Take Me Home: Tales of Battersea Dogs by Melissa Wareham

Take Me Home: Tales of Battersea Dogs by Melissa Wareham
Buy Take Me Home: Tales of Battersea Dogs by Melissa Wareham at Amazon.co.uk or Amazon.com
Category: Children's Non-Fiction
Reviewer: Sue Magee
Summary: Tales of rescue dogs pitched at the seven plus age group. Entertaining, interesting and informative and a good introduction to children's non-fiction.
Buy? Yes	Borrow? Yes
Pages: 160	Date: January 2011
Publisher: Red Fox
ISBN: 978-1849413923
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Melissa Wareham always wanted a dog but her parents would never allow it and she didn't get good enough exam results for her next option – becoming a vet. Not one to be deterred she joined the staff at Battersea Dogs Home, first as a kennel maid and eventually as the head of rehoming. Take Me Home is the story of some of the highlights of her life at the home and some of the dogs which she met whilst she was there.

Uh, oh, I thought. This is going to be the perfect book for all those children who've been pestering their parents to get a dog, but I was pleasantly surprised by the approach taken. This is a book about the responsibilities of owning a dog – the need to train, socialise, look after and ultimately clear up after your four-legged friend. If anything the fun elements are played down and the responsibilities – like cleaning up the foul smelling accident which occurred moments before the Queen arrived – are bigged up. No child reading this book is going to think that owning a dog is easy.

It's perfectly pitched at the seven plus age group – those children who are just beginning to read confidently on their own. Chapters are not too long. Vocabulary is challenging but not outrageously so and there are some pictures in the middle of the book which neatly illustrate the text. It's a non-fiction book, but it does read like a good story and there will be a real sense of achievement for the child who reads it on their own.

The advice on looking after dogs is sound and well-explained, even going as far as saying that a dog needs to know who is boss and what can happen if he doesn't. Although the book is pitched at young readers it will be of assistance and help to anyone who is looking to get a dog and would like to get a feel for what is required.

I'd like to thank the publishers for sending a copy to the Bookbag.

Children who lean towards cats rather than dogs will enjoy Dewey: The True Story of a World-famous Library Cat by Vicki Myron and Brett Witter. Any adult wanting advice on looking after a dog might like to look at The Dog Whisperer by Graeme Sims.

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