There’s identifying with a work of children’s fiction and then there’s wondering if the author of the work has somehow discovered time travel and was able to observe your younger self. Such were my feelings upon picking up and reading Hound Dog True, the lastest from A Crooked Kind of Perfect’s Linda Urban. I don’t want to cast aspersions on Ms. Urban, and if she wants to use her highly developed time travel technology to spy upon my elementary years that is her business. Of course I appreciate that she changed the names in this book to protect the innocent (which is to say, me). It occurs to me now that there may be a chance that Ms. Urban wrote this book with another child in mind. Indeed, after having finished the title I can see sheer hoards of kids who were exactly me when they were young picking up this book and finding in its heroine Mattie a kindred spirit. It won't be hard for them to do. She's the underdog's underdog.

She has it all worked out, you see. The plan is perfect. It can’t possibly fail. After traveling from place to place with her mother for years, Mattie and mom have finally moved in with mom’s brother. Uncle Potluck is exactly the kind of uncle you’d want to have around too. He tells great stories, and talks to the moon, and best of all he lets Mattie tag along as he fixes up the local elementary school for the coming year. In fear of the kids in her new class, Mattie has determined that if she’s a good enough assistant to Uncle Potluck in the summer then she’ll be able to assist him over her lunch and recess period every school day and avoid her compatriots. She’s sure she’ll be able to convince him, but when she meets the niece of her new next door neighbor, Mattie starts discovering that maybe other kids aren’t entirely frightening.

There are books for kids out there where the protagonist is supposed to be shy. They almost never ring true. Sure, the kid will act hesitant to do one thing or another, but eventually they’ll have these moments where they go out of their way to be brave and they lose me. I was a shy kid. I understand the crippling fear a person can feel when they encounter a potentially hostile fellow student. And Linda Urban gets all of that. She gets how you can worry about being babyish one moment and then fall into old habits the next. She gets how a person could view lunch and recess as “the lawless times” when the safety of adults lessens and kids are allowed to pick on one another openly. It doesn’t take much to instill in a child a fear of their fellow man. Hound Dog True understands.

One remarkable aspect of the book is the fact that Urban manages to create a passive protagonist that doesn’t drive you up the wall. Generally when a writer conjures up a character that is afraid of basic human interactions the reader’s response is a uncontrollable urge to shake the hero for all they’re worth. You don’t feel that way with Mattie, though. This is remarkable when you realize that it’s when Mattie attempts to be proactive that she gets herself in the biggest messes. Her plan to become a janitorial assistant is flawed from the start and her attempts to help her uncle fail in a magnificently overblown fashion. Rather than annoy the reader, though, these moments just heighten your sympathy for poor Mattie. You wouldn’t want to be her, and a whole slew of kids are.

This is a silly way of looking at it, but I sort of saw this book as a middle grade version of that old Caldecott winning picture book Officer Buckle and Gloria. There’s something about the constant use of rules that reminds me of it. Maybe the gentle humor does too. Certainly the authenticity of the book lets it stand apart from the pack. It’s not a long book by any stretch. Just a scant 176 pages, making it the perfect length for the kids that’ll need it most. Which is to say, the ones teetering between the “babyish” and the “grown-up”. Urban’s writing style can be summed up in one word: able. And this is a supremely able book. A great new Urban title that won’t disappoint her already existing fans and may lure in new ones.

Ages 9-1210 s katsok572 145

I stare at this blank screen, how to describe this book. Mattie and her mom have moved, again. This time they have moved in with her Uncle Potluck. While her mom seems a bit clueless as to who her daughter is, Uncle Potluck "gets" her. He is the janitor at the local elementary school and Mattie tags along with him while he prepares the building for a new school year. Uncle Potluck seems to one of those adults who has a bit of magic in him. He can spin an amazing story, speak to the moon, fix a doorknob, and see into Mattie's soul.

