Dickon Fielding, an only child just out of Grade 2, has a whole lot going on in his world. He takes pills for ADHD (attention deficit hyperactive disorder). His dad has left the family. His mom isn’t coping well. He and his mom are moving to a new home in a new community, where she’s starting a new job. It’s summer and he has no friends. He wants a dog more than anything but his mom has a dog phobia. When Dickon discovers their new home backs onto the humane society’s yard, the plot thickens.

Jean Little has plotted this meaty story capably. Its themes include hyperactivity, family dysfunction, animal abuse, and name calling. Birdie for Now is classic Little. It reflects her affinity with and respect for children, her commitment to increasing children’s awareness and understanding of kids with special needs, and her love of animals. Fast-paced action and lively dialogue transport readers through conflict, challenge, suspense, and satisfactory resolution. It’s impossible not to cheer for Dickon (or Birdie, as his mom calls him), a feisty boy who struggles to balance his love for and frustration with his needy mother with his desire to assert himself.

Birdie for Now, a title from Orca’s Young Readers list, is a 15-chapter book with print sized for its targeted audience. Six black and white illustrations and a repeating dog motif provide visual variety. The book’s cover portrays an anxious Dickon/Birdie with the dog he befriends.

This special-needs-boy-meets-dog story will appeal to boys, dog lovers, and special-needs children and families. Teachers will also find its themes helpful for curriculum support.