Birdie for Now

by Jean Little

Dickon wasn't happy in his old home or his old school. He hopes that in his new neighborhood he will meet children who never knew his old, hyper self, who will like him for who he is now. And he hopes for a dog of his own. Dickon's mother calls him Birdie. She feeds him milk from a teddy bear mug. She worries if he's out of her sight for a moment and she knows how filthy and vicious dogs can be. Dickon is delighted to discover that the Humane Society is right on the other side of the fence behind the new house, but only by disobeying his mother will he ever get close to a real dog.

Genres: Fiction, Realistic Fiction

160 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2002

About the author

Jean Little is a Canadian author, born in Taiwan. Her work has mainly consisted of children's literature, but she has also written two autobiographies: Little by Little and Stars Come Out Within. Little has been partially blind since birth as a result of scars on her cornea and is frequently accompanied by a guide dog.

Reviews

[Courtney · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dickon has wanted a dog forever, but his mother is terrified of them. When Dickon's parents get a divorce, he moves with his mother to a new house - right next door to a dog shelter! Soon after, he meets a little dog named Birdie, whose old owner was abusive. Will Dickon ever convince his mother to let him keep Birdie?

[Ellen Hamilton · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jean Little's books always have the power to make me cry. I loved this little, heart-touching story of Dickon "Birdie" and his dog, who happens to be named Birdie. She is a sweet little thing, and the way the two connect is so adorable.

[Audrey Ettinger · Rating 3 out of 5]

Written for younger kids than other Jean Little books; I bought it with other used books because I wasn't familiar with it.

Nice treatment of ADHD and divorce (although it's sad that she always sends divorced fathers offstage to be neglectful parents!). The mom came around to having a dog rather quickly. Nice minor characters - the neighbor, her hedgehog, and the various kids and adults associated with the Humane Society. Slightly annoying that the "wild" looking girl is implied to be Black, but other kids of color are casually mentioned without any negative adjectives, and she's a very nice girl.

Cute that a Papillon gets to be the hero of the story, too!

Came back to this already in August. (Yes, it was sitting in one of my favorite reading spots. But I find Little's work so comforting -- real characters with real problems, but always real solutions.)