" Despite some issues the outdated female role portrayals, I actually really enjoyed this. The descriptions of dogs can't help but to win affection and the kids' feelings feel honest and real. Duncan does a good job of balancing male and female interest by having two main protagonists, one of each gender. However, while the book has been updated with the names of the characters in the movie, the gender stereotypes have not been changed. The girls do the cleaning and feeding housework while the boys go out and earn money. At one point, Andi/Liz even mentioned that she wants to practice for the day when she'll have her own kitchen while making excuses to do the dishes and gather dog scraps. It's unfortunately a bit of a turn off. Otherwise, the book would work well, appealing to lots of different students and possibly making some fun math connections, as the characters talk about paying for the things they need (bog food, bowls, brushes etc) and reimbursing for things taken or damaged. "
— Erin, 1/7/2014