The Dog Days of Charlotte Hayes

2010 Children's Choice List Book
Author: Marlane Kennedy
Copyright: Marlane Kennedy, 2009
Publisher: Scholastic Inc.

Reading Level:
     Ages: 8-12
     Grade Level Equivalent: 5.2
     Lexile Measure: 790L

5 Keywords/Phrases to Describe the Book:
Responsibility, Pet/Owner bond, being courteous, making new friends, hard work

Suggested Delivery: Individual read

Summary: Charlotte Hayes' father bought a purebred Saint Bernard at quite a bargain, and could not be happier. Even though he is ecstatic about the deal he made, this doesn't quite reflect in the car provided for this dog, who he named Killer. Before she knows it, Charlotte is responsible for taking care of the dog - including feeding him, bathing him, picking up after him, and giving him the love and affection none of the other family members seem to give him. She isn't a fan of the name Killer, so she starts to call the dog Beauregard, and quickly becomes his sole caretaker. Fed up with this responsibility, Charlotte becomes desperate to find Beauregard a new home. Through a series of failed plans and foiled attempts to get rid of the dog, Charlotte builds a bond with Beauregard that she does not expect. Students will love to see if Charlotte will be able to find Beauregard a new home that is suitable for him and make herself happy at the same time.

Vocabulary:
1) Spigot (page 3)
2) Postpartum Depression (page 6)
3) Repulsed (page 15)
4) Bonafide (page 16)
5) Neglected (page 19)
6) Devious (page 68)
7) Beautician (page 143)
8) Dumbfounded (page 145)
9) Ornate (page 165)
10) Gruff (page 168)
11) Gait (page 175)
12) Gurney (page 198)
13) Compensated (page 209)

Electronic Resources:
Book Trailer - This book trailer to The Dog Days of Charlotte Hayes could be used for a brief introduction to the book to catch students' interest. It gives students enough information about the book to catch their attention, but doesn't give too much away, which will make students' want to learn what happens. It can also be used as a great before reading activity, as described below.

Marlane Kennedy - This is Marlane Kennedy's official website. Students and teachers can go bere to learn more about the author, her other book (since she only has two on there), and how they can have her as a guest speaker at their school. Viewers can also read book reviews and honors she has received for her books.

CT Humane Society - Because The Dog Days of Charlotte Hayes mentions animal shelters and animal adoptions numerous times throughout the novel, students may become interested in volunteering at animal shelters or even adopting from a shelter to rescue a pet. The Connecticut Humane Society website is a great place for students to go to research how to get involved, how to adopt, or to donate.

Comprehension Strategies:
Before: Show students the book trailer mentioned above, and use the Think-Pair-Share method to have students predict what Charlotte's plan is to find Beauregard a new home. What do they think an eleven-year-old can do to find a new home for her dog? Is it realistic?

Teachers can also have a group discussion with students to connect the novel to their own lives. This discussion could address who in the classroom has a pet (especially since they're more common these days), what kind of pet they have, who takes care of their pets, and how much work that is. This will get students to think about how much work Charlotte and her family may or may not be putting into taking care of Beauregard.

During: In their writing journals, students should create a T-chart to record the actions that show Charlotte is a dog person versus the actions that show she isn't a dog person. Students should record the evidence in the story to support either position and record the page number they found this evidence on.

After: Based upon their T-chart they created during reading the novel, students will take a stance. Do they believe Charlotte is or isn't a dog person? Why or why not? Students will write this short, one-paragraph response in their writing journals also.

Another after reading option is to have students create an acrostic poem. Using the word "Beauregard" for their acrostic, their poem should describe Beauregard and his relationship with Charlotte.

Writing: Students will write a letter to Charlotte as if they were Beauregard in his new home. Although dogs can't actually write, students should write this letter to Charlotte from his point of view, describing his new life and his feelings about new his life.

Citation:
Kennedy, M. (2009). The dog days of Charlotte Hayes. New York: 
          Scholastic Inc..