DOG CRAZY

Sara Fine is dog crazy—she dreams about dogs, draws them, talks about them, and tries to ensure that, on her next birthday, she will be given a puppy. When her parents, who simply don't want another responsibility around the house, oblige with a puppet dog, Sara pretends to believe it's real: she feeds it, walks it, and trains it in yet another dog-getting scheme that comes to naught. Then her father's boss moves into a new building and has to give away his dachshund; Mr. Fine, in hopes of a long- overdue promotion, volunteers—and Sara has her dog at last. When that doesn't work out (the boss's wife takes her ``Poopsie'' back), Sara finally gets a puppy (and her father his promotion). At the heart here is Sara's spirited single-mindedness, and, in her purely childlike focus on her unwavering hope, she's a charmer. This modest pursuit is the inspiration for some very funny scenes, grounded in the real, goal-oriented aspirations of a normal American family. Illustrations not seen. (Fiction. 7+)