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Rules of the Ruff
Twelve-year-old Jessie is in for a long summer at her aunt and uncle’s house. Her cousin Ann has a snotty new best friend, which leaves Jessie all alone. But Jessie is industrious, and—not content with being ignored all summer—she convinces Wes, a grouchy neighborhood dog walker, to take her on as his apprentice.
Sure, dog walking turns out to be harder than she expected, but she has Wes’s dog-walking code, the Rules of the Ruff, to guide her, and soon she’s wrangling her very own pack. But when a charismatic rival dog walker moves to town, she quickly snatches up most of Wes’s business—and Jessie decides she isn’t going to take this defeat with her tail between her legs.
Sure, dog walking turns out to be harder than she expected, but she has Wes’s dog-walking code, the Rules of the Ruff, to guide her, and soon she’s wrangling her very own pack. But when a charismatic rival dog walker moves to town, she quickly snatches up most of Wes’s business—and Jessie decides she isn’t going to take this defeat with her tail between her legs.
Hardcover
First published August 14, 2018
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178 people want to read
About the author
Heidi Lang
13books109followersHeidi Lang believes that the next Grand Adventure is always just around the corner. She has chased her love of judo from the East to the West Coast, run ultramarathons, started her own dog-walking business, and converted a Sprinter van into a tiny home so she could experience #vanlife. Currently she lives in Washington with her husband, kids, and two dogs.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 45 reviews
February 23, 2019
This was so fun, cute and smart.
Review to come.
Review to come.
May 28, 2018
Whoever said diamonds are a girl’s best friend never owned a dog.
Everyone needs to buy this book when it comes out. Thanks to Netgalley I got to read it ahead of time and believe the hype. This was such an enjoyable book from beginning to end. And it was full of life lessons. There’s so much in this book and it flows so well and YOU must read it!!
Jessie, is a 12 year old girl who wants a dog. She wants a dog so much she becomes Wes’s free labor summer dog walking assistant. It’s a tough job but gives her what she wants most in life. Dogs! Everything changes when competition arrives. Competition with a son Jessie’s age. Gah!! This book was just wonderful and I highly recommend it. We got to see two sides to every person/problem/idea. It was actually pretty brilliant. And the parts about her dad and mom were heartbreaking and beautiful. Jessie is a beautiful character. I love her so much. She needs her own series!
Everyone needs to buy this book when it comes out. Thanks to Netgalley I got to read it ahead of time and believe the hype. This was such an enjoyable book from beginning to end. And it was full of life lessons. There’s so much in this book and it flows so well and YOU must read it!!
Jessie, is a 12 year old girl who wants a dog. She wants a dog so much she becomes Wes’s free labor summer dog walking assistant. It’s a tough job but gives her what she wants most in life. Dogs! Everything changes when competition arrives. Competition with a son Jessie’s age. Gah!! This book was just wonderful and I highly recommend it. We got to see two sides to every person/problem/idea. It was actually pretty brilliant. And the parts about her dad and mom were heartbreaking and beautiful. Jessie is a beautiful character. I love her so much. She needs her own series!
May 23, 2018
A BIG Thank You to NetGalley and Abrams Kids / Amulet Books for providing me a copy of “Rules of the Ruff� by Heidi Lang in exchange for my review. Have you ever picked up a book having zero expectations and it turns out to be a complete entertainer? “Rules of the Ruff� exactly did this and I LOVED IT!!
From the get go, the story is interesting and fun to read. The story starts off in a very light-hearted manner with humorous moments of Jessie getting the hang of dog walking. The story then becomes a fun rollercoaster ride of Jessie improving her dog walking skills, sabotaging the rival dog walker, impressing the new boy in the neighborhood, and trying to patch things up with her cousin. There are so many entertaining moments in the story like when Jessie and Wes plan different ideas to get rid of Monique, and when she tries to set things right with Wes. Furthermore, even when the story line becomes a bit serious towards the end, it still maintains it charm and humor.
