School Library JournalGr 4–6—Zelda Fried's grandfather, Ace, comes up with the perfect plan to help convince her parents to get her the dog she so desperately wants: the 10-year-old will take care of a "practice dog" (actually an old orange juice jug), including feeding, walking, and cleaning up after it, until they give in. This is totally embarrassing, and to make matters worse, although Zelly moved from Brooklyn, NY, to Vermont a while ago, she still feels like the new kid in town. Her only friend will be spending the summer at camp, leaving her all alone to deal with her annoying little brother and the neighborhood bullies (who no doubt will have a lot to say about her plastic companion). By the end of the summer, she has made another friend, learned to stand up for herself, and begun to appreciate her "pet.
