Any novels that has a dog as its lead character really interest me. What I like on this particular book in the series is how it tells us the history of the Seeing Guide-dog school. It gives awareness that dogs are not only man's best-friend but they are a huge help specifically on guiding blind people.
( )

Summary:
This book is told from the view point of Buddy, who was originally names Kiss. She is a German Shepard dog in the 1920s who is trained in Switzerland. Buddy is based on the true story of the real dog Buddy who became the first seeing eye dog trained to help the blind. She helped convince others that dogs could become incredible companions for the blind.

Personal Response:
I recently purchased this series for my K-2 libraries and thought it would be good to read one of them. The reading level is a bit high for this age group, but quite a few of the higher second grade students are really enjoying them. I thought this story was very interesting, and I appreciate how historical fiction can also highlight a time period for students. The topic was interesting and the themes of perseverance and hard work are good lessons.

Curriculum Connections:
This book is a good example of historical fiction and could be used to study this genre. It could also be incorporated into a study of seeing eye dogs or other ways that dogs can serve a purpose. Students will enjoy seeing actual photographs of the characters at the end of the book, and there are additional resources listed to continue learning. ( )

Buddy's story is a bit different from Ginger's (Dog Diaries #1). As the first Seeing Eye trained dog, Buddy doesn't experience the tumult in her life that Ginger does. Rather, Buddy's life is one of training and purpose.

I started Buddy only knowing that the book featured a German shepherd and not knowing what it was about. I'm actually glad I did that. It was fun to discover Buddy's journey in life as she did. Buddy is a very relatable character. She's a great narrator and tells her story in a very connectable way.

Like Ginger, Buddy is told from the first person(/dog) point of view and gives a unique look into how the character (the canine) views things in their life as well as in the human world. Things that would be viewed much differently if told from a human's perspective or even in the third person are given a great take by Kate Klimo and her canine main characters.

As Buddy progresses through her life and her training the things she experiences are ones that many readers will likely have read about or seen played out before in other tales about either sightless people or even about seeing eye dogs. What keeps this book so fresh and interesting - for even older readers interested in the subject - is who is telling the story.

Buddy doesn't have the same care and how-to that Ginger had, it doesn't tell you how to take care of a German shepherd or what to do if adding one to your household (Ginger does that for all dogs in a general sense). Rather, Buddy is the tale of the remarkable German shepherd who became the first Seeing Eye dog. The appendix has great information on the history of the breed as well as on Seeing Eye dogs.

Tim Jessell's illustrations are quite good and add enjoyment to the story as readers can see Buddy as she does her different jobs. We see her grow from a young dog, into a more mature one. The art makes it easier to imagine certain scenes and it seems like the correct scenes were chosen to be illustrated.

Kate Klimo seems to have started a really fun new series. I don't read many children's series, but I'll be on the lookout for [b:Dog Diaries #3: Barry|16142136|Dog Diaries #3 Barry|Kate Klimo|http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1356109644s/16142136.jpg|21974002] in August.