Oliver for Young Readers shares the heartwarming true story of a man searching for a beloved lost dog and finding more than he’d ever hoped for. When Steven Carino discovered his dog, Oliver, had been stolen from his car, he knew he would do anything to get Oliver back. The friendly Yorkie-Shih Tzu mix–with his bundle of black and brown hair, long floppy ears, and big round eyes–had been … been Steven’s companion during even the loneliest days. But it took more than one man to bring Oliver home. It took a community of friends and strangers who believed that love is worth fighting for.
Oliver for Young Readers is a story of good people–including hardworking immigrants, wealthy suburbanites, car mechanics, deli workers, old friends, close relatives, street cops, a dedicated TV news reporter, and one very gifted hairdresser–offering help without asking for anything in return. It’s a story of near misses, false hopes, and fresh leads ending in a joy-filled reunion on the streets of a rundown New York neighborhood. It’s a story of faith renewed and hope restored. But most of all, Oliver for Young Readers offers a story of good triumphing over despair–a beautiful reminder to even the youngest readers that a little kindness can truly change the world.
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When I first started this book…I was a little hesitant. I am such a huge dog lover and the thought of losing one of my dogs could absolutely send me over the edge. And, I had no intention of being traumatized because of Oliver. But there is so much more to this story.
The good feeling the reader gets from this book is a true joy! As a matter of fact…I may reread this one soon. Sometimes everyone needs to be reminded about the kindness of strangers.
I enjoyed so much about this read..but especially the characters. And of course Oliver! What a charming little guy!
Need a feel good book…this is it! Grab your copy today!
I received this novel from the publisher for a honest review.
Dogs bring out the best in us
Steven drives for a living. He drives people to airports and to other designations. He lives in a small cottage with his dog Oliver. One day he takes Oliver with him and when he stops for takeout Oliver is stolen from his car.
Steven is heartbroken and with the help of his sisters he searches for his dog. He searches for 7 days for Oliver. Steven is depressed. He thinks he has lost Oliver for good. Oliver is his whole life.
What lesson Stephen learns is that he is not alone, people care for him. His family, his friends, and strangers from the neighborhood and the internet.
Everyone helps him hunt for Oliver and it is a happy ending when Oliver is found. I love how there are little boxes that provide what Oliver is thinking, and other small boxes that tell Oliver’s story what he likes and about his dad Stee.
I think any young person would love this story of Stephen and his lost dog Oliver. I read it because I thought my great grand children would like it and I am always looking for new books for them. I have to admit that I was captivated by this cute story about a missing go named Oliver.
Thanks to Steven J. Carino, Thomas Nelson Children’s, and NetGalley for allowing me to read a copy in return for an honest review.
“All we know for sure was that as long as we were together, nothing could really hurt us. Together, we would always – always – be okay.”
I would like to thank Thomas Nelson Children’s for sending me a copy of this book over at Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
I’ve always been a huge dog lover with my 6 dogs, so I’ve always had a huge heart for books featuring dogs. With the adorable puppy on the cover, I was more than excited to get into this book, knowing fully well that I would laugh and cry very hard.
This is a true life story about the author’s experience of having his dog and best friend, Oliver, stolen and away from him for an entire week. As a dog owner myself, I know the experience of how much dogs means in a person’s life, especially if you developed a special and unique bond with them. And also having the same experience of looking for a missing pet, I totally understand the thoughts and sentiments the author had in this venture, since losing a pet is always going to be a pet owner’s worst nightmare. It was both a very endearing and very sad story for any pet owner, because the author really poured his heart and soul into writing the terrible journey of looking for Oliver.
I really enjoyed how this book was written for young readers, but it’s definitely still applicable to be read by adults. It was almost like written like as a personal diary, so it was nice to have every single detail not left out. Plus, it also had these adorable little snippets from Oliver’s point of view and mini Oliver stories inserted in between chapters that made it very appealing to any reader. Those snippets made me smile a lot because it gave Oliver such a character.
While I’m not really into the religious aspects surrounding this story, I actually really liked the themes of love, hope, friendship, and family that was very prevalent in this story. I had to admire the author for putting out his thoughts like that even in the most difficult time for him. I love how strangers he had never met gave him a new perspective in his life as they helped him look for Oliver. This was obviously a book that was so much more than looking for a missing dog, and I really enjoyed it.
This book just really made me want to hug my dogs very tightly afterwards and made me even more grateful to have them with me. I’m definitely going to recommend this book to all people (even if they’re not pet owners) because of the immense amount of joy it just gave me. I also need a physical copy of this book to add to my dog book collection.
I’m so happy that Steven and Oliver are with each other again!