See Mattie is shy, painfully shy. I've had students just Mattie. I was, at times, Mattie. It is hard when you live in your head so much, you forget how to interact with reality. Linda Urban writes Mattie so that you can understand her. You can also see how she is just on that verge of growing up, torn between the kid and teen years. This is a beautiful story to share with our students. nerdy-book-club-20119 s KateAuthor 89 books1,527

Linda Urban has a gift for capturing the small things about a kid's life that matter. She understands that little things can mean everything...those tiny moments that the grown-ups shrug off can be something a ten-year-old carries around for years...and maybe forever.

HOUND DOG TRUE features Mattie Breen, a painfully shy girl who moves to a new town with her mom and apprentices herself to her Uncle Potluck, the school custodian, in the hopes that her studies of janitorial arts will allow her to avoid talking to her new classmates when school starts. But of course it doesn't work out that way. Mattie has a new neighbor, Quincy, who's older and cooler and...could she be a friend? This is a warm, wonderful book about letting people into your world, finding your place in that world, and finding your voice, too.

A CROOKED KIND OF PERFECT, this book has a voice that's unique, touching, and funny - just wonderful. I highly, highly recommend HOUND DOG TRUE...especially for sharing as a read-aloud. 8 s Elizabeth K.804 39

I thought this book was weird, but can't really put my finger on why I didn't it more. A shy girl and her mother move back to her mother's hometown, where they live with two uncles -- one of them I kept forgetting about because he's hardly ever in the story, and the other one who is a custodian at the school the girl will attend in the fall.

All the elements are pleasant enough, but they come together in strange ways. I know shy kids learning how to make friends is a common theme in literature, but this kid's shyness was borderline pathological, I was waiting for a deeper issue to emerge. Certain incidents seemed to be presented with a heavy import, and then never went anywhere.

Grade: B-
Recommended: Not really.2011-new-reads6 s Hirondelle1,048 237

For such a short book, this is remarkably thought provoking. So much I have mulled for a couple days on what to say about it, and really still not sure. It´s wonderfully written, one of those books where the meaning is often in the silences. I think it might be a great book to read aloud as well.

And I love love love Uncle Potluck. If any complaints is that I wish we had a little more of him and decisions he must make towards the ending - but then again it´s me, irrevocably an adult by now, who wants that, not sure if that is a flaw for this book.childrens4 s Paul Hankins770 318

Special characters Mattie Breen come around now and then. . .please take some reading time to get to know her. She writes stories.middle-grade-memorable-writing middle-grade-touching-tender mr-hankins-says-don-t-miss4 s Melanie363 1 follower

Is it wrong to say I had a literary crush on Mattie's Uncle Potluck? He is so intelligent and kind. He's exactly what this main character needed in her life. 4 s Michael ScottoAuthor 32 books37

Such depth through such economy; not a single word is wasted or misplaced in this wonderful novel. I started it with a plan to read a few chapters and then go to sleep, and two hours later, I find myself not only having finished the whole book, but compelled to write about it lest it keep me up all night.

This is a small story about huge things. It spans not much time, and certainly not flashy in its plot or incident. But in Mattie, the protagonist, we witness such a stirring and true battle as she wrestles with tumultuous feelings of self-doubt and insecurity. It brought me back to my own experiences -- 11 years old, in a new school, out of step and out of place -- and then it brought me past them, to a picture-perfect closing that feels a warm embrace.

Even having been told beforehand by a friend how good this book was, it seized me by the heart. An absolute must-read.middle-grade3 s KirbyAuthor 50 books407

What I love most about a Linda Urban book is the white space she leaves for me as a reader to enmesh myself in a story. She has really mastered that urge to explain many of us suffer from. I loved Mattie from the get-go and having suffered as the new kid myself almost every year of my growing up, I could definitely relate to her plan to avoid lunches and recess by earning the right to be her Uncle Potluck's custodial apprentice.

