Marley: A Dog Like No Other

Marley: A Dog Like No Other
John Grogan
HarperCollins, 2009 196 pages
Grades 3-8
Non-Fiction

Newspaper columnist, Grogan, relates his family's life with a rambunctious dog in this scaled-down young person's version of the adult bestseller Marley and Me. The reader gets to experience firsthand what it is like to live with a naughty and neurotic Labrador Retriever. As we spend time with crazy Marley, the reader also experiences the backdrop of the family, as children are born and grow and the family must move cross-country. Eventually, the inevitable happens and Marley grows old and faces death. Much as with the adult version and the blockbuster movie, tears are shed and the reader walks away longing for a Marley of their own.

This is my selection for my younger book discussion group, consisting of animal lovers, this month. I'm not sure why I picked this book so soon after losing my dog this past September and I spent ten minutes in the library staff room crying my eyes out yesterday. Somehow, though, reading about Marley's life and death was cathartic. Grogan points out the crazy flaws in Marley, as well as the loving bits. Even though Marley turns his life upside down and then breaks his heart, the family's life becomes richer through the experience and the reader can tell that they wouldn't have changed a minute of the whole experience. This is a book for both animal lovers and the not-so-much. Grogan's writing is conversational and funny and the story is so much more than simply Marley's antics. The young reader's edition keeps the best and notable parts, as well as the flavor of the adult book, while leaving out the bits that are too mature (such as the wife's miscarriage). Kid's that like sad stories will appreciate the good cry at the end and those who don't will breathe a sigh of relief, as the family finds healing--and a new puppy. Color photos accompany the text, further connecting readers to this notorious pooch.