Boys are Dogs by Leslie Margolis

As if sixth grade wasn't hard enough, Annabelle has to deal not only with a new co-ed school when she had always gone to an all girls school, but she also has to deal with moving away from her friends and living with her mom's new boyfriend.

The only good thing about the move so far is her new puppy - who smells slightly of bribe but it's too cute not to pet. However, Pepper-the-dog-formerly-known-as-Stripe, is unruly and wild as only a puppy can be, chewing just about anything. At least, Pepper is cute, the same cannot be say about boys.

The boys of Birchwood Middle are wild, rowdy, rude and right down mean. There is the chair kicker, the name caller, and most of all Jackson, who happens to be to older brother of Annabelle's new friend and neighbor Rachel.

When one day, by accident, Anabelle applies her puppy-training knowledge to dealing with a boy, and it works, she realizes that if boys act like dogs they can be trained as such.

Boys are Dogs is a short, sweet read, and Annabelle is an adorable young heroine! I LOVED her from the start, if I had gone to Birchwood Middle School I would have befriended her. Many times I felt like hugging her and cheering her on, even when she was a bit wimpy because, hell, I have been there in the land of the wimps as well - I lived there when I was Annabelle's age.

This story was wonderful and traumatic all at once, it really took me back, Margolis did an awesome job at capturing that awkward stage in life when boys become the icky enemy you aren't sure how to deal with.

This book is geared toward Tweens but I think it can be enjoyed by all. Extra points for having a dog!

Favorite quote: "I didn't know how to translate point ears into something I could use to my advantage, but I didn't want to skip any steps. So, just to be safe, I visualized that my ears were pointy."
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