THE DOG IN THE FREEZER: Three Novellas

by Harry Mazer ‧ RELEASE DATE: April 1, 1997

Three offbeat stories about dogs, boys, and fathers, from Mazer (Who Is Eddie Leonard?, 1993, etc.). In ""My Life as a Boy,"" a devoted dog narrates the adventure of switching bodies with his young master for a day, an experience which gives the boy the courage to confront both the local bullies and his doting father. In ""Puppy Love,"" a fatherless boy spends part of the summer with his quirky, effusive uncle, falls in love for the first time, and, at summer's end, is surprised to find that the dog his uncle casually allowed him to adopt is the link that forges their continuing relationship. In the title story, Jake is unable to bear the thought of a neighbor's dead dog being left for the sanitation department to pick up; he impulsively snatches the body and is confronted with the problem of how to bury it--in New York City. The funerary journey on which he embarks is bizarre, ending in Coney Island. This isn't Mazer's best work: Missing in the short form is his hallmark--the slow, painful progress of maturity in his characters. Still, this is an interesting departure for him, and may bring new readers to his survival stories and YA problem novels.

Pub Date: April 1, 1997

ISBN: 0689807546

Page Count: 171

Publisher: Simon & Schuster

Review Posted Online: N/A

Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 1997

Categories: CHILDREN'S