Champ | 
 enlarge | Author: Marcia Thornton Jones
Publisher: Scholastic Inc.
Category: Book
List Price: $4.99
Buy New: $1.50
You Save: $3.49 (70%)
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Avg. Customer Rating:  3 reviews
Sales Rank: 134646
Media: Mass Market Paperback
Reading Level: Ages 9-12
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 192
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.3
Dimensions (in): 7.4 x 5.2 x 0.6
ISBN: 0439793998
EAN: 9780439793995
ASIN: 0439793998
Publication Date: October 1, 2007
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Condition: New - Has remainder mark. Fast shipping from trusted wholesaler with many exclusive publisher contracts.
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| Editorial Reviews:
Product Description
RILEY is awful at sports. He wants to quit the baseball team, but his dad won't let him give up. So when one bad swing brings a three-legged dog into his life, Riley feels like he's been thrown a curveball. How can he take care of a dog and make his dad proud?
CHAMP is a former champion show dog. But when the accident that leaves him with Riley also leaves him with three legs, this dog has to learn some new tricks. Can Champ show Riley that winning doesn't always mean coming in first?
Together, Riley and Champ make a great team, but not everyone thinks so. Could they be separated?
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| Customer Reviews:
 CHAMP March 5, 2008
Review:
Fifth grader, Riley Walters, stinks at sports, however to try and please his sports hero of a dad, he keeps trying. In the past, he attempted soccer and basketball, got frustrated with his lack of talent, and quit. His father begins to lecture him on the tribulations of quitters. This year, Riley decides to make an effort with the sport of baseball. League tryouts are approaching, and Riley desperately wants his dad's approval, so he practices every chance he gets. However, the practice doesn't seem to be helping.
One afternoon, Riley's friend, Kaylee, comes over to help him with batting. One missed pitch hits a tree and bounces into the road. Riley runs after it, fully intending to stop at the curb. However, an approaching car swerves to miss him, and smashes into a tree. The driver survives the wreck without a scratch, but not her champion show dog. They rush the Champ to the vet.
Champ survives, yet ends up loosing one of his front legs. Fighting guilt over the accident, Riley goes to visit the dog. The owner decides Champ is worthless now, and wants to put him to sleep. But Riley won't stand for it; he offers to take the dog home.
Everyone in the Walters family has a bit of trouble adapting. Champ barks continuously when Riley is at school, and then he picks up a few bad habits like herding all their shoes into the living room and pulling the sheets off the beds. Mr. Douglas, the retired and lonely next-door neighbor, offers his opinion that Champ is bored. He suggests that Riley and Champ start training for an agilities competition, where an owner and dog team race through obstacles like teeter totters and tunnels. Riley thinks it's ridiculous, as a three-legged dog would never win a race. Mr. Douglas tells him that winning isn't the point.
The idea works! Champ is happier and stops causing trouble, and Riley enjoys building the obstacles with Mr. Douglas and training with Champ. Everyone is happy and impressed, except Riley's dad. He thinks it's a waste of time and that Riley should be practicing baseball instead. And when word gets out that a three-legged dog is training for the agility contest, Champ's first owner shows up --- wanting Champ back!
Veteran author, Ms. Marcia Thornton Jones has written and co written over 120 books! Her unbelievable talent shines through each page of her new story, CHAMP! Heartwarming and exciting, readers will devour the pages to find out what happens next with likable and relatable Riley and his energetic, tail-wagging new friend. Ms. Jones craftily slips a few important life lessons into her entertaining story, like acceptance, struggling for goals, and standing up for what's right. One of the characters, Mr. Douglas, puts it well when he says, "The way to tackle a big problem is to start with simple steps." An amazing story and highly recommended!
--- Reviewed by Chris Shanley-Dillman, author of FINDING MY LIGHT and THE BLACK POND
---Compliments of www.kidsreads.com
Champ is a Champ! September 9, 2007
A great book for anyone who has ever felt like they were not good enough. Riley's father is only interested in sports. The trouble is -- Riley is awful at them. He's quit every team he's ever joined. When one a missed ball causes a car accident and a champion show dog is hurt, Riley feels like everyone blames him. He takes in the now three-legged dog, and together they learn how to prove to Riley's father, and even to Riley himself, that winning isn't everything, especially when you're not having any fun along with way.
HIghly recommended!
 Recommended for upper elementary/middle September 8, 2007
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
I am a fourth grade teacher and I will definitely recommend this book to my students. It will appeal to both boys and girls and a range of ages from 8 to 12, or even more, because it involves animals and sports. The best thing about this book is its focus on overcoming adversity. The main character, Riley, and the dog, Champ, both have to overcome obstacles and realize that it's okay not to be perfect. This is an important lesson that the reader takes away from this story. In addition, Champ has an engaging plot and characters that children can relate to. This is a book that I have no doubts will be enjoyed by many of my students.
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