Book Review: Is That a Dead Dog in Your Locker?

Is That a Dead Dog in Your Locker? by Todd Strasser* (Scholastic Press, 2008, 192 pages, $3.99, 8-12 years, grades 3-7)

And the characters are. . .

Ulna Mandible and Fibula Mandible, her daughter (AKA Fibby) who is allergic to milk, eggs, animal fur, nuts, chocolate, vegetables, berries, dust, pollen, smoke, math and gym and probably more

Daisy, a hippie peace-and-love child who wears baggy yellow tie-dyed sundresses and whose parents give great parties every Friday night but who has to bring an old stinky dog to school one day and take him out and feed him stinky cheese every hour and a half and whose best friends are . . .

The Tardy boys: Leyton, handsome but seemingly not as bright as a light bulb – or so says his fraternal twin, Wade. They are the stars of the book, along with the hippie girl.

Wheezy, an old stinky dog, who has to go out every hour and a half and eat French cheese (learn why at the very end), not to be mistaken for toe cheese, about which there is too much in this book including a debate and an experiment.

Wheezy who has to spend a day in school (the reason is forgettable – I forgot it!)

An assistant principal to funny to be true

A school with no name but with an NFA rule (No Furry Animals) and a secret door to the outside and a janitor named Olga Shotput

And Dr. Seuss appears not really incognito on page 166

With characters like this (and more) who needs a plot? And yet, each chapter is a cliff-hanger. Will Weezie make it through the day without being caught? How far does the stinky stink travel?

To find out these and other fascinating bits, read Is That a Dead Dog in Your Locker?

*Strasser also wrote The Wave, a book every American must read. And other books like Is That a Sick Cat in Your Backpack? And Is That an Angry Penguin in Your Gym Bag? And Is That an Unlucky Leprechaun in Your Lunch? And Is That a Glow-in-the-dark Bunny in Your Pillowcase?