Okay. This is my second attempt to post this blog. Yesterday’s attempt was unsuccessful. Why? I don’t know.
This is exciting stuff, so pay attention.
Recently, I noticed that there seems to be an epidemic of children’s books–of all types–about dogs. Sunday’s NYT Book Review section featured 8 books who major characters were dogs. Some were very serious; some funny.
Here are several titles that we recently acquired in this category. “Almost Home” by Joan Bauer is a serious book for readers ages 10 and up. It deals with a young girl from a troubled family who will face homelessness, groups homes, foster care, etc. Somewhere along the way, she acquires a dog, Shush, who travels with her on this physical and psychological journey.
“Lenore Finds a Friend” by Jon Katz is a picture book for ages 4-8. It is a follow-up to “Meet the Dogs From Bedlam Farm” told through animal photograph. Lenore is the last of five working dogs on the author’s upstate NY farm. The other dogs seem to be jealous of her, but eventually they become friends. A simple story with dogs showing humans how to act the right way.
Michael Morpurgo author of “War Horse” has written another animal story against the framework of another war. “Shadow” is set in present-day Afghanistan. Aman, fourteen years old, and his mother are barely surviving in an Afghan cave. Shadow appears seemingly out of nowhere just when the boy needs him the most. Eventually, Aman and his mother make it to England and are detained in Yarl’s Wood, an immigration removal center in the UK. This story blends the plight of war refugees and the very real connection between an owner and his pet.
A book that complements “Shadow” is “Dogs on Duty” by Dorothy Hinshaw Patent. This is a visual history of dogs on the battlefields of Europe, Asia, and the Middle East. The book details the training and experiences of real dogs from World War I to the present. Their stories and those of their handlers are both heroic and inspiring.