This book stands out mainly because of its characters. The characters are so down to Earth yet so entertaining. I loved Jessie and Wes as the main character and their interactions are hysterical. I did felt sorry for Jessie most of the time. This girl just can’t seem to get a break when it comes having a stable summer job and a boyfriend. However, I love how determined and focused she is to achieve what she sets out to, irrespective of what people think and fell. She remains who she is and stands for what she believes in, and I loved that quality about her. The author has written the villain also as a deliciously evil character, and I hated Loralee with a passion! More than Loralee, I despised Max and the way he treats Jessie. He is such a coward and a disgrace and keeps disappointing her.
The fact that I am reacting animatedly to the characters shows what a great job Heidi Lang has done in writing this book. She is wonderfully blended the plot with the character developments, and it kept me engrossed throughout. I also liked that she ended the book in a realistic, bittersweet manner. While I hoped that things would have turned out better for Jessie, I did enjoy how the story ended.
On a side note, I had never heard of a Klee Kai prior to reading this book. After googling it, I want to have this dog as well! Overall, I enjoyed this middle grade novel so much that I would definitely be reading it again in the near future. I rate it 5/5 stars!
From the get go, the story is interesting and fun to read. The story starts off in a very light-hearted manner with humorous moments of Jessie getting the hang of dog walking. The story then becomes a fun rollercoaster ride of Jessie improving her dog walking skills, sabotaging the rival dog walker, impressing the new boy in the neighborhood, and trying to patch things up with her cousin. There are so many entertaining moments in the story like when Jessie and Wes plan different ideas to get rid of Monique, and when she tries to set things right with Wes. Furthermore, even when the story line becomes a bit serious towards the end, it still maintains it charm and humor.
This book stands out mainly because of its characters. The characters are so down to Earth yet so entertaining. I loved Jessie and Wes as the main character and their interactions are hysterical. I did felt sorry for Jessie most of the time. This girl just can’t seem to get a break when it comes having a stable summer job and a boyfriend. However, I love how determined and focused she is to achieve what she sets out to, irrespective of what people think and fell. She remains who she is and stands for what she believes in, and I loved that quality about her. The author has written the villain also as a deliciously evil character, and I hated Loralee with a passion! More than Loralee, I despised Max and the way he treats Jessie. He is such a coward and a disgrace and keeps disappointing her.
The fact that I am reacting animatedly to the characters shows what a great job Heidi Lang has done in writing this book. She is wonderfully blended the plot with the character developments, and it kept me engrossed throughout. I also liked that she ended the book in a realistic, bittersweet manner. While I hoped that things would have turned out better for Jessie, I did enjoy how the story ended.
On a side note, I had never heard of a Klee Kai prior to reading this book. After googling it, I want to have this dog as well! Overall, I enjoyed this middle grade novel so much that I would definitely be reading it again in the near future. I rate it 5/5 stars!
June 11, 2018
An interesting take on trying to find something to do for the Summer.
Jessie wants a dog. She has been sent to her Aunt's house, where her cousin, Ann, is only intersted in the local mean girl, and is into boys and fashion. So, Jessie seeks out the local dog walker, who is an odd duck to say the least, and tries to get him to take her on. He will, with the condition that she learns the "rules of the ruff".
They are rules to think and deal with dogs, but they can also be used for life in general.
This is an interesting take on revenge, learning to deal with people, and dogs, and boys. It is also learning to deal with adults, and the consequences of what you do. Although the characters, other than Jessie, seem to be cookie cutter, the cute boy, the mean girl, the fashion obsessed cousin, this might be because Jessie sees them this way, and when they don't fit into the box she has put them in, she finds she can actually like them.
Nicely done middle grade book.
Thanks to Netgalley for making this book available for an honest review.
Jessie wants a dog. She has been sent to her Aunt's house, where her cousin, Ann, is only intersted in the local mean girl, and is into boys and fashion. So, Jessie seeks out the local dog walker, who is an odd duck to say the least, and tries to get him to take her on. He will, with the condition that she learns the "rules of the ruff".
They are rules to think and deal with dogs, but they can also be used for life in general.
This is an interesting take on revenge, learning to deal with people, and dogs, and boys. It is also learning to deal with adults, and the consequences of what you do. Although the characters, other than Jessie, seem to be cookie cutter, the cute boy, the mean girl, the fashion obsessed cousin, this might be because Jessie sees them this way, and when they don't fit into the box she has put them in, she finds she can actually like them.
Nicely done middle grade book.
