Hooper Finds a Family
Written by Jane Paley
Reviewed by Mila R. (age 8)
Woof, woof, woof! A friendly dog is on a wild search for his family and travels from New Orleans to "The Big Apple," New York City. Read about this adventure in Hooper Finds a Family: A Hurricane Katrina Dog's Survival Tale by Jane Paley.
It starts with a dog named Jimmy in Lake Charles, a town not too far from New Orleans. A rainy day turned into a heavy storm and then a very scary flood. This was not an ordinary flood, it was a monster hurricane named Katrina! Jimmy swims, and spins and twirls and almost drowns until an otter gives him advice that saves his life. Scared and lonely, Jimmy worries about his family and gets very thirsty and hungry. So hungry he eats something unthinkable!
My favorite part is when Hooper is exhausted and not feeling well and he is taken from a shelter. This is my favorite part because even though he can't bark, he is taken in by new people. A happy part of the story is when a boy named Brian starts playing with him. Brian is the one who names him Hooper. A cute part of the book is when Hooper meets his true love Willow in the park. This is when the story gets very interesting and I realized that Hooper was safe and happy.
I recommend this book to all kids that like dogs and adventures because they can teach you that sometimes you get scared and need help and you can take the help or not. It's also a good story that teaches why it's important to be kind and help others because you may need help one day too.