It's NOT Just A Dog!

by Pam Torres

Overview

In the second book of the Project Madison series, things get complicated as Madison and Cooper try to navigate their new relationship. School has ended and they're spending more time together, blogging, working at the kennel, training dogs-including Lilly. When Jonah, the new neighbor who has moved into Paige's old house, begins to spend more time with Madison, Cooper isn't at all happy. Jonah's uncle, a Native American, shares his knowledge about Madison's power to see and feel canine memories and emotions. The mysterious white wolf returns and fills her mind with dreams and more questions. Madison starts a dog-walking business and discovers Ben, a crotchety old man whose dog is skin and bones. When the kennel receives a dog that has been brutally injured, Madison is determined to find out what happened. She and Cooper realize they're going to need Jonah and Donald to bust this investigation wide open and save the dogs. But getting to the bottom of the mystery will threaten not only Madison, but everyone she loves.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780615858326
Publisher:	Legacy Media Press
Publication date:	04/24/2014
Series:	Project Madison , #2
Pages:	270
Product dimensions:	5.51(w) x 8.50(h) x 0.61(d)

About the Author

Pam Torres was born in Logan, Utah and spent most of her childhood in Prairie Village, Kansas. Besides playing Dorothy during tornado weather and digging Peter Pan-like underground forts she also played piano and ran cross-country.

She started her family early and has five energetic and creative children. She has fond memories of reading to and playing with her children in between hefty amounts of volunteering at church and school.

Now living in Washington state, Pam walks in the rain, makes messes with her grandchildren, watches birds, reads and writes all while she awaits the next big adventure.

Editorial Reviews

2014-07-11
In Torres' second entry in her middle-grade Project Madison series (Madison Morgan: When Dogs Blog, 2012), middle schooler Madison uncovers a dogfighting ring in her neighborhood—and learns more about her special empathic gift.Madison Morgan loves dogs. She volunteers at her late mother's friend Netta's shelter, she's starting up a dog-walking business with her friend Cooper, and she's always on the lookout for mistreated animals. It's easier for her than for most because she has a psychic connection with dogs; she can feel their thoughts, experience their emotions. Sometimes this is overwhelming, as with poor sick Millie, a skinny greyhound she sees chained outside with no food and dirty water. While at first she's furious with Ben, Millie's owner, she realizes there's more to his story. At the same time, she's training puppy Aura to be a service dog, making friends with Jonah, the Native American boy whose family has moved in nearby, and putting together clues to a new horror: signs of dogfighting in her town. She learns more than she ever wanted to know about the subject, including the existence of "[b]ait dogs," given to fighting dogs simply to be wounded in practice. And Jonah's uncle is helping her to understand her connection to the animal world. Torres tackles difficult animal-welfare subjects through Madison's voice, which is largely engaging and believable (with the exception of the use of hashtags, which don't quite work here). Madison's love of dogs defines her, and her curiosity and bravery are winning. Debut illustrators Moreano and Stoner provide occasional pictures, whose strong black outlines and gray shading have a cartoonish charm. Torres ably distinguishes each character in her wide cast, including Madison's widowed stepfather, Henry; Netta; Cooper; Jonah and his uncle; troubled bully Donald; and brusque but kind lawyer Mel, the owner of a giant Great Pyrenees named Puffin.While some scenes will be tear-jerkers for sure, Madison's (and Torres') compassion for voiceless dogs may inspire action in her animal-loving readers.

Kirkus Reviews