Thanks to Netgalley for making this book available for an honest review.
August 21, 2018
3.5 on the blog.
There was too much sexual tension included from older characters, and a strange older boy younger girl (the MC) interaction that wasn't resolved very well. This is Middle Grade, stop with all the raging hormone action, it doesn't need it. Ugh. Save it for YA. It's too bad because this story could have been 4.5 stars on the blog. It was very good.
I was approved for an eARC, via Netgalley, in return for an honest review.
There was too much sexual tension included from older characters, and a strange older boy younger girl (the MC) interaction that wasn't resolved very well. This is Middle Grade, stop with all the raging hormone action, it doesn't need it. Ugh. Save it for YA. It's too bad because this story could have been 4.5 stars on the blog. It was very good.
I was approved for an eARC, via Netgalley, in return for an honest review.
May 20, 2019
This was a fun book with a lot of life lessons in it. The mom in me wanted to yell not to get into a stranger’s car and to get permission before asking about being an assistant to a stranger though 🤦🏾♀� Wes the dog walker finally got off of my poop list at the very end. Jessie the main character matured quickly and did the right thing in the end.
August 1, 2018
Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC!
12-year-old Jessie is spending her summer at her cousin's house, but finds herself with nothing to do because her cousin is too busy hanging out with a mean girl to play with her anymore. Determined not to waste her summer, she convinces Wes, a curmudgeonly dog-walker to take her on as his apprentice and teach her the Rules of the Ruff. When someone new starts to try to move in on Wes's business, Jessie plans retaliation.
Heidi Lang writes a completely convincing 12-year-old in RULES OF THE RUFF and middle-grade readers will enjoy coming along for the ride as Jessie lives out her summer. Jessie is determined and optimistic, or stubborn and unrelenting, depending on what side of her you happen to be on. She spends her summer learning not only how to walk dogs, but also about how to be a person and deal with other people. This story takes the idea of revenge and shows how it can have unintended results, and Jessie ultimately takes a steps forward into being more confident in herself and being more understanding after an exciting summer.
I thoroughly enjoyed Jessie's story and I am excited to get a copy for my classroom when it releases! As a bonus, check out the author and publisher on Twitter for cute pictures of the dogs that inspired the pack in the book!
12-year-old Jessie is spending her summer at her cousin's house, but finds herself with nothing to do because her cousin is too busy hanging out with a mean girl to play with her anymore. Determined not to waste her summer, she convinces Wes, a curmudgeonly dog-walker to take her on as his apprentice and teach her the Rules of the Ruff. When someone new starts to try to move in on Wes's business, Jessie plans retaliation.
Heidi Lang writes a completely convincing 12-year-old in RULES OF THE RUFF and middle-grade readers will enjoy coming along for the ride as Jessie lives out her summer. Jessie is determined and optimistic, or stubborn and unrelenting, depending on what side of her you happen to be on. She spends her summer learning not only how to walk dogs, but also about how to be a person and deal with other people. This story takes the idea of revenge and shows how it can have unintended results, and Jessie ultimately takes a steps forward into being more confident in herself and being more understanding after an exciting summer.
I thoroughly enjoyed Jessie's story and I am excited to get a copy for my classroom when it releases! As a bonus, check out the author and publisher on Twitter for cute pictures of the dogs that inspired the pack in the book!
August 20, 2018
I wish I could've read this book when I was a kid!
Rules of the Ruff is a charming story about a young girl named Jessie who wants desperately to have a dog of her own. To prove she can handle the responsibility, Jessie apprentices for a grumpy, kinda unlikeable dog walker during her summer vacation. Adventures ensue: from learning to wrangle unruly pups to sabotaging a rival dog walker.
It's a cute, zippy, funny coming-of-age story with gentle messages about growing up and growing more mature. The characters are colorful and endearing too. Rules of the Ruff will especially appeal to kids who love stories about animals. And it has such an adorable cover!
Rules of the Ruff is a charming story about a young girl named Jessie who wants desperately to have a dog of her own. To prove she can handle the responsibility, Jessie apprentices for a grumpy, kinda unlikeable dog walker during her summer vacation. Adventures ensue: from learning to wrangle unruly pups to sabotaging a rival dog walker.
