Lacey's Story - Review

Lacey's Story: A Puppy Tale (A Dog's Purpose)

By: W. Bruce Cameron

Publication: August 30, 2022 by Odd Dot

220 pages

Genre: Middle Grade, Animals

( Goodreads | Amazon )

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Goodreads description--Lacey's Story is another delightful Puppy Tale from #1 New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of the A Dog's Purpose Series, W. Bruce Cameron!

Lacey is a very special dog with a very important purpose. After an accident, Lacey must get used to being followed around everywhere by a funny cart with wheels. Sometimes it makes her go too fast or in the wrong direction! But that doesn’t stop Lacey from having fun with her human girl Wenling and her best dog friend, Cooper. And when a tornado strikes, putting Wenling’s and Cooper’s families in danger, only Lacey and her cart can save the day.

The latest addition to the successful Puppy Tales series by #1 New York Times bestselling author W. Bruce Cameron is the inspiring and joyful story of a special needs pet who overcomes adversity and learns to live her best life after she is fitted with a mobility cart.

Adorable black-and-white illustrations by Richard Cowdrey bring Lacey and her world to life. A discussion and activity guide at the end of the book will help promote family and classroom discussions about Lacey's Story and the insights it provides about humankind's best friends.

My daughter (9 years old at the time) read Lacey's Story on her own time. She picked it out from the store with her own money. And she loved it so much that she requested I read it aloud to everyone when it was her next turn to choose the read aloud book. She has also requested two more books in this series after reading this as well.

Lacey's Story is about a little girl named Wenling and her dog, Lacey. The story is told from Lacey's perspective which adds a little humor. Lacey isn't well trained. She just wants to have fun all the time, but this means that she doesn't listen and obey and gets herself into an accident that results in her losing the use of her back legs. She has to have a special cart with wheels made so that she can still get around on her own. Of course, learning to use her new cart takes some adjustment and training.

Wenling is a special girl. She's very smart. Her father and their neighbor share a farm. Yet the farm has been struggling to make ends meet, and they might have to sell off the apple trees in their orchard for wood to simply make ends meet. Wenling thinks this is a terrible idea. She and her best friend, Burke, decide to work to contribute to the farm in order to save the apple trees.

From an adult view point, Wenling is a little too smart. All of the major challenges that come up through this book are solved by Wenling. I do like that this shows that even children can make a big impact, but I don't like that it shows adults at such a disadvantage. Isn't there some way to value to input and decision making of children while not diminishing the decision making of adults in the process?

Burke is also in a wheelchair, I liked the inclusion of this, especially as Burke and Lacey were mirrors in a lot of ways. Not to say that a human in a wheelchair is the same as a dog needing a wheeled cart, but Burke's situation lends value to Lacey's. I think Burke and his dog, Cooper's, story might have been published before this one. I do know that they have their own book because Cooper's Story is one that my daughter read after Lacey's Story.

Lacey's Story teaches many lessons which I can fully support. Having a passion for something and working hard to do whatever you can to see your dream or goal into reality. Hard work period. The importance of training our dogs. Also, the value in people and animals even if they aren't the same as they used to be or everyone else. (It's so hard to be politically correct. I keep wanting to say disabled, but I know some people take offense to the term. But you also never can predict what all someone will take offense to these days.)

Lacey's Story gets 4 Stars. My daughter loved this book so much. This is the first book she's ever shown interest in "re-reading." Have you or your child read Lacey's Story? What did you think? Let me know!