Linda notices the small things that make a huge difference in people's lives and that is what makes her writing and her stories such stand outs.

This is a sweet, feel-good read that I will come back to again and again.3 s Frezanda396 77

It's a bit hard to get into this book at the beginning. But I guess the second half of the book somehow make it worth it. There is no big bang or drama but I felt elated by it. In the end I thought to myself, " Ahh, this girl is going to be fine. She can do it. Facing life with its difficulties."children3 s Shannon2,135 61

This book is so well-written. I can't even fully express why it's so perfect. It's the best example of subtle, strong writing that I've read in a long time.2011 2011-12-read-alouds3 s Andrea792 163 Read

While I was hoping for a story about "small acts of courage," the plot was watery and meandering and ultimately it was too easy to put down. DNF with 20 pages to go!!!read-aloud-with-my-kids-teen3 s Mars9

This was a good book, I just don't understand the point of it. I want to know why the Author wrote it.2 s Alyse Erickson77

In this book, by Linda Urban, the main character Mattie is a very shy young girl whom changes schools multiple times throughout her life and finds herself having a very hard time adjusting. When she finally changes to her final school, Mattie chooses not to try to make friends. Before She had moved, Mattie had some issues with bullies and making friends so she refuses to put herself back out there that. So therefore, Mattie takes to her uncle, whom is the janitor for her school. On her down time, Mattie assists her uncle with the janitorial duties around the school asking many questions and studying really hard. She becomes quite the side kick. Throughout this, Mattie decides to keep a journal of the needs of the school to help her keep track. This book is referred to as the Custodial Wisdom book. Her mother and principal express strong concern for the well-being of Mattie and try to talk her out of her little funk while convincing her friends and participating in recess are fun and needed for a young girl her age. Funny thing is, Mattie no longer has any desire to make friends, she is perfectly content in her life as for now and chooses to ignore their helpful hints. Mattie recalls her past, and all the problems she dealt with throughout her friendships and choose to no longer attempt. Eventually, Mattie becomes comfortable within her school and begins making friends. This book hits close to home for myself. I growing up was very similar to Mattie. Making friends never came easy to me because I was so shy and inverted. I had also changed many schools within a short period of time. Changing schools for anybody can take a huge toll on your social life and your confidence. As well as, it causes you to become distant from those from the beginning because you never know how long somebody you become close to will be able to stay in your life. I would most definitely use this book within my classroom. This book is a little bit of a higher grade level than the grade in which I am hoping to teach, but this could be a good book to read to my class. The lesson that a child could take home from this can be life changing. This book can teach them that change is okay, and that eventually things will work out. This book could also teach someone to not give up what they love. Mattie loved helping her uncle, but when she started making friends again, Mattie did not give up her passion. She still worked side by side with her uncle taking care of business around the school. The overall feel of this book is upbeat and happy, the book never creates a sad feeling. The author did a great job of depicting the story line of an unhappy person in a happy way. This book I feel is appropriate for all age groups, considering the lesson it teaches. I highly recommend this book for anybody with a child who is struggling fitting in and or is about to change schools and move.

Urban, L. (2011). Hound dog true. Boston: Harcourt Children's Books.
classroom-books2 s Barb Middleton1,873 130

While Linda Urban does a great job creating interesting kooky characters who can make changing a lightbulb, fixing a leaky faucet, or installing doorknobs fun; I found this book a tad boring. It does have some great themes about making friends, believing in yourself, and finding what you are good at in life. Problem is it takes awhile getting there and I found it slow in the beginning. Sweet, but slow. Mattie is painfully shy and s to spend her time with Uncle Potluck, a funny man who is a custodian at the nearby elementary school. They have a terrific relationship and the beginning slowly progresses as Uncle Potluck makes work fun calling the lightbulb a "distinguished veteran" that needs a proper burial or saluting the portrait of the principal of the school. Mattie writes in her journal what they do each day because she s writing. She used to write stories until she had a bad experience at her previous school.