It's a cute, zippy, funny coming-of-age story with gentle messages about growing up and growing more mature. The characters are colorful and endearing too. Rules of the Ruff will especially appeal to kids who love stories about animals. And it has such an adorable cover!
December 31, 2023
Because of Barbara's review.
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A 12 year old girl's breakout summer, in which she learns a *lot* about responsibility and maturity, from a variety of different perspectives. It's hard, as a mom, to see the dangerous and bad things going on, but persevering to the end is rewarding... most lessons are learned, and the 'solutions' to the frustrations are plausible and satisfying. However, I honestly can only recommend it only to families who will discuss it together.
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A 12 year old girl's breakout summer, in which she learns a *lot* about responsibility and maturity, from a variety of different perspectives. It's hard, as a mom, to see the dangerous and bad things going on, but persevering to the end is rewarding... most lessons are learned, and the 'solutions' to the frustrations are plausible and satisfying. However, I honestly can only recommend it only to families who will discuss it together.
August 30, 2018
I love this book! Jessie is a character you can't help but root for, even when she doesn't always make the best decisions. And of course all of the dogs are adorable too. An utterly charming read for dog-lovers of all ages.
December 10, 2018
This was a fun book to read, just not really my style. However, I would recommend this to my younger sister.
November 2, 2019
Fun read! Great book about life through the eyes of a tween.
January 12, 2020
Middle grade dog lovers... beware! This book will have you wanting to get yourself a new puppy (or five!)
February 20, 2021
What a dream job. Good for you, Jessie.
October 15, 2018
Twelve-year-old Jessie Jamison is spending the summer with her aunt and uncle while her father tries to stabilize their life and nail down permanent employment. Usually, she enjoys spending time with her cousin Ann, but ever since the older girl fell under the thrall of Loralee, a more sophisticated neighbor, Jessie has felt dismissed by Ann Marie, as her cousin now wants to be called. Determined to avoid being bored all summer, Jessie volunteers to work with Wes, a curmudgeonly man who runs a dog-walking business. He takes her on reluctantly but eventually teaches her what he calls "the rules of the ruff." Jessie loves dogs and longs for one of her own, and even though Wes isn't always the nicest guy to be around, when his clients start taking their business to a new dog-walker, threatening Wes's livelihood, she decides to take action. Readers will quickly realize that this won't end well and that Jessie's intentions might be good, but she's hurting someone else in the process. There's a secondary plot involving new boy Max and soccer and how he disappoints and betrays Jessie in ways that are unexpected. Anyone who's ever loved a dog or had his/heart broken or felt left behind by others because of being a little bit different will adore this book. And the ending just might surprise you. I can't decide how I felt about it. In some ways, it seems so very perfect, and in other respects, I felt just a little bit disappointed for Jessie. One thing's for sure: After reading this middle grade title, no one will make some of those silly remarks to dog-walkers that are mentioned in the book. Just let them do their jobs and walk those dogs.
May 10, 2018
Jessie is staying with her aunt, uncle and cousin Ann where she's left out and bored. she does make a friend in soccer playing Max but they get off to a rough start as he assumes she's a bit for a start!
she has always wanted her own dog but after her mum passed away, never again touched the subject with her father.
When she meets local dog walker Wes, she manages to convince him to let her be his apprentice and she has to learn his rules of the ruff, all about dog walking, handling and getting used to them all.
Then they discover a new dog walker is taking clients they had from them! The woman she is shocked to find out knows Max and that makes it so much worse as the walk wars is on. Meanwhile Ann's friend Loralee is stealing Max away just like she stole Ann from her and Jessie is out for revenge with Wes against their dog walker stealing newcomer.
Wes also has to deal with his relationship with his ex wife and dog owners which come to involve Jessie too when their plan to sabotage Monique the other dog walker goes a bit extreme and finds out Ann hasn't completely changed as she helps her against Max and Loralee.
The responsibilities of pet ownership come as a welcome theme as many believe pets are easy to keep and look after but none are and children can learn that with this book as well as the way friendship has no barrier, age or gender wise. I really love the book and if you know a child who is dog mad, they would enjoy this one I'm sure.
Many thanks to the publishers for allowing me to review this book for them!
she has always wanted her own dog but after her mum passed away, never again touched the subject with her father.
