Some Fine Dog

Terry Riley, age 12, finds a smart, handsome collie that, after the boy's clever maneuvering, his indigent mother lets him keep. The dog mustn't interfere with Terry's obligations as a choir soloist, however--his key to a music scholarship and a better life. Yet when the boy discovers how quickly Duffy learns tricks, he decides that his time is better spent plotting the animal's show business career. But is this what Duffy wants? Sherlock ( Four of a Kind ) leans toward sentimental, boy-and-his-dog fare, as when Duffy saves Terry during a blizzard. The economic climate of an oppressed, albeit spirited mining town is acutely delineated, though, and the inhabitants' voices ring true. Despite a saccharine ending, this first-person narrative, steeped in the beliefs and rituals of Catholicism and deftly embodying rural America, is basically a solid and agreeable effort. Ages 8-12. (Apr.)