Mattie has problems talking to other adults or peers because of her crippling shyness. She remembers standing in front of a class and saying something stupid and being teased by other students. She has moved many times to many different schools and it has been really hard on her. When she and her mother live with her uncle, Mattie meets the girl next door where she becomes friends with her although it is not easy, particularly when they first see each other.

Mattie thinks in choppy sentences and there are many images throughout the story where I had to go back or stop to think about what the author was writing because the imagery got to be too much. The sentences made me think of Frances Hardinge's book, Fly By Night, except not as extreme. Hardinge's plot got lost in the collage of beautiful sentences and images. In Hound Dog True it seemed that the word choice and metaphors sometimes interfered with the story's pacing, especially in the beginning of the story.

Some readers might be uncomfortable with the references to girl's changing bodies. Quincy is more mature and there are references about bras several times. The book is a quick read, entertaining, and unique with the voice of a terribly shy girl.
realistic2 s Elizabeth Bergin34

In "Hound Dog True", by Linda Urban, Mattie Breen has just moved and will soon be starting fifth grade at her fourth school. This year, though, it's at Mitchell P. Anderson Elementary School, where her Uncle Potluck is the janitor. Mattie has always been shy and reluctant to make friends, so she makes a plan to gather enough "custodial wisdom" in the week before school starts to become Uncle Potluck's custodial apprentice. She takes notes throughout the days and watches as Uncle Potluck fixes leaks, replaces doorknobs, and takes repair requests from teachers. Her hope is to spend recess and lunch helping Uncle Potluck with his duties, rather than spending time with her classmates. When Mattie's mom and uncle encourage her to get to know their neighbor's niece Quincy, can Mattie forget about her troubles from the past in order to form a true friendship?

At one point in the book, Mattie's principal tells her that "you can't have brave without scared." This is an important thing for Mattie to hear. Since being taunted by a bully named Star at a different school, Mattie has been afraid to speak to her classmates and try to make friends. She fears that she'll say or do the wrong thing and would rather not try at all than make a fool of herself. This book is suited for kids in fourth grade and up. It appeals to almost any child in late elementary school, or even middle school. Mattie is a very relatable character; almost anyone can recall a time in which they felt Mattie does--alone, weird, friendless. "Hound Dog True" reminds the reader to be open to new experiences, because you can find a friend in the most unexpected places, if you are willing to "do a small brave thing."
bergin2 s Barbara13.6k 290

Once again, Mattie Breen and her mother have moved, and as a new school year approaches, Mattie dreads having to be the new girl in class once again. In order to avoid another painful introduction or try to find somewhere to eat during lunch, she has been following her Uncle Potluck around the school as he practices what he calls the Custodial Arts. She figures she'll just hang out with him or help him out. Mattie is quiet and shy, and prone to writing down her thoughts and creating stories in a notebook. (I must say that I really enjoyed her stories about her pajama button named Moe, lost in the laundry.) When a classmate at a previous school rips up her writings and makes fun of her, Mattie resolves to write no more and to hide her writing. so many of us, all she really wants is a friend, but she's certain that there are no friend possibilities in Quincy Sweet, the girl who moves in with her aunt who is Mattie's neighbor during a rough patch in her family's lives. Certain that Quincy will find her too babyish, she avoids her. Unexpected circumstances force the girls together, and Mattie realizes that everyone has secrets and fears.