When she meets local dog walker Wes, she manages to convince him to let her be his apprentice and she has to learn his rules of the ruff, all about dog walking, handling and getting used to them all.
Then they discover a new dog walker is taking clients they had from them! The woman she is shocked to find out knows Max and that makes it so much worse as the walk wars is on. Meanwhile Ann's friend Loralee is stealing Max away just like she stole Ann from her and Jessie is out for revenge with Wes against their dog walker stealing newcomer.
Wes also has to deal with his relationship with his ex wife and dog owners which come to involve Jessie too when their plan to sabotage Monique the other dog walker goes a bit extreme and finds out Ann hasn't completely changed as she helps her against Max and Loralee.
The responsibilities of pet ownership come as a welcome theme as many believe pets are easy to keep and look after but none are and children can learn that with this book as well as the way friendship has no barrier, age or gender wise. I really love the book and if you know a child who is dog mad, they would enjoy this one I'm sure.
Many thanks to the publishers for allowing me to review this book for them!
December 31, 2018
Rules of the Ruff by Heidi Lang was sweet and funny, but also so much more, as we get a glimpse of the world through 12 year old Jessie’s eyes. Feeling pretty alone in her cousin's home for the summer , Jessie pesters a reclusive neighbor into letting her tag along on his dog walking job. She learns lessons about judging others, the complicated human nature, consequences of actions, how to stand up for yourself and still get along with others, and the fluidity of relationships. The ending was just beautiful and summed up all that Jessie learned about compassion. I think most kids (and adults) can relate to Jessie's experiences. I empathized with her, while still cringing at some of her actions. I liked the realistic portrayal of all the characters, and how Jessie learns that everything isn’t always black and white. People aren’t usually all good or all bad. We make good choices, and sometimes bad ones, and we keep trying. And we keep forgiving, because we don’t always know someone else's story.
September 13, 2018
I loved Rules of the Ruff! It’s perfect for that older MG reader who is ready to read about first crushes and the increasing social pressures of fitting in. Jessie is easy to relate to, with a Ramon Quimby-like charm—she gets into trouble, but her heart is always in the right place. And speaking of heart, this book has it in spades. You will fall in love with Jessie and her pack, and even the cantankerous Wes, who teaches Jessie more than just the Rules of the Ruff.
July 23, 2018
Such a fun book! Smart and funny in all the best ways - with a character who doesn't always do the right thing, but is so easy to root for you can't help but going along for the ride (or, in this case, the walk). Rules of the Ruff is a realistic look at how sometimes good intentions can lead you astray and how even the worst people may be better than you think.
August 14, 2018
Such a fun book! Smart and funny in all the best ways - with a character who doesn't always do the right thing, but is so easy to root for you can't help but going along for the ride (or, in this case, the walk). Rules of the Ruff is a realistic look at how sometimes good intentions can lead you astray and how even the worst people may be better than you think.
August 31, 2018
This story was utterly delightful! I loved Jessie and enjoyed watching her grow and mature as she learned to walk dogs, navigate tricky relationships, make mistakes, and develop the courage to own up to them. The story was funny, the characters were relateable, and I couldn't help but cheer for Jessie. Highly recommend this book for young readers!
September 18, 2018
The main character, Jessie, is a ton of fun, and her enthusiasm for dogs is infectious, even to this cat person. I loved all the characters, even the grumpy ones, and would definitely recommend this book to any animal lover.
April 5, 2021
I usually love dog books, but not this one. Most of the grown ups in this book are not nice people and are terrible role models. Somehow they approve of dog napping, breaking into someone's car and sabotaging someone else's business.
August 9, 2018
I had the opportunity to read a NetGalley digital ARC of this middle grade fiction novel in exchange for a review. Summer can be long and miserable if you’re lonesome and bored. Twelve-year-old Jessie is spending hers as a guest at her aunt and uncle’s house with her same age cousin who would rather spend time with her snooty friend.
Desperate for something to do, she becomes a neighborhood dog walker’s assistant. But when another dog walker moves to town and starts stealing Wes� customers, Jessie and Wes start strategizing ways to sabotage this woman’s budding business, so they can back to what they do best.
