ABC, easy as 123.

Madeline Finn and the Library Dog
Written & Illustrated by Lisa Papp
Age Level: 4-8 Years
Published October 1, 2016

“Zoom” is now a sight word. Thanks, 2020.

My oldest sister was one of those prodigies who figured out how to read at three, all by herself. I, on the other hand, wanted desperately to read independently, but struggled. I recognized the letters on the page, saw them stacked against each other to make words, but couldn’t coax out any meaning. Night after night, I painstakingly sounded out my “I Can Read” books at the kitchen table while my mom cleaned up from dinner. 

Madeline Finn struggles with reading. At school, she and her classmates routinely practice reading aloud and the pressure is dreadful. She collects a bunch of “Keep Trying” stickers from her teacher, but Madeline wants a star; stars are for good readers.

“Sometimes the sentences get stuck in my mouth like peanut butter.
Sometimes people giggle when I make a mistake.”

On Saturdays, the local library hosts a bunch of dogs who help with reading practice. (Side note: is this a thing?! Please say yes.) Madeline pairs up with a gigantic white pup named Bonnie. Bonnie doesn’t giggle when Madeline makes a mistake, or get impatient when she gets stuck on a word. After weeks of practicing with Bonnie, Madeline improves tremendously. She is rewarded with a gold star from her teacher and a fluffy forever friend.  

Many of our children are struggling this school year in some way, shape, or form given this bizarre environment. So the moral of the story is, you should all get your kid a dog. Kidding. The best thing we can do as parents is try our hardest to be steady, supportive, and patient towards our little learners, like Bonnie the library dog.