This is a gently told story with readers required to fill in many of the blanks in the characters' lives. Often, readers learn a great deal from the actions of characters as well as the anecdotes they relate. Although I'm not certain how ly it is that an elementary school principal and a school custodian are to become romantically involved, it is fun to imagine the possibilities--for them, for the other characters, and for all of us. ncbla writing3 s Manik Sukoco251 28

One thing that Linda Urban always does well is creating characters that live and breathe.
Mattie does that from page one. Mattie is a worrier and very shy to boot. She never seems to know what to say or when to say it, so starting over at another new school terrifies her. So she makes a plan. If she can be her Uncle Potluck's custodial apprentice she can avoid all the 'down' times when she would need to socialize with the other kids (recess, lunch, etc).
She starts keeping notes about everything she learns about custodial science as she helps her uncle the week before school starts. Things become more complicated when her family starts pressing her to become friends with the neighbor girl, Quincy Sweet.
Mattie loves to write stories but gave it up when another girl tore up her notebook. Mattie struggles with her fears and desires while trying to convince her family that she is fine.
As with all of Urban's books, there is much here to think about in terms of appearances, fears, assumptions, and doing the right thing. I also loved Mattie, maybe because I could relate to her so well. As a child I too loved to write stories and was very shy. Being still quite shy and still loving to write, I really connected to Mattie and her struggles.
I loved Mattie's story about Poor Moe (a button) and his going off to have adventures. I appreciated Mattie's growth as she slowly learned how to be a friend and how to face her fears. This is a perfect book for those kids who sit quietly in class and are often overlooked. Recommended2 s Sarah W491 53

Mattie Breen's used to moving and leaving things behind. Her mom doesn't owning more than can fit comfortably inside a pickup truck. At least this time the two of them are moving to a place where there's someone she s-her Uncle Potluck.

Uncle Potluck is the custodian at the school where Mattie will soon be starting fifth grade. She's hoping he'll help her out with her plan. Mattie wants to be a custodial apprentice. Then she won't have to deal with lunch or recess. She won't have to deal with the other kids and not fitting in.

When her mom gives her a new notebook, Mattie uses it to take notes on how custodians do their job. She wants to get it all done to show that she can help Uncle Potluck. She's not going to use it write stories--not after fourth grade, though Mattie's not about to tell her mom that she no longer writes them.

Mattie's not just worried about the start of school. She's also worried about Quincy. Quincy is the niece of the lady next door. Mattie's mom is convinced Quiny would be a great friend for Mattie, but Mattie's positive the other girl is far too cool for her.

Linda Urban masterfully spins the story of a painfully shy girl, a girl who keeps her words close. It's a quiet story of learning how to unfold again and take a chance. Uncle Potluck is hilarious and I could identify so much with Mattie. I look forward to sharing this book with my fourth grade students.

I won't spoil it, but I loved Mattie's final words in this book.
2011 contemporary family ...more2 s Lori382 14

Mattie is a fifth grade girl who does not to share secrets, and whose silence and shyness is often the cause of Mattie being teased. When she and her mother go to live with her Uncle Potluck, Mattie unwillingly and suspiciously makes a friend with a girl named Quincy.

I do enjoy the character of Mattie- the super shy, can't-find-the-words character that is not portrayed enough in children's books. Her quest to become brave in this book is quite realistic and enjoyable.

However, I found it to be just fair. It was not a captivating read and I often found myself putting the book down. It is not a book I would use as a read-aloud, and I'm not sure I would recommend it to male students, since the book mentions bras on multiple occasions, including "B-Cup", which seems a bit much to be read by 3rd, 4th, and 5th graders for the VA Reader's Choice book.

Apparently Linda Urban is a fantastic author, and I've heard great things about her. But this book just did not speak to me.elementary virginia-reader-s-choice2 s Brienz Wilkening76

This story is about a little girl who moves a lot and again moves to a new home. She moves into her moms old house with her mom and uncle. She is very close with her uncle but is still very closed off and shy. She s to write in her notebook, if no one else sees it, and she s to work with her uncle. This book was an easy read, but also hard to follow sometimes. Throughout the whole book I was going back and forth on who I thought the narrator was. Sometimes it seemed the little girl was the narrator and other times it referred to her in a third person tone. The little girl was so shy that sometimes while reading the book I began to feel uncomfortable just reading it. In the end I think it is a story about getting over your fears and moving forward, but even that was a little hard to pick up on.6892 s Aniya2

