BookBright
ABOUT THE BOOK
NO SPOILERSChance is a three-legged dog who has lived at the Dogtown animal shelter for almost a year, and unlike most of the dogs there, she has the run of the place instead of staying locked in a cage. Dogtown is full of ordinary dogs waiting to be adopted, plus a set of robot dogs the shelter took in years ago as a publicity stunt, and most of the real dogs cannot stand the metal ones. Then a strange, homemade robot dog named Metal Head arrives. He refuses to do any of the tricks that win over adopting families, reads an owner's manual instead of paying attention to visitors, and can somehow speak Dog. Chance figures he will be sent to the scrap heap within a week. Instead, Metal Head pulls her and her best friend Mouse into a risky plan to sneak out of Dogtown and find his way home, and Chance has to decide how far she is willing to go to help a dog she does not even like.
Free Battle of the Books questions for Dogtown
SPOILERSEvery one of these has the same answer, and that is the point. In a real battle the question is read aloud with a dozen other books in play, and students have a few seconds to place it. Here is what a battle might ask about Dogtown. Use them as a quiz, a trivia round, or BOTB practice.
Where in the book they come from
- Early in the book
In what book do the three of hearts and the three of spades appear stuck in a cage fence?
✓ Answer
Dogtown by Katherine Applegate and Gennifer Choldenko
Playing cards keep turning up on Chance's pen and the poker-playing staff decide she is a good luck charm. They give her the run of the building, and only Chance knows that Mouse is the one delivering the cards.
- First half
In what book does a boy keep saying the words after his reading buddy runs out of charge?
✓ Answer
Dogtown by Katherine Applegate and Gennifer Choldenko
Management forgot to plug Metal Head in, so his voice slows to a crawl after the seventh time through the book. Quinn has heard it so often that he finishes on his own, and that is the moment he starts matching sounds to letters.
- First half
In what book does a vain Irish setter join a protest only after a compliment about her looks?
✓ Answer
Dogtown by Katherine Applegate and Gennifer Choldenko
Dasha spends her days grooming herself and cannot even remember which dog Geraldine is. Chance swallows her temper and tells the setter she would win if the shelter ever held a contest, while Mouse pulls hard on her leg to keep her polite.
- Second half
In what book does a boy shout, "My name is James. Not Sweetie, Jimmy Poo, or Jammy face"?
✓ Answer
Dogtown by Katherine Applegate and Gennifer Choldenko
Hiding in the garage, Chance overhears Jimmy telling his mom that he is in middle school now and has outgrown his baby nicknames. In the same breath he tells her to get rid of the robot dog he used to read to for hours.
- Second half
In what book does an angry woman hurl a salami against the wall?
✓ Answer
Dogtown by Katherine Applegate and Gennifer Choldenko
The sitter and her boyfriend have a huge fight and the salami ends up rolling under the couch. Chance cannot resist the smell, and sneaking out to grab it gets her shoved outside into a freezing night.
- Near the end
In what book do two fish market workers joke about a dog who can read?
✓ Answer
Dogtown by Katherine Applegate and Gennifer Choldenko
Chance goes back alone for the picture book they left behind and is carrying it in her teeth when the market guys come out. One of them had just called her a lame dog, so she wags her tail at being upgraded to a dog who reads and has a mouse for a friend.