This book might appeal to middle grade readers who enjoy books about animals. It also has the social drama that centers around adolescent kids who are growing away from the things they enjoyed when they were children and are becoming more interested in the opposite sex.
However, I found it difficult to like this particular set of characters. Jessie is introduced as a girl that might be a sympathetic character. Her mother passed away several years ago and her father is working hard to support her while dealing with his own grief. Her cousin seems to have lost interest in playing with her, opting to hang around with the neighborhood snooty girl. But the more time she spends walking dogs with Wes, the more annoying and self-involved she becomes. While I understand that kids will probably relate to the disrespectful way she behaves toward her aunt and uncle and all of the ways she circumvents their rules and expectations, there seems to be minimal consequences for this.
When she and Wes start plotting to run their new competitor out of business, they engage in activities that are not only unethical, but illegal. Breaking into the other dog walker’s car and ripping holes in all of the doggie-clean-up bags, stealing fish from her aunt’s refrigerator to throw into the other dog walker’s car, and spreading paint on the other dog walker’s towels is criminal mischief and the take away message is this is all okay to do since they don’t like the way this other lady is moving in on their territory. There’s a few apologies and tears at the end of the book, but I’m not sure that young readers will come away with the message that there are better ways to solve problems. How about having the adults in the story behave like grown-ups and discuss their issues with each other and maybe even decide to work together and help each other?
Desperate for something to do, she becomes a neighborhood dog walker’s assistant. But when another dog walker moves to town and starts stealing Wes� customers, Jessie and Wes start strategizing ways to sabotage this woman’s budding business, so they can back to what they do best.
This book might appeal to middle grade readers who enjoy books about animals. It also has the social drama that centers around adolescent kids who are growing away from the things they enjoyed when they were children and are becoming more interested in the opposite sex.
However, I found it difficult to like this particular set of characters. Jessie is introduced as a girl that might be a sympathetic character. Her mother passed away several years ago and her father is working hard to support her while dealing with his own grief. Her cousin seems to have lost interest in playing with her, opting to hang around with the neighborhood snooty girl. But the more time she spends walking dogs with Wes, the more annoying and self-involved she becomes. While I understand that kids will probably relate to the disrespectful way she behaves toward her aunt and uncle and all of the ways she circumvents their rules and expectations, there seems to be minimal consequences for this.
When she and Wes start plotting to run their new competitor out of business, they engage in activities that are not only unethical, but illegal. Breaking into the other dog walker’s car and ripping holes in all of the doggie-clean-up bags, stealing fish from her aunt’s refrigerator to throw into the other dog walker’s car, and spreading paint on the other dog walker’s towels is criminal mischief and the take away message is this is all okay to do since they don’t like the way this other lady is moving in on their territory. There’s a few apologies and tears at the end of the book, but I’m not sure that young readers will come away with the message that there are better ways to solve problems. How about having the adults in the story behave like grown-ups and discuss their issues with each other and maybe even decide to work together and help each other?
January 17, 2019
Very cute middle grades book with only a refreshingly small smattering of romance (& not the usual shenanigans). I quite liked Jessie, she has problems but she's taking care of them and finding her own way. I also really liked that all the adults in this book kinda sucked in a way that felt very realistic. Her Aunt is tough and overly critical, Monique is manipulative and kind of a jerk, Wes is a full on crazy person (who puts a teenage girl you've barely met in their car? crazy people & murderers that who), her uncle is a space cadet, & her dad has his own baggage to deal with. It really gave the story that air of preteen freedom that lets Jessie appear both super competent and completely lost. Also, I'm super impressed that a middle grade book has such a diverse way of looking at right and wrong. Jessie does some things that are absolutely not good, but the over arching story is not about 'good' wining over 'bad'. Everyone involved in the main plot is both being a jerk & being jerked around in various ways, & we get to see a little bit of all sides. It really works & makes the book surprisingly compelling.
Also there are cute dogs.
Absolutely recommended for Middle grade readers, especially if they have a fondness for dogs.
Also there are cute dogs.
Absolutely recommended for Middle grade readers, especially if they have a fondness for dogs.
