Awfully earnest, almost preachy. But warm & lovely, too. And absolutely successful. In fact, tears literally formed in my eyes when I saw *how* the dog was helping the girl, and I didn't mind that it was predictable. The bonus ending was a surprise to me, too, so I do give the book a solid four stars and I do recommend it.

Madeline Finn struggles with the ability to read out loud. Self conscious, she states "I do NOT like to read!" She especially does not like to read out loud. While her teacher encourages her to continue to keep trying, Madeline, simply lacks the courage to read in front of others without making a mistake. She had trouble figuring the words, and the sentences get stuck in her mouth. She continues to be self conscious, especially when others in the class make fun of her courage when she makes a mistake. Those in the class who can read out loud are given a sticker that looks like a star. While she struggles in class, her librarian Mrs. Dimple makes Madeline happy and tries to provide courage to Madeline. Saturday becomes a special day when Mrs. Dimple tells her she has something special to see, Taking her to a special room where Bonnie the library dog listens to Madeline. The librarian asks Madeline to read a book to Bonnie. Bonnie is a wonderful dog who listens and when Madeline makes a mistake, Bonnie is not like others in that she does not giggle and make fun of Madeline. Instead, Bonnies big, loving eyes look at Madeline and places her large paw in Madeline's lap. Soon, Madeline and Bonnie read together every Saturday. Then when Monday occurs, while Madeline is nervous, she thinks of the courage Bonnie gives her, and she doesn't mess up one single word. Finally, Madeline receives the long-awaited star. The next Saturday, Mrs. Dimple takes Madeline in a special room where Bonnie has a surprise of showing beautiful white puppies to Madeline who reads to them every Saturday, giving her the courage she previously lacked. Bonnie is a wonderful listener, and now Madeline is a wonderful reader.