Elvis and the Underdogs audiobook

I think the description of this book being a cross between Wonder & Wimpy Kid is a bit shallow. It is a unique book with a unique voice and quirky-but-lovable fully drawn characters. I would have given it 5 stars if it was a bit shorter and didn't have the once used phrase of "bat-poop crazy." Being a teacher, I never like when bullying is not stopped by adults in a story but there was more to it in this book and it left me satisfied. For a book about a talking dog, the characters seemed very real!

I really enjoyed this book and it was a fast read. My only complaint is that the two non-white characters are awefully stereotypical. Taisy if a super athletic African American girl, like the best athlete in the school, and Alexander is a nerdy, musical prodegy, Asian American with parents who are only concerned about his academics.

Elvis and the Underdogs (Elvis and the Underdogs #1) by Jenny Lee, Kelly Light (Illustrations)Juvenile fictionMay 14, 2013Balzer + BrayGoodreads | Amazon | WebsiteSCORECARDEntertainment level: A+Service dog representation: B-In the tradition of funny and heartwarming bestsellers like Wonder and the Diary of a Wimpy Kid books, this is the story of a sickly boy whose life is turned upside down when he gets a therapy dog…who can talk!Benji Wendell Barnsworth is a small ten-year-old boy with a big personality. Born premature, Benji is sickly, accident prone, and at the hospital so often he even has his own punch card. That is, until the day Benji wakes up from a particularly bad spell. Concerned for Benji’s health, the doctor offers him two options: wear the world’s ugliest padded helmet or get a therapy dog. Benji chooses the dog, of course.But when a massive crate arrives at Benji’s house, out walks a two-hundred-pound Newfoundland. And that isn’t even the strangest thing about the dog. He announces that his name is Parker Elvis Pembroke IV. That’s right, this dog can talk! And boy, is he bossy.Having a bossy dog can come in handy, though. Elvis brings out the dog lover in the most surprising people and shows Benji that making new friends may not be as scary as he once thought. *~*This week on the blog, I interviewed Shadow the Seizure Response Dog Guide and he very eloquently explained exactly what his job entails. So being a former elementary school reading buddy, I was curious. How does his reality translate into fiction? I hopped online to browse my local library’s overdrive collection and was pleased to discover a dog who seemed to have a similar job.Readers, meet Elvis. He’s a massive Newfoundland dog who helps his 10-year-old handler Benji with his new diagnosis of idiopathic epilepsy. He’s funny, well-meaning and a little over-confident. And did I mention that he has a very prim and proper British accent? It’s official. I’m a FAN of Elvis. His initial meeting with Benji had me huffing with laughter. “Hi, doggy. My name is Benji. What’s your name, huh?”The dog opened his mouth again. I thought he was going to lick the other half of my face, but instead he said, “Very nice to meet you, Benji. My name is Parker Elvis Pembroke IV. You may call me Parker Elvis Pembroke. Or Mr. Pembroke, if you prefer.” …He really spoke his words very clearly for a dog. In fact, he sounded like those boring Shakespeare movies that my dad watches on the BBC or a butler on a TV show. If there’s anyone in need of a dog, it’s Benji. He spends more time in the hospital than he does in school, and in many ways, his prolonged absences and his health issues leave him isolated from his peers and vulnerable to the machinations of Billy the 4th grade bully. Like any other 4th grader, Benji yearns to belong and to be just like everyone else. There was that word again, “special”. What I wouldn’t give to just be regular. Benji starts out wanting to blend in, fearing the qualities that make him unique. He believes that his otherness – really, his chronic illness – is the reason why he doesn’t have any friends and why his mom is so overprotective of him. It takes his service dog Elvis to point out that what he really needs is to “find a pack”, a group of friends who look out for one another and aren’t afraid to be themselves.With Elvis’ encouragement, Benji does just that. He befriends the new kid at school who is also a target for bullying and the very tall, very athletic girl in his grade who I think he secretly has a crush on. Together, with Alexander, Taisy and Elvis, Benji is able to confront his bully, who has secrets of his own.Overall, this story amused me, moved me and has me recommending it to elementary-school aged children – with one caveat. I have some reservations about the service dog representation in this novel. But let’s start with what author Jenny Lee got right.THE GOOD1) She explains that service dogs help individuals with a wide range of disabilities. Service dogs have lots of skills, and they help a lot of different people. There are service dogs for people who are blind or deaf, for people who have seizures, for people unable to walk. 2) She outlines service dog training. Dr. Helen described the farm [where service dog Elvis was trained] like a college for dogs. A lot of dogs go, but only a few ever graduate. Some dogs train for more than two years. 3)She gives a specific example of a fetching task performed by a service dog. “I didn’t offer [Elvis] three bags – he actually grabbed three bags on his own and put them by me at the register when I was getting my coffee. It really was quite remarkable.” 4)She highlights that service dogs have a high level of empathy when their handler experiences heightened emotions. … [Elvis] placed his nose under my left arm and tossed his head so that my hand landed on top of his head, making me pet him. 5) She gives a great example of an activity that many service-dogs-in training participate in as puppies, myself included. Elvis said that Lola Beth had some learning disabilities and had a very hard time learning to read. One of her therapists suggested she should try reading to a dog, because that would offer her a sense of purpose but at the same time she didn’t have to worry about the dog judging her if she made any mistakes. 6) She explains service dog etiquette for the public. “Technically, [Elvis is] not supposed to let anyone hug, pet, kiss, or baby-talk [him] when [he’s] working …” 7) She explains the main job of a seizure response service dog.Here: The dogs know when an episode is about to come on, and they know exactly how to get the person to safety, and to also call for help. And here: “My mom says that dogs who have this sort of training are able to sense it before I have a seizure, and then they make sure I’m in a safe location in case I fall down. They also know how to call for help.” 8) She explains service dog public access laws. “Well, Benjamin, of course if you had a service dog for medical purposes, it would be allowed in the school because state law mandates that.” THE GNARLYJenny Lee probably took some (liberal) artistic license, which is understandable because this is children’s fiction.1) She uses the terms “therapy dog” and “service dog” interchangeably, though this could be because it’s Benji doing the talking and the narrating… And he’s a kid. For interested readers, I explained the difference between a therapy dog and service dog in my post here .Here: “… if I had a therapy service dog, would I be allowed to bring him to school?” And here: Dr. Helen told us therapy dogs are used for people with epilepsy or other brain disorders. 2) Although she later has Elvis explain proper service dog etiquette, she starts off with a bad example. “Now who is this handsome big fellow?” [Dr. Helen] asked, leaning down to pet Elvis. 3) Elvis the service dog barks – and it isn’t on command, which is a specific skill to call for help. Elvis answered my mom with a short bark. 4)She significantly shortens the wait time for a service dog – 2 weeks! – though this is explained away as a favor to Benji’s doctor. The wait time is 1-3 years, sometimes longer depending on the program.5)There’s no team training where Benji learns how to work with Elvis. Usually, new handlers are invited to “service dog school” where they bond with their new service dog and learn how to work together as a well-oiled machine. But somehow, Benji and Elvis go to school together immediately, and as some parents will tell you, the process of bringing a student’s service dog with them to school isn’t so straightforward…That being said, don’t let these contradictory points dissuade you from reading this book or recommending it to a child you know. They’re a great opportunity to open up a discussion about service dogs. And I have to hand it to her, Jenny Lee really tried to get it right, while writing an entertaining story for children.This is the first book in the series, and it has a bit of a bittersweet ending. I’m hooked, though, and I want to find out the rest of Benji and Elvis’ adventures.

