From Publishers Weekly If Sam doesn't come up with a plan quickly， he will have to give away his dog， Amber. Mom has gone back to work and lonely Amber barks all day long， disturbing the neighbors. Sam tries one scheme after another to help Amber， each time landing in trouble. Finally his mother has had enough: "Sam， you are hereby grounded for the rest of your life." When Sam， an eight-year-old， is forced to join his little sister at a day-care center after school， his humiliation paves the way to a breakthrough--Amber can join him at the center， cheering up the "seniors" who are also there. Any reader who loves a pet will easily identify with Sam， admiring his ingenuity and perseverance while cheering him on to success， but it's too bad Auch didn't do a little more research--even though Mom likes Amber， she never thinks of trying to train her， and one scene shows the future candy striper canine growling and snapping at an elderly woman's hand. Ages 6-10. Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information， Inc. From School Library Journal Grade 3-5-When Sam's father leaves and his mother goes to work， his golden retriever is lonely and disturbs the neighbors. Told that he must give Amber away， the boy tries a variety of ways to keep his pet， from offering her to an elderly neighbor to keeping her up all night to change her sleeping habits. Thinking that Sam's problems are a result of staying at home after school without adult supervision， his mother places him and his younger sister in a program at Happy Days Day Care Center， which takes in not only young children but also elderly people who can't be left home alone. This story begins with a child's dilemma and ends with a most satisfying conclusion， not only for Sam and his dog， but also for the people at the day-care center. Auch's approach to a problem in contemporary society is deftly handled， and her characters are completely believable. Black-and-white drawings scattered throughout enhance the action. Children will respond to Sam's ingenuity and will be reassured to see that there are many ways to solve problems creatively.Jana R. Fine， Clearwater Public Library System， FLCopyright 1994 Reed Business Information， Inc. See all Editorial Reviews"