Absolutely Lucy by Ilene Cooper, Amanda Harvey (illustrator) Page B

was sitting at the kitchen table. The puppy bit at his shoe. “I have to find just the right name,” he told her.
    “But it’s been three days,” his mother said. “We can’t start training the puppy until we name her. What about Snoopy? The beagle in the Peanuts cartoon is named Snoopy.”
    Bobby shook his head. There was already one dog named Snoopy. Why have another one?
    Bobby wanted a name that was special.
    “How about Rover?” his mother asked as she started lunch. “Or King?”
    “She’s a girl, Mom,” Bobby said.
    “Right. Then what about Queenie? Or Princess?” Mrs. Quinn suggested.
    Bobby shook his head.
    Bobby’s father came into the kitchen. “I have a name,” he said.
    Bobby looked up.
    “Trey. It’s another word for three,” Mr. Quinn told Bobby. “The puppy has three colors. She’s mostly white, but she has streaks of brown and bits of black.”
    “Trey,” Bobby said. He looked into the puppy’s eyes. They were the color of dark chocolate. “Hi, Trey,” he called.
    The little beagle gave Bobby a funny look. “Nope,” Bobby said. “That’s not it.”

    His father sighed. “Well, try to come up with something pretty soon.”

    Bobby picked up his puppy and a library book about beagles. He went outside. The backyard had a fence around it, so the dog could not run away. He put his puppy down and looked through the book.
    Bobby had read this book three times since he checked it out of the library. He had learned a lot about beagles. He learned they were dogs that liked to run and chase. They could be wild. They were also dogs that liked to chew. This puppy had already chewed up the wrappings from Bobby’s presents.
    Bobby closed the book. He watched the dog as she ran around the yard. She was not a shy dog. She loved running up to people. She thought everyone was her friend.
    This puppy reminded him of his favorite babysitter, Lucy. Bobby was very sad when she moved away.
    Lucy was always happy to see him. She had lots of friends. Sometimes, she took Bobby to the park. They would see other children there. He would try to hide behind her. But Lucy would just whisper in his ear, “You are a great kid.” Then she would take him by the hand to meet the other children.
    Bobby didn’t feel so shy when he was with Lucy.
    Lucy. That would be a perfect name for the puppy. The dog was pretty like Lucy, and brave, and fun. Yes, he would name his beagle Lucy.
    Bobby tried it out. “Come here, Lucy.”
    Lucy stopped running.
    “Lucy, girl. Come here.”
    The puppy bounded over to Bobby. Bobby picked her up, and she started licking his face.
    “Okay. Okay.” Bobby laughed. “I get it. You like the name Lucy.”
    Lucy stopped licking. She looked right at Bobby and nodded her head. That’s what it looked like, anyway.
    “Wow, Lucy!” Bobby said. “You already know your name.”
    Was he lucky or what? Lucy was smart. Lucy was beautiful. Lucy could understand human talk. And most of all, Lucy liked him. Lucy wasn’t just the best dog in the world. She was his friend.

L ucy may have been the best dog in the world, but she wasn’t the easiest dog to live with.
    She liked to howl. She liked to run. She liked to chew. She LOVED to chew.
    One morning, Bobby’s mother asked, “Has anybody seen my slipper?”
    Bobby had seen it. It was at the foot of his bed. A brown, fleecy slipper all curled up in a ball, looking like a mouse. It made Bobby jump when he saw it.
    “I think Lucy got hold of your slipper,” Bobby told her.
    His mom sighed. “Puppies like to chew. I should have been more careful. From now on, let’s put the things she might like to chew out of sight.”
    The family tried. Mrs. Quinn gave Lucy her other slipper. “Chew away, Lucy,” she said. Then she moved the rest of her shoes to a shelf in the closet. She put her magazines on a table.
    Bobby tried to make sure his clothes were picked up. He didn’t always remember. He remembered better after Lucy chewed a hole