This book is about a kid named Benji he is in fourth grade. He was born with something that makes him faint so he has to go to the hospital a lot. One day he went to the hospital after fainting in school the docotor couldnt figuar out what caused this to happen. So it came down to two things for Benji either to get a huge helment or a service dog. Benji did not want the helment but his mom didnt like the idea of a dog she said no at first but finally softened up to the fact. Benji got a dog named Elvis he could talk. He told Benji he was the presidents dog and that there was a mistake read the book to find out what happens next. I enjoye the book a lot. It is definetly one of my favorite book so I highly recomend it. There is a lot of ups and downs but it is a great book over all. I am the kind of person who gets board in a book very fast and never likes to finish one, but I couldnt set this book down.

This was actually, really good...I realize I'm a little bit past the age of the intended target audience, but a well written, entertaining book is something for every age. I don't mind my MC being younger than me, so I enjoy many more books than I would if they were all my age and older. That being said, Elvis was an amazing character. His relationships with with he other characters were hilarious. The MC was also a fleshed out character, a 10 year old who had go deal with constant illness or being in the hospital and how he was able to make some friends with the help of his dog. There's also a second one! So let's see how that goes.

This book is so cute. It's a fast and easy read (A little too fast. I wanted it to keep going!) that keeps you rooting for the hero. It's about a boy named Benji, who describes himself as being known for his "winning sense of humor." As he is funny. He has lots of medical issues so he gets a service dog who, well, speaks English. I hadn't read the description before reading the book, so the talking dog was a bit of a shock. The best part is the the dog, Elvis, is so proper. At one point he reprimand Benji on his bad posture.Definitely a recommended read.

Message learned: Everyone needs a pack.Love love love this book! From the first chapter, the kids were enthralled. I didn't know anything going into it, but I then read the insert and found out the secret about Elvis. The kids were shocked when the secret was revealed.This was written in such a perfect tone. You really felt as though Benji was right there with you. Kudos to the author! The whole thing, even the bittersweet ending, was *chef's kiss* perfect.

I fun romp in every sense of the word. This is a book I read for the Battle of the Books elementary school version (2020). It touches on various common children’s themes- friendship, bullying, and finding your (own) way, and adds in elements of compassion, medical issues, and overcoming obstacles.

A ten-year-old boy, Benji, has lots of health problems due to his premature birth. Life changes a lot when he gets a therapy dog. Then life changes even more! A really cute book that would appeal to kids in approximately Gr. 2-4.

Mrs. Price’s 2nd graders say: Some of us say this is the best book we have ever read. We think it’s hilarious, and Elvis and Benji are definitely 2 of our favorite characters! Great book!

Very cute and deals with several issues elementary students deal with. RWB didn’t want me to stop reading every night!

The book gives you a lot of life lessons and it shows frendship.

I loved it!!!!

Very cute and sweet book! Funny adventures!!

I loved this book, Benji and Elvis have a good relationship and would recommend to book groups specifically.

It was HILARIOUS! I loved it and I am super excited to read the next one.

Enjoyed reading this as a book club with my 4th grade son. The characters are engaging, quirky and storyline unique.

B+. fiction, children's fiction, upper elementary, humor, friendship, disabilities