Nothing Wrong With a Three-Legged Dog

by Graham McNamee

A heartwarming middle-grade novel about friendship, family, and dogs.

Keath and his best friend Lynda are in the fourth grade. Some kids call Lynda "Zebra," because her mother's black and her father's white. And Keath is Whitey. He's vanilla in a chocolate school where Toothpick, a bully, has it in for him.

Lynda and Keath both love dogs. When Keath grows up, he wants to be a golden retriever. Dogs don't care about what color is the right one. Dogs don't hate anybody. Their favorite dog is Leftovers, Lynda's three-legged beagle. When he got hurt, his first owners gave up on him, but Lynda and Keath turn him into a winner, a pooch that shows Keath that sometimes it's good to stand out, to be special, and that even when you look different, there are ways to fit in.  

Genres: Childrens, Realistic Fiction

144 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2000

About the author

Graham McNamee. Male. Caucasian. 5'10". Brown hair. Brown eyes. Do not approach. Extremely shy.

Author of: HATE YOU, NOTHING WRONG WITH A THREE-LEGGED DOG, SPARKS, and ACCELERATION. HATE YOU was an ALA Best Book for young Adults and an ALA Quick Pick, won the Austrian Children's Book Award, and was nominated for the Governor General's Award. SPARKS won the PEN/Phyllis Naylor Working Writer Fellowship.

Born and raised in Toronto, McNamee has been sighted in Vancouver. Present whereabouts unknown.

Reviews

[MK · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is all about letting people know that it’s okay to be different, that it’s okay to stand out from the group, especially in the way you look. Our protagonist, Keath, finds a special connection with a dog named Leftovers, a Beagle who only has three legs. The wonderful thing about animals is that they really don’t care what you look like—color, hair, eyes, skin, etc. They’ll just love you for you. WE could learn from that. This is a great book about animals, friendship, and acceptance.

[Miranda ~BookishlyBrewed~ · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a book that had a lasting impression on me in the 5th grade. This tale touches on so many important and often overlooked subjects that all children should be aware of. It's such a lovely read for many ages and will leave you with a warm feeling and a fresh outlook on accepting differences between the people you encounter in life.

[Jean Alfieri · Rating 4 out of 5]

There is so much that is "right" with "There's Nothing Wrong with a Three-Legged Dog". And what a great name for the loveable 3-legged beagle: Leftovers! An adorable story and even better message.

[Kathy Garner · Rating 5 out of 5]

good for teaching about being different, fitting in

[Vicki · Rating 3 out of 5]

Keath is about the only white guy in his school. With his best friend Lynda, he develops his love to dogs by helping her veternarian Dr. mother with a dogs at her clinic. Keath is trying to deal with a school mate who is a bully-Twig, then he sees Twig getting pushed around by his older brother, his father's dislike for dogs, and his grandma who recently had stroke that left her partially paralyzed. Good read.

[Rants and Bants · Rating 4 out of 5]

Oh yes.

A books with dogs (score), a book that's light/humorous (score), AND a book that acknowledges that white kids can face racism too? SCORE. FINALLY a book that treats my experiences as valid, rather than mocking them or ignoring them like most PC society likes to do.

I'm really getting to like this author. First Bonechiller, now this (and they're completely different genres too). I look forward to reading his other books.

[Jessica · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good book for dog lovers...

[WATZ HAPPENIN 75 · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really liked this book because I loved dogs and animals and to see a dog with three legs is kind of sad.

[Jen Willingham · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cute, easy, one day read. Great moral to the story.