March 18, 2020
Jessie's summer isn't looking so good since her cousin Anne isn't interested in hanging out with her anymore and she can't do anything right in Aunt Beatrice's eyes. What she really wants is a dog. Walking dogs with her cranky neighbor, Wes, may be as close as she can get. Wes isn't into kids and certainly doesn't want one hanging around all summer, but Jessie's persistence pays off. He tries to scare her off on the first day with a tough dog, but Jessie toughs it out. Wes is stuck with her.
When not walking dogs, Jessie is dealing with her cousin's annoying friend, Loralee, and her soccer friend Max, who Loralee wants to date. Jessie is having a hard time denying her own feelings for Max. Complicating things is Max's mom, Monique, who is stealing Wes' dog walking customers. Jessie convinces Wes that sabotage is the only way, and together they set out to ruin Monique's business.
It's a cute book, but there are so many books about dogs. This one has an ok plot, but it can't hold a candle to Barbara O'Connor, Leslie Connor, or Ann Martin's dog books.
When not walking dogs, Jessie is dealing with her cousin's annoying friend, Loralee, and her soccer friend Max, who Loralee wants to date. Jessie is having a hard time denying her own feelings for Max. Complicating things is Max's mom, Monique, who is stealing Wes' dog walking customers. Jessie convinces Wes that sabotage is the only way, and together they set out to ruin Monique's business.
It's a cute book, but there are so many books about dogs. This one has an ok plot, but it can't hold a candle to Barbara O'Connor, Leslie Connor, or Ann Martin's dog books.
August 3, 2021
Ever since Jessie's mother died, she has spent the summer with her aunt, uncle, and cousin, Ann. She and Ann have always had a lot in common until recently when Ann starts to go by Ann-Marie and she spends more and more time with her new friend, Lorilee. Because she is lonely, Jessie decides to help local dog walker, Wes, with his dog-walking business and learns there are lots of rules to learn in order to become a good dog-walker. Jessie realizes that those rules may be more difficult to learn than she originally thought when another local dog-walker starts to take over several of Wes's clients.
Rules of the Ruff is a cute story about growing up and accepting change. Some of the things that both Jessie and Wes do as sabotage seem pretty mean spirited and there are times in the story when Jessie is her own worst enemy, but overall, Rules of the Ruff is a good coming of age story with lots of cute dogs and valuable life lessons.
Rules of the Ruff is a cute story about growing up and accepting change. Some of the things that both Jessie and Wes do as sabotage seem pretty mean spirited and there are times in the story when Jessie is her own worst enemy, but overall, Rules of the Ruff is a good coming of age story with lots of cute dogs and valuable life lessons.
July 20, 2018
This is a story about Jessie who is unwillingly spending the summer with her cousin, her aunt, and her uncle, because her dad is busy working. She and her cousin have grown apart and her aunt feels a bit like Cinderella's stepmother. Jessie decides she wants to show how responsible she is, so she nags an older man in the neighborhood who has a dog walking business to show her how to walk dogs. There is some good advice about dog walking (and what's really important) but I felt like the characters were a bit flat-the aunt was hardly ever even pleasant to anyone and seemed obsessed with appearances, Wes, the dog walker, was always grumpy and sometimes downright mean, and Jessie was relentlessly cheerful. I think some kids are going to like it just because there is so much information about dogs.
April 22, 2020
I knew I'd like this book when I heard the title, RULES OF THE RUFF. It had to be about dogs, and I love dogs. Eleven-year-old Jessie is staying with her aunt and uncle during the summer, and not having a great time until she meets grumpy neighbor Wes, who happens to be a dog walker. Jessie becomes his assistant, and he teaches her the rules of the ruff. The author's vivid descriptions, wonderful pacing and solid voice make this a truly enjoyable book. Once I started reading, I didn't want to put the book down. And the twist at the end, I'll admit, left me in tears. Loved, loved, loved this story!
March 17, 2020
Jessie is a preteen who loves dogs. She wants to be a dog walker. Spending the summer with her Aunt and Uncle, Jessie finds she needs an outlet. She decides to walk dogs. How does she get started? What are the rules? Jessie learns from a cranky neighbor. Can there be two dog walkers in one community? Will it work? What would happen if she were stopped? Would the plan work? You want to read more about Jessie. What are the Rules of the Ruff? Are they only for dogs? I highly recommend this book.
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