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.