Newbery-winning author Lynne Rae Perkins (Criss Cross; All Alone in the Universe) paints a picture of a redheaded boy whose bad day turns around when he brings a friendly black dog home from the pound. Frank and Lucky Get Schooled is a story about a boy and his dog, yes, but it's also a funny, inventive exploration of the nature of learning and the interconnectedness of all things.
Science, for instance: "Science is when you wonder about something, so you observe it and ask questions about it and try to understand it." So, of course Lucky the dog is interested in science. He wonders about squirrels ("Can I catch it?"), bees ("Can I eat it?") and deer ("Is it my friend?"). Boy and dog both love math: "Math is puzzles. Math is how much and how many." The number of biscuits Lucky is willing to eat? Infinity. Perkins has a knack for elegantly, playfully distilling the essence of the world, and in doing so, making readers feel lucky to be alive. Expressive, comical watercolor and pen-and-ink paintings appear in small framed panels with cartoon bubbles and also on full-bleed pages. Fresh, fascinating and just plain fun. --Karin Snelson, children's & YA editor, Shelf Awareness