Bones muscles

Lulu Walks the Dogs CYBILS Nominee

Judith Viorst and Lane Smith have paired up again for a second chapter book about the incomparable Lulu, "a girl who wants what she wants when she wants it". And what Lulu wants this time out is so out-of-this world outrageous that readers dont even learn what it is until the final pages. Trust me, its a lulu.

The bulk of the story is taken up with how  Lulu attempts to earn money to buy her hearts desire, since her parents refuse to shell out the moolah. She quickly hits upon the idea of dog walking. Fleischman, a nice polite boy whos yin to Lulus yang, helps her manage her workload--Brutus, a belligerent bulldog, Pookie, a spoiled toy fuzzball, and Cordelia, a vain dachshund. Lulu is less than pleased with Fleischmans help--even though he asks for nothing in return and is an ace dog whisperer. Lulu just doesnt like him, mostly because hes a goody-two-shoes.

Viorst tells her tale with plenty of authorial asides--all quite clever and amusing. There are frequent time-outs in which she humorously answers questions young readers might be asking, such as "What is it Lulu wants to buy with all this money shes earning?" The answer? "I really dont feel like discussing this right now." Smiths clever pencil illustrations match the books satirical tone.

By the end, surprise, surprise, Lulu and Fleischman work out their differences. But to Viorsts credit, the mismatched pair dont become best friends. As she aptly puts it: "You want a happy ending? Read Cinderella."

Lulu Walks the Dogs
by Judith Viorst
illustrations by Lane Smith
Atheneum, 160 pages
Published: September 2012 for details click below