The book that I read is called Hound Dog True.The book is about a girl name Mattie Breen,and her mother. They moved so many times, and this last time they moved with uncle Potluck. The one thing that Mattie was worried about was, that she wasn't going to make friends. The reason for that is because of what had happened at the last schools she attended. Luckily her school that she's going to her uncle Potluck is a janitor there. Mattie wanted her uncle to put her on as a custodial appreciate, because it will keep her safely away from all the other fifth graders. Everything that was going begin to show Mattie what's right. Sharing part of herself about doing one small
brave thing. Making friends she can trust with her secrets. "A friend that is hound true".

Urban, Linda. Hound Dog True. Boston: Harcourt Children's, 2011. Print.
2 s Chris2 1 follower

I think Hound dog true was a interesting book because a girl named Mattie had to face her fears . That is part of the reason why i this book . Another reason is because Mattie meets friends and her friends can model good actions for young students that are currently learning how to read . It also has challenging words for older people who are pros at reading . Also the length of the book is pretty good for a average readers even though they have challenging words , it is still fun to learn theses words so that in the future you can have a better skill of use of words . That is why reading is so important for people . So that they can have a good grade in their writing . Also because writing is fun . That is why I think Hound dog true is such a good book . 2 s Rad680 24

It has a very interesting voice, one that reminds me of Uma Krishnaswami's The Grand Plan to Fix Everything. (Maybe only because they're both present tense third-person?)

Anyway, it's a quick read, though the language is a bit honey - it takes a minute to swallow. But I LOVED the bit about Moe. That is the most adorable piece of scenery I have ever, ever read.middle-grade read-and-d2 s Angela160 23

I love Linda Urban. A Crooked Kind of Perfect is such a gem of a book, and Hound Dog True is not far behind. The plot is good but not unique - girl can't make friends because her mother moves them every time the "going gets tough". But the writing is so, so good. Urban doesn't write down to kids. In fact, there's subtlety in story that she trusts kids will pick up on. I'd hand her books to every fifth grade girl coming out of the nearby elementary school if I could afford it.middle-grade-fiction2 s Lauren87

Thank you to Shelley for encouraging me to stick with this middle grades book about a painfully shy girl. While it was a slow starter for me, it had gained a special place in my heart by the time I finished. I wish I had read this book as a kid. As the main character realizes--the assumptions we make regarding what other people are thinking and feeling can be so far off, causing all kinds of miscommunication and hurt feelings. What a powerful lesson for a girl to learn as she embarks on those tween and teen years!2 s Clara Herrera2 Read

I think this book was an good book to start off the year.This book is about a girl who is shy and moves to different schools and towns.At school it is very hard for her to have a friend and to speak up in front of the class room. When her uncle meets a girl named Quincey, Mattie immediately says that she does not want to hang out with a person who is an older grade. When they invite her to her house she quickly hides from her.Later Mattie has to come out of her room and had to meet Quncey. It was awkward at first but then they start talking with each other. 2 s Amelia Loken103 5

Sweet story of shy, sensitive Maddie May Breen who starts a new chapter of her life living with her uncle and recording his Custodial Wisdom in her new notebook. Though a quiet story, this will really speak to those who struggled to find their voice with bullies or others. Wonderful and sweet. Recommend for any mid-elementary to middle school child. Parents may enjoy this book as a read aloud/ discussion book with kiddos.coming-of-age tween2 s Cheryl10.5k 444

Hm. I d it, but some bits didn't seem real. Also, I'm not sure it would make sense to the young reader in the target audience, lots of quirky metaphors. The characters are more "Oh, she's such a character" types than people we got to actually know, though. Maybe a more cynical beta-reader than Urban had would have helped her make the book shine. It's not bad, though, and I will probably consider more by the author.2 s Natalie Tyree2 1 followerRead

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