The time is 1951, the place is small-town Tennessee, and the country is at war with Korea. But seven-year-old Leandra and her friends have a war of their own: a dog is terrorizing them. Tippy Lemmey, the dog with a first and last name, barks and chases and generally makes Leandra, Paul, and Jeannie’s lives very difficult. In this new addition to the Ready-for-Chapters series, McKissack tells the fast-paced story of friendship and acceptance. Leandra’s father loves her “as much as heaven will allow” and both parents are solid and caring. Her father straddles that fine line between listening to his frightened daughter and allowing her to solve her own problems. Turns out the Lemmeys are raising Tippy Lemmey because the real owner, their son, is serving in the army in Korea. When Tippy Lemmey is stolen by dognappers intent on selling stolen dogs, the children are faced with a dilemma. On one hand, Tippy has made their lives difficult. On the other, their new friends, the Lemmeys, love their beloved son’s dog. The children come to the dog’s rescue and the dog comes to their rescue as well. The familiar situations and exciting plot will keep the pages turning, but the characters will stay with the new reader long after the story is put away. Short chapters, frequent pencil illustrations, generous font and white space are all hallmarks of a book for new chapter book readers, and this one is perfect on all counts. Best of breed. (Fiction. 7-10)
