 8 month old puppy. I loved the fact that Huck had a taste for cream cheese and bologna. It made me laugh and reminded me of my dog who's favorite thing is dog treats. It is astounding with the amount of impact one dog can have on a family and an entire community. I wish that more communities reacted to helping strangers in di More...

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Feb 28, 2011

Gwen rated it:

Janet Elder's son Michael really wants a dog. Starting his dog-campaign at an early age, he provides positive reasons why a boy should have a dog, even putting together a Power Point presentation. Living in NYC in an apartment, Janet and her husband Rich stand firmly on their "no". It isn't until Janet is diagnosed with cancer that she sees the need for a dog. She realizes that a dog will provide an uplifting spirit to a family coping with cancer. Little did Janet and Rich realize how More...

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Mar 08, 2011

Jessica rated it:

This is the very cute story of a poodle puppy named Huck. Michael Elder always wanted a dog, he even put together a Powerpoint presentation making his case when he was 10. But, since his family lived in New York City his parents felt like a dog would be too stressful. However, when his mom Janet was diagnosed with breast cancer, they decided having a dog might help Michael cope with his mom's illness. So, they got Huck, a red-haired toy poodle that everyone in the family came to love. When More...

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Sep 10, 2010

Kelly rated it:

After she gets diagnosed with breast cancer, Janet and her husband decide that it's finally time to give their son, Michael, a dog. They won't actually get the dog until she's done with chemo and radiation, but they figure it'd be a good way to keep his spirits up.

They get Huck, a very cute poodle. Unfortunately, while Janet, Rich and Michael are on vacation, Huck escapes.

This is the story of how a town comes together to help bring Huck home.

(Spoiler: Huck More...

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Aug 21, 2011

Karen rated it:

This true story is enjoyable for dog lovers of all ages, although most of us will already subscribe to one of the main themes – that dogs bring out the best in people everywhere. I’ve participated in several lost dog searches myself, and I think Janet Elder’s descriptions of the experience and the emotional toll it takes on everyone ring true. However, I wasn’t as surprised as she and her family evidently were that so many strangers volunteered to help find their puppy Huck when he went missi More...

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Jan 04, 2011

Jeff rated it:

It's a nice story, and one that will certainly appeal to dog lovers, but it just seemed a bit of a stretch, as if the author was filling in a void between events. This would of made a nice short story in a women's magazine but as a book it just seemed to drag a bit. And more than once the author seemed to brag about her lifestyle, living on the 20th floor of a highrise apartment building with a doorman, vacationing in Nantucket, or buying a "ridiculously expensive scarf" or a pair of K More...

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Jun 11, 2010

Laura rated it:

This is Janet's story. It's a very sweet story about a puppy, but even more, it is a story about people.

Janet has no intention of getting a dog for her son, in spite of frequent requests from the time he is old enough to phrase the question.

The first chapters deal with why Janet feels the why she does about Michael having a dog-- her love for animals that influenced him from when he was young; her history with beloved family dogs; and (most of all) the problems with a More...

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Oct 17, 2010

Robin (RBBR) rated it:

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here

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Feb 16, 2011

Sophie rated it:

Huck:

Search for the Trouble-making Dog

Have you ever wanted a dog? That is exactly what Michael wants. His parents, Janet and Rich have always said no. After Janet gets breast cancer, they decide to get Michael a toy poodle. They decide on a scruffy red puppy, Huck. When they decide to go on vacation, they leave Huck with Janet’s sister in New Jersey. He escapes out the back, and the whole town goes looking for him. Huck by Janet Elder is a fabulous memoir about the searc More...

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Jan 14, 2011

Jennifer rated it:

A fast read and a nice, true-to-life story, but frustrating for those of us in the "dog world" who are distracted the whole time we are reading by the simple fact: If the Elders had done any research on the breed prior to acquiring Huck, they could have saved themselves a lot of stress. Small dogs mature more quickly than large ones. Poodles were developed to withstand extreme temperatures and icy, frigid waters when retrieving game. Had they known Huck was basically designed to surviv More...

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Nov 03, 2010

Wrighty rated it:

He also brought great heartache when he ran away while the family was on vacation in 2006. They returned to Janet's sister's home in New Jersey to help search for him. Their tiny dog was alone in the freezing woods facing many dangers and they were desperate for help. During the days that Huck was missing they were blessed to have the help of many people. Despite the fact that they were complete strangers and Janet's family wasn't from their town these people stepped up to help someone in need. More...

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Dec 30, 2011

Walt rated it:

This was a cute story about a missing dog. My main interest in the book though was that it took place within a 3-milw radius of where I grew up in NJ. It was fun to read about all of the places mentioned and know exactly what the author was talking about. As far as the topic, I thought the author and her family, at least as portrayed in the book, were a littler over the top in their search for their missing dog. (a 1000 color copies of a "lost dog" flyer, all covered in plastic cov More...

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Jun 28, 2010

Ronald rated it:

Huck is not just a story about a lost dog. It is a book about surmounting the odds, winning in the face of adversity, and not giving up. It's about finding strength in yourself and those around you. A boy who won't give up on his dream to find his dog. A mother who won't give in after being diagnosed with breast cancer. A man who will not give up on his love and faith in both his son and his wife, no matter the tragedies they face. It's about tears, pain, and great joy. It's about the love a fam More...

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Dec 01, 2011

Jen rated it:

It has been many years since I have read a book in under two weeks, which should be point enough for how wonderful and delightful and heart-wrenching this book is. Huck will make you fall in love with you, break your heart, and then fill your heart with so much love and hope that the harrowing journey will be worth it.

Janet Elder takes her readers on a personal, emotional journey -- offering the invitation into her life, the lives of her family members, and the lives of kind strangers More...

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Nov 26, 2011

Rita rated it:

Quando Janet, o marido e o filho vão de férias, depois de atravessarem uma fase conturbada das suas vidas, decidem deixar o seu cãozinho Huck ao cuidado da família de Barbara, a irmã de Janet. Contudo, no segundo dia de férias recebem uma chamada a informar que Huck aproveitou uma distracção e fugiu de casa. Os donos decidem assim voltar e procurá-lo incessantemente, mas a missão não se apresenta simples.

Gostei da estória por falar de dois temas interessantes, o cancro e a perda de u More...

3 comments like

Mar 03, 2011

Robi rated it:

It was a very short book, a quick read, charming as might be expected about any book about an adorable little dog that's lost. However, as short as the book was, it could have been even shorter without some of the details added in to "plush" it out. For instance, the explanation of hanging up flyers was something to the effect "I held the flyer with my left hand, took a nail and hammered it in with my right hand." She could have said "I hung up the flyers" and we More...

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