Trouble with Tuck

Available for the first time in a Yearling edition, the classic, inspiring story of a dog who triumphs against all odds, by the bestselling author of The Cay. Helen adored her beautiful golden Labrador from the first moment he was placed in her arms, a squirming fat sausage of creamy yellow fur. As her best friend, Friar Tuck waited daily for Helen to come home from school and play. He guarded her through the long, scary hours of the dark night. Twice he even saved her life. Now it's Helen's turn. No one can say exactly when Tuck began to go blind. Probably the light began to fail for him long before the alarming day when he raced after some cats and crashed through the screen door, apparently never seeing it. But from that day on, Tuck's trouble-and how to cope with it-becomes the focus of Helen's life. Together they fight the chain that holds him and threatens to break his spirit, until Helen comes up with a solution so new, so daring, there's no way it can fail. Children's Literature Helen's best friend is Tuck¾a loving, playful golden Labrador. They go everywhere together. He brings her out of her shell and is the catalyst for her increasing self-confidence. Twice, he saves her life. When Tuck is three years old, Helen discovers he is having trouble with his sight. The vet confirms that Tuck is going blind. Two options offered by the vet¾putting Tuck down or giving him to medical researchers¾are rejected by the whole family. Desperate, Helen contacts a guide dog school, but is turned down. After Tuck is hit by a car, his days of freedom and wandering the neighborhood must be replaced with confinement to the yard. Chaining Tuck could break his spirit--and Helen's. Enter Lady Daisy, a retired Seeing Eye dog. With the help of Lady Daisy and a book about elephants, Helen is able to train Tuck to depend on this canine friend to be his new eyes. Based on a true story, every animal lover can appreciate this tale of shared devotion and love. The hardback edition won the 1984 California Young Reader Medal and the 1985-86 Iowa Children's Choice Award. 2000 (orig. 1981), Dell/Yearling, AudioFile - Julie A. Bell Adopting a seeing-eye dog for a blind dog?!! Though it sounds odd at first, itÆs the only solution 13-year-old Helen discovers for helping her beloved Labrador, Friar Tuck, when he loses his sight. In her youthful voice, narrator Christina Moore portrays young Helen very well; her sometimes brooding, sometimes excited tones match the teenÆs emotions as she attempts to maintain TuckÆs freedom despite his blindness. Changes in intonation and expression differentiate Helen, her two brothers, her parents and her friends. With MooreÆs narration this heartwarming animal story for the entire family remains memorable long after the final words are uttered. J.H.B. ¬AudioFile, Portland, Maine