Dog Days brings together a new kid story, a dog story, a bullying story, and a dose of financial literacy – all in 122 illustrated pages.
Gavin is a third grader adjusting to a new town and new school while trying to make new friends. His attempt to impress a potential new friend leads to a broken snow globe that belongs to his sister, Danielle… And Great Aunt Myrtle has the perfect punishment for Gavin:
“When I move in next week, I’ll let him walk Carlotta. It’ll be his little job, to learn the value of a dollar.” She sits back in her chair, pleased with her plan. “Yes, I need someone to walk Carlotta, and he needs to earn the money to replace that snow globe.”
Walking his great-aunt’s prized Pomeranian is not Gavin’s favorite after school activity, but it does provide some opportunities for mishaps and adventures, including Carlotta running off with merchandise from Wendy’s Wonderful Wigs. More seriously, though, the afternoon walks also force Gavin to cross paths with the school bully, giving him a chance to figure out how to deal with that situation.
Will Gavin be able to tolerate his sister and great-aunt and successfully pay for his mistake? Will he be able to build a friendship with Richard? How will he handle Harper and his incessant bullying? And most importantly, will he come to appreciate the yapping little ankle biter he has always despised?
Our materials for Dog Days include a full packet of financial literacy activities for both younger and older students. You can use this novel to explore concepts like needs vs. wants, goods vs. services, saving vs. spending, ways kids can earn money, the cost of owning a pet, advertising, and more.
Students who enjoy Dog Days can continue with the next books in Karen English’s The Carver Chronicles.
