National Dog Day episode 4: My Favorite "Dog" Author - Jon Katz

In honor of National Dog Day, I'd like to share my favorite "dog" author. Jon Katz has actually written for decades about many non-dog topics, but I discovered him through his book The Dogs of Bedlam Farm. As a border collie lover, I instantly loved his tales of border collies and sheep and a city dweller learning to live on a farm. I've read most of his books by now, and I visit his blog several times a day. He often writes about his current dogs, Red and Fate, but just as often he writes about philosophy, humanity, animal rights and art. He is definitely an author worth reading, whether you are crazy about dogs or not.
Buy his books on Amazon here:  http://amzn.to/1JyW1SD
Visit his blog here: http://www.bedlamfarm.com
Follow him on Facebook here: https://www.facebook.com/authorjonkatz?fref=ts

Books for National Dog Day episode 3: A Book to Make You Laugh

Buy Dear Mrs. LaRue Here

My little boy loves to be read to.  He's a decent little reader now himself, but he still loves to grab a picture book and curl up for me to read to him.  One of his favorites features a silly dog named Ike, who is prone to exaggeration but is really a good dog at heart.  With funny illustrations showing both Ike's point of view and reality, I'll bet you AND your kids will laugh and the discrepancies.

The Dog Book I Refused to Read with My Daughter: Books for National Dog Day episode 2

Buy Love That Dog Here

When my oldest daughter was in third grade she brought this book to me.  I'd put it on her book shelf because I'd read it and loved it and thought she would, too, but I didn't guess she'd want me to read it to her.  When she handed it to me, I looked at the cover.  I flipped a few pages.  I thought about when I'd tried to read it to a class full of fourth graders and cried ugly tears through a good part of it.  I decided it would be better if I didn't read it aloud with her.  That's right, a book exists that I refused to read with my child.  (You can read a post I wrote at that time here.)

I really do love Love That Dog.  In fact, I'd put it in my top 25 animal books of all time.  (That's saying more than it might seem because I read and love a lot of animal books.)  But, it's weep inducing for a softie like me.  So, I recommend this book but it comes with a warning.  It's written in simple and sometimes lovely prose, but it will make you cry.  Not that there's anything wrong with crying, but you know...  You have been warned.

Books for National Dog Day episode 1

Today is National Dog Day so I thought I'd share some of my favorite dog books. First up is one I recently reread after we said goodbye to one of our border collies. This is a real tear jerker if your heart is already in a tender place, but it comforts me. I love the idea of a guardian angel taking care of my sweet dogs.

Click Here to Buy the Book

A few editorial reviews: 

"If you've never had a dog companion, this book will give you a picture of what it's like. It's like magic." -- The Oregonian, January 20, 1998

"The perfect way to remember the timeless connection children (and adults) forge with their special four-legged friends. Highly recommended." -- The Midwest Book Review

"This book is a must for everyone who has ever loved a dog. I can't recommend it highly enough." -- Susan Chernak McElroy, author of Animals as Teachers and Healers

"When the author lost her forever dog, Martha, the impact was devastating. This captures the poignant magic between the pair." -- The Seattle Times, November 22, 1998

"Whimsical language and pastel watercolors will mesmerize children of all ages." -- Dog Fancy Magazine, May 1999

Adults and children who have lost a dog will appreciate Davis' book for what it says: Although a dog passes away, it "can never really be separated from its forever person." The loving relationship between a person and a dog is forever. If you've never had a dog companion, this book will give you a picture of what it's like. It's like magic. Dog lovers will understand once they read this celebration of the special relationship between a person and a dog. It's a quick read, with less than 30 pages, but it's a book that can be read over and over. It evokes fond memories of those happy moments between a person and a dog. That alone will make the reader smile --Portland Oregonian, January 20, 1998

Book Review: The Tragedy Paper by Elizabeth Laban

I tried posting this on Goodreads, but it wouldn't save the whole review.  I guess my paragraph was just too long or something.  (Not really.  Sometimes that site is wonky...)  So, I'm posting my review here and I'll redirect anyone who is interested from there.  :D

Buy On Amazon

My review:  I picked this book at the library based on three factors - it was on a shelf of books nominated for a Beehive Book Award (best/favorite books in Utah), it had an interesting title, and good cover design.  ( Hey, I was there with my three kids, I didn't exactly have the luxury of pouring over each book, deciding which to choose for myself.) When I got home, I read the inside jacket and wondered what I'd been thinking.  A teen romance?!?!  Jennifer Weiner gave it a glowing review?!?!  I hate her books!  I did eventually open it and was surprised.  It wasn't terrible.  It was fairly well written. I liked the device of one boy telling another his tragic love story remotely, and the characters were okay for a teen romance.  However, it was a really slow read.  I had to force myself to finish it.  So, I didn't hate it but I won't rush to find another like it.

Mo Williams Wrote a Chapter Book!

You can preorder it here: http://goo.gl/qzAOkV

Raise your hand if you love Mo Willems! If you have a small person (child, not just a super short sibling or something) in your life, or just have a goofy sense of humor, I'm guessing you'll be excited about this - it's Mo Willem's first chapter book! Illustrated by Caldecott-honoree Tony DiTerlizzi, The Story of Diva and Flea will be coming to my home next November for sure!  

From the publisher: 
Diva, a small yet brave dog, and Flea, a curious streetwise cat, develop an unexpected friendship in this unforgettable tale of discovery.

For as long as she could remember, Diva lived at 11 avenue Le Play in Paris, France. For as long as he could remember, Flea also lived in Paris, France-but at no fixed address. When Flea flâneurs past Diva's courtyard one day, their lives are forever changed. Together, Diva and Flea explore and share their very different worlds, as only true friends can do.

Review: Jane Austen's Emma

I give Emma two of five stars because I reserve a one star rating for truly dreadful books like 50 Shades of Gray.  
Emma was not that bad.

 Before she began the novel, Austen wrote, "I am going to take a heroine whom no one but myself will much like."  Boy, she nailed that one.  Of all the uninteresting drivel... I've read IKEA directions with more compelling characters than the spoiled and manipulated Emma. This book has all the plot action of a flat EKG. I had a hard time getting in to Pride and Prejudice, but once I did I truly enjoyed it. I hoped it might be the same with Emma, so I kept trudging through. (It took more than a month to force myself to read this book.  Highly unusual for me.) Not once can I say I enjoyed this book.  Not once can I say I was charmed by the supposedly charming Emma, that I enjoyed her continued confusion and humiliation, nor did I enjoy any of the other "delightful" characters.  I found them quite flat.  I will not be in a hurry to read more Jane Austen.  

If you still want to read Emma for yourself, you can find it on Amazon: