Book Review: Shelby's Story (middle school, dogs)

Shelby's Story: A Dog's Way Home Tale, by W. Bruce Cameron* (Scholastic, $16.99HB, 2020, 208pp, with study guide questions for ages 8-12, grades 3-7, one of 10 puppy tales) Review by Skye Anderson

Perhaps the best of the puppy novels, Shelby's Story is a bit different. Instead of taking one of the dogs in the A Dog's Purpose 'trilogy' and expanding (and repeating parts of) that puppy's life experiences, Shelby is a more real-to-life account of the life of Shelby, a shelter dog who becomes one of the three dogs (Bella*) to play the lead in A Dog's Way Home.

And the process of making this dog movie.

The movie that Shelby stars in was co-written (as was the book) by W. Bruce Cameron (and his wife) so Bruce plays a regular part in Shelby's book and, would you believe, Shelby thinks he is not the smartest brick on the wall! Can you imagine writing a book, writing the screenplay, and observing the filming of the movie - and having the freedom to make the author/screenwriter (you) look rather inept in the book about the filming: what fun you could have with making fun of yourself!

From Rags to Red Carpet**

Shelby, born to a breeder, escapes the backyard with her sister and has to live off the land. Then she finds herself in an animal shelter, then chosen by Trainer Teresa (and Bruce Cameron, writer, and Cathryn Michon, director) to be in a movie!

But mostly this is a book about the human-animal bond, as told by the canine (she 'gets' some things late and other things all wrong but they are all humorous), the bond between Shelby and Teresa. You will not learn much about the story of Bella except that she digs someone out from being buried in an avalanche and shares a meal with a Big Kitten (cougar?) but that alone may spur you on to reading the book, A Dog's Way Home, and seeing the movie.

Although I loved the relationship between Trainer Teresa and Canine Shelby, and though Cameron usually got the training method right - positive reinforcement - he did take some shortcuts that the trainer in me would never take, as with his other books.

*plus Cameron has written an entire puppy tale about Bella!

**Shelby, who makes the incredible journey from rescue to red carpet learns that "Bella" isn't her most important role. Shelby's most important role is being Teresa's dog! p108

Favorite Passages:

I knew about darkness It became dark every night in our yard, and sometimes a little cold. The thing to do with darkness was to cuddle close to someone warm and wait for it to go away. p25

People had ways I did not understand to fill up their pockets with treats. It was probably the best part of being a human person. p69

For a long time, the only job I had was filling my stomach. Now I had bowls of food every day, but even more important, I had Teresa and I had Training. I had work to do and a person to do it with. A dog needs both of those things. (forgot to write down the page number)

. . . Megan had come to be my first person, and she'd taken me to my pen with bowls of food and a roof overhead. There I wasn't hungry or lonely anymore. That had been a good place. But it wasn't a home.      I hadn't understood that then. But I knew it now.     My home was here, where I had a person and a pack and a job to do. Even when Teresa and I left to do Training in other places, we would always come back here. p186

Book Review: Gus (foster puppy, dog walking and training in middle school)

Gus, by Ellen Miles (Scholastic, $4.99, 2015, 96pp PB, ages 7-10, one of 71 titles in The Puppy Place series) Review by Skye Anderson

Two Intersecting Stories

A dog walker's club of four girls is in turmoil because all of them want to be president. 

A mom of one of the girls who is not a dog person - that is, until Gus arrives as an energetic foster puppy and, in order to decide who can adopt Gus, Lizzie, brother Charles and Baby Bean decide to have an essay contest to select the best family for Gus.

A surprise ending, which the astute girl (or boy) reader can guess. . . . 

Lizzie's Family Fosters

Lizzie's family has one puppy and fosters other puppies until they find the best forever home for them. But who appears on the scene but Gus who steals Mom's heart, surreptitiously. So, Houston, we have a problem. Can the family continue to foster dogs if they adopt Gus? Not likely plus they are in the process of selecting Gus' family even as we speak.

Author Ellen Miles tries to instill in the reader gentle, positive reward training tips and she succeeds to a certain extent, having written at least 40 books, among them the third in the Puppy Place series -  Shadow

and Rascal, number four in the Puppy Place series.

Book Review: Bailey's Story (middle school, dogs)

Bailey's Story: An Irresistible Tale of a Dog and His Boy, by W. Bruce Cameron* (Scholastic, $5.99PB, 2016, 208pp, with study guide questions for ages 8-12, grades 3-7) Review by Skye Anderson

In Bailey's Story, we meet Golden Retriever Bailey as a little pup, still with his litter. Through various adventures, he lands with his boy Ethan and tells us about his cat, his farm, and training his family to let him sleep with Ethan. And yet, even though Bailey has found his person, he asks himself why. What is his purpose in life?

Bailey is telling his story which is part of the book for older teens and adults (16 and up), A Dog's Purpose, reviewed here.

Author W. Bruce Cameron tells of the soul of a dog through four or five different dogs trying to discover his/her purpose in life with regards to humans, especially one boy (Ethan). Bailey's story comprises the majority of the book and seems to be condensed, rewritten or mostly taken verbatim from Purpose. This way, older siblings and parents can read about Bailey at the same time as middle-schoolers can read about him, then go on to Ellie and other puppies.

Each chapter in Bailey's book, though not titled, has the silhouette of a Golden, while chapters in Purpose have silhouettes of a puppy or a dog in a different position - all of which makes it fun to guess at the meaning of that chapter.

We read Purpose in a couple of days, followed by Bailey's story and surmised the above so it was hard to finish, knowing what was coming next, especially if it was a scary or sad incident. But, not to worry - all turns out best in the end. We think we may read the next Puppy Tale to see if we guessed Cameron's MO (modus operandi) correctly, and if we did, we may skip some or all of the others. After all, Cameron has plenty of great reads that we haven't read yet. However, this is still a great series for adults to read as their middle-schoolers read the puppy tales.

What Does Bailey Do?

Bailey takes care of his boy: notices when he is sad and nose bumps him for comfort. Bailey also loves games like Lick the Plate, This Ball is Mine, Tug on the Sock, and Rescue Me, and he really tries to understand humans and other animals. When Hannah brought over some brownies in a basket, Bailey ". . . sat down, trying hard to look as nice as possible so she'd hand the basket over to me." (p 105) And when winter finally comes to Michigan and Ethan goes sledding, Bailey writes, "I stared in astonishment. I never knew that the boy could move like that! Instead of walking or running, stiffly upright on two legs, he was zooming close to the ground. I tore down the hill after him, barking with excitement and surprise." (p 71-2)

*Another book in this series is Ellie's Story, reviewed here

Book Review: A Dog's Purpose: A Novel for Humans (dogs, movie)

A Dog's Purpose: A Novel for Humans, by W. Bruce Cameron (Tom Doherty, 2012, 335pp PB, $9.99, ages 16 and up) Part 1* of 3. Review by Skye Anderson

Every Dog Happens for a Reason

Everyone now knows this classic movie but have you read the book?** It is just as good, albeit a bit bittersweet. Your teens will read A Dog's Purpose at night rather than watching a movie on Netflix. I promise. It's that good!

As we age, whether we are college-age or more the age of  our grandparents, we wonder what our purpose in life is. So do dogs. And A Dog's Purpose tells the story of one dog who discovers his purpose in life. Several times, as he (she) ventures into different bodies but always the same wonderful soul and man's best friend (or a boy's best friend).

A Good Boy

Written from the dog's point of view, nearly everything makes sense and human teens can surmise what is happening and why, while the dog can't always. Little readers, not so much either. Even the sad parts are made sweet by the mind pictures of the relationship between Bailey Dog and Ethan Boy as they both grow up. 

And Funny!

Downright funny in places ("We all barked jealously . . . and then we barked because we were barking." p.36) and sweetly sensitive in others ("I sat down, looking as attractive as possible so she'd  hand over what was in her basket." p107). And if you can read only one chapter to start with, read Chapter 9, in which Bailey learns a lot but mostly what not to do.

But try reading A Dog's  Purpose with dry eyes, even if you know the story - the writing is so magical - the boy needs his dog and Bailey knows it. You will  not be able to put this book down, a new classic.

Mostly Bailey is a Good Dog, but, as a puppy he wasn't always, until he learned what he was supposed to do. 

Toby with his short life, Bailey helping Ethan grow up, Ellie whose job is in SAR with two handlers util he injured his nose on a search and had to be re-careered, and finally - Buddy.

If this book doesn't make you want to hug your dog (or get a dog) then I'm not a book reviewer!

----------------------------------------

* part 2 is A Dog's Journey, part 3 is A Dog's Promise, though the author doesn't refer to the trilogy as sequels but rather a continuation

** with study guides for most of his books (for intermediate and secondary grades, some of which are 66 pages), you know they are stories to keep and re-read. A few even come with activity kits.

Other Cameron dog books reviewed here:

Ellie's Story

The Dogs of Christmas

A Dog's Perfect Christmas

Book Review: Vets and Pets (veterans)

Vets and Pets: Wounded Warriors and the Animals that Help Them Heal, by Dava Guerin and Kevin Ferris (Skyhorse Publishing, $21.99, 232pp HB, 2017)

All the Vets and Pets stories are about pets (and vets) but some of the animals are more than pets: they are service dogs. . . .

The first half of the book features service members and their dogs (all branches are represented eventually- combat tours and not) while the second half focuses in on other animals, a rare book to do so but stories we should be aware of.

We loved the chapter titles many of which reflected the branch of service and a quote about the relationship with their pet: Chapter 5, The Army Captain, Isaac Has Been Waiting for His Special Person

The Writers

Authors Dava Guerin and Kevin Ferris are experienced authors and also experienced at working together on a book. However, each chapter appears to have been written by committee in that, though it will progress chronologically for the most part, it really seems to jump around too much. This has helped us to decide not to read other books by the same authors. For example, it seems we are reading about a relationship rather than experiencing it.

The astute reader might do well to skip Chapter 16, the final chapter. Its purpose is to summarize how to be a good animal caretaker but the veterinarian who spends a few pages on training mixes up positive reinforcement training and traditional force-based methods.

Simply the Best!

However, Chapter 8, "The Navy Dog Handler," is almost the best chapter this reviewer has ever read that describes the close bond between dog and human.

And The Other Half

Cats and birds of prey and horses and pigs! All can help veterans just as veterans can help rescued animals be they cats or birds of prey or horses or pigs. Pets for Patriots* is an organization that works with animal shelters and veterans who want pets, though a couple of other rescues are mentioned (TADSAW for one). 

Veterans can also spend a couple of weeks at or volunteer at an animal sanctuary: both benefit.

And The Theme is. . . .

They don't have to be dogs, though: this is perhaps the theme of Vets and Pets. We think of dogs first because they are the first animals we think of when we think of service animals plus they are often cuddly which can be important for veterans who don't have family or close friends but mucking out horse stalls and riding horses who don't cuddle can be just as healing.

*and our local (Maryland) service dog organization for veterans merits a mention also, in the first chapter - Canine Warrior Connection and its veteran founder, Rick Yount

Book Review: Tales of Al, the Water Rescue Dog: The Making of a Super Athlete (dog lifesavers)

Tales of Al, the Water Rescue Dog: The Making of a Super Athlete, by Lynne Cox (Knopf, 2022, 224pp HB, $27) Review by Skye Anderson

I've had this book for a while. It's a fairly small book so I thought I could get through it quickly, between reading the hard stuff that I am required to read. I did, but, rather than passing it on like I do many of the books I review, I first started memorizing the page numbers with quotes to remember but when that list became too long, I resorted to dogearing (no pun intended) the lower right corner of a page and when I had too many of those, I broke down and started to highlight: that meant I was going to keep the book. And I only keep the really good ones that I want to read again.

Tales of Al is a lovely read about an Italian school for 'lifesaver dogs' that are known world-wide via Youtube. Just google on Italian, water dog, lifeguard, lifesaver or even Croatian water dogs.

A really good book is one whose review I start writing before I have finished reading it. Tales of Al is one such book.

Al is a big dog, an Italian water dog* who is being trained to drop out of helicopters and offer himself  to a panicky swimmer to hold on to and then swim the human to shore. The training is long - many months, but these special dogs love the water and, when certified, also love their jobs. They swim out to struggling swimmers, then circle them until the swimmer grabs onto a handle on their canine life jacket. Some dogs can even tow multiple swimmers into shore at the same time.

The Book and the Author

You will learn as much about the scrumptious Italian cooking as about the dogs' training.  In short, the author ventures over to Italy to observe the dogs' training to become lifesavers, but especially a Newfie named Al. It is hit or miss for most of the book though since Al is too exuberant at times. Will he pass the final exams or will he have to spend another year in training?

Author  Lynne Cox is a long distance swimmer and motivational speaker with a lovely writing style. I can't wait to read Grayson about her adventure swimming with a lost baby whale.

*Other breeds in this profession often include golden retrievers and labrador retrievers for their love of the water and calm dispositions

Book Review: The Girls of Skylark Lane (YA) (twins and friends, and a pet rat)(OT)

The Girls of Skylark Lane, by Robin Benway (Harper Collins, 272ppHB, ages 8-12, grades 3-7, $19.99, 2024) Review by Skye Anderson

Off to a slow start, but keep with it: it will be worth finishing! And, after a couple of mentions (hints), the crisis at the end was not a surprise, but how a couple of the characters deal with it is rewarding. It is also surprising to the extent the plot accelerates perhaps too fast towards the end.

Skylark Lane? You've got to be kidding! That sounds like a book for teen girls in the 30s or 40s but the social situations are certainly 21st century issues. 

Modern Day Plots and Characters

We have middle-school twin girls (and the chapters alternate), one of whom is growing apart from the other because she is growing up faster. We also have a friend whose father passed away last year so she lives with her grandmother, we have a girl whose parents are separated, a girl whose parents are divorced, a girl whose mother is a TV star, a little sister, parents of the same sex, a girl who makes a mint selling lemonade, a cute boy, adoption - what more could you ask for in a modern-day novel for pre-teens? But, not to worry: it is not too much (for most of the book).

The neighborhood girls have a softball team and practice every day. So far, no games though.

The twins and their dads have just moved to a 'burb of LA and one of them is being bullied. They have separate bedrooms (a great idea!) and I love those names - Agapanthus (Aggie) and Jacaranda (Jac). They definitely are besties and their dads are to die for. One is Dad and the other is Papa, together making the Dads. 

And Don't Forget the Plots!

It's all about an unusual family that you will grow to love. It's all about the usual twins-growing-up and -apart crises - being cranky, is one of them. Stubborn, another.

At the end, you will hope that this is the first of a series!

Book Review: Christmas Cats (children's book, cats gone wild!)

Christmas Cats, by Amy Pulliam (BookLogix Kids, ages 4 and up, $24.99, 2024) Review by Skye Anderson

For Cat Lovers - And Dog People, too!

Author Amy Pulliam knows cats! She is also the author of Cooped Up Cats: she has penned a couple of really fun and funny books. 

Who knew cats could be so much fun? Of course, illustrator Vince Ortiz has a lot to do with the feline antics: each page has so much to see and talk about!

The Plot

Mo is a Sphinx cat, hairless, who lives with a real life scaredy cat, Tiger, with the scary name. They realize it is almost Christmas and that means the cousin cats will come for a visit and bring their chaos-causing Duke with them. Then, who appears but Dog Pippin who is caught by the cat traps the cousins set. The crashes and other wild antics depicted in water color will keep your interest no matter what your age as you spend tons of time on each page with all the activity and plays on words.

I can't wait to read Cooped Up Cats! Do you think the inside front cover will have Meow's while the inside back covers have Meow's and Woof's like Christmas Cats?

Book Review: The Girl Who Cried for the Earth: A Story of Hope, Healing & Possibilities (OT)

The Girl Who Cried for the Earth: A Story of Hope, Healing & Possibilities, by Bodhi Simpson (2nd Tier Publishing, 2024, 68ppHB, ages 8-18, $19.99) Review by Skye Anderson

Can you tell a book by its cover? Sometimes yes, sometimes no, but it is the first clue you have and whether or not the book will draw you in is often foreseen by its cover. This cover is highly symbolic and fairly pessimistic as far as the illustration goes so, thankfully, the subtitle resurrects it, along with the calming blues and greens - and the flowers.

A young girl is in love with the world and all its beauty but as she grows up she notices the pollution, the waste, and many other facets of life that are negative.

As she falls asleep one night, the jaguar, the owl, the buffalo, the earth, and the dove, are beings that the girl encounters in her dreams and she wakes up refreshed with ideas of how to help the earth and its inhabitants heal and grow in peace and beauty. Several pages in the back are devoted to cognitive thinking and imaging exercises and projects to do to accomplish leaving our earth a better place than we found it. Inspirational, creative visualization will help the reader not only help others but help the earth as well. These words of wisdom will give you inner peace, as found through the poetic words and meaningful illustrations.

Book Review: The Crocodile Choir (OT)(Sing, crocodile, sing!)

The Crocodile Choir, by Nico Altamirano (MaoMao House, 2024, 56ppPB, $11.99, ages up to 10 years) Review by Skye Anderson

Cody is the cutest little crocodile you ever did see but he has a problem - he is not like the other crocodiles: Cody wants to sing! The other crocodiles say, "That's not what we do."

So Cody floats on down the Nile, searching for someone to sing with that he doesn't scare off because he's a crocodile, albeit a cute one. 

What would you do if a friend rebuffs you? Would you turn the other cheek and believe you could find another friend? That's what Cody did - he found a whole chorus of jungle animals singing away but when he wanted to join them, he heard, "That's not what you do."

So it happened again. And that chorus of elephants and zebras and giraffes and hippos and lions and monkeys were so cute!

But poor Cody! Would he ever find some animal friends to sing with? What do you think?

Singing is like a lion roaring or a bird soaring or a monkey jiving and hooping and hollering - because that's what they do.  But what does a crocodile do other than take naps and float? Does everyone have a special gift? Read The Crocodile Choir to find out!

Book Review: Tomas Returns to School (OT)(children's book)

Tomas Returns to School, by Xiomara Gallego-Bernard (The Inspired Fit Mama, $14.99, 5-8 years, 36ppHB) Review by Skye Anderson

It is almost the end of vacation and of trips to the zoo and of playing with friends for Tomas, a sensitive boy about to enter first grade for the first time (last year he went to kindergarten which had small classes with his friends). He has a lot of questions for his mom, being scared and nervous but she knows exactly what to say. 

What if. . . ?

He will have a new teacher and will meet new kids and worries about so many new things. His mom knows what to do and even has a new idea for him to try. 

They talk it out and practice breathing exercises. Mom tells Tomas that she felt the same way when she went to school for the first time but she has faith in Tomas and he will succeed and even have fun.

Sensitivity is a Superpower!

And he did. But what really helped him was helping another boy be brave on his first day. They shared the breathing exercises and, as it turned out, became best friends. 

Tomas found out that he, a sensitive boy, does have a superpower!

Book Review: On Safari to See the Animals and the Birds (OT)(guess the zoo animal/bird)

On Safari to See the Animals and the Birds, by Sandy Hill (Independently published, $11.99, 2018, 36ppPB) Review by Skye Anderson

On Safari to See the Animals and the Birds is a fun and challenging learning experience not only for kids but also for parents and families - and big kids, too!

Eight animal photographs that the author took appear along with cute cartoon animals and plants - each one to a page along with a page of their footprints (tracks), asking you to guess their identity.

A page full of interesting facts about an animal leads you to guess who it is before you turn the page to find the answer - a whole page devoted to the animal (bird) plus another with its tracks. Then, on to the next. 

Many animals and birds are too difficult to guess correctly so this book serves to educate: the more you read and participate, the more you learn.

And there are blank pages for you to draw animals or their tracks - or yours!

This is a book to take with you!

A family of raccoons, a male peacock in bloom, owls with spectacles, tigers with stripes all help you learn how to tell a cat-like animal from a bird from a dog-like animal.

Book Review: Leyni's God Adventure (OT)(a wish come true - to help others)

Leyni's God Adventure, by Sandