THE FRISKATIVE DOG
by Susan Straight
Yearling/Random House
Hardcover: 0375837779
Paperback: 9780440421450
Ages 8-12
160 pages

Sharron idolizes her father, who gives her an adorable plush yellow lab puppy when she's five. She embraces it with all the love she can find, and in her mind this stuffed animal becomes real. She takes the Friskative Dog everywhere and gives this pseudo-pet a leash, collar and dog tag.

At five this demonstration of affection is acceptable, but by the time she turns nine, Sharron is the subject of much teasing and emotional bullying from classmates. After her father disappears, she needs Friskative around more than ever; even though she isn't allowed to take the dog to school, she does.

Sharron shares her mother's concerns that her father is suffering from amnesia and unable to return home. They place their lives on hold, eventually redefining their "family" with help from Sharron's paternal grandmother and a new friend. Sharron laments the fact that humans don't have the same homing instincts as canines. When Friskative disappears, Sharron hopes that her plush pup uses his instincts to come back.

Susan Straight's easy-to-read chapter book, which gently explores several childhood issues, is a quietly soothing story about hope and patience as well as the ability of a family to survive a painful abandonment. It serves to remind us of the value of a pet or a favorite toy to a child suffering an emotional crisis. I found myself compelled to question Sharron's need to cross the line of reality and to remain for so long on the side of fantasy. What was it about her relationship with her dad, who was on the road so much, that bonded her to this stuffed dog? This book is as easy to overanalyze as it is to read.

While simple at first, THE FRISKATIVE DOG reveals multiple levels of awareness that will end up haunting your thoughts.

   --- Reviewed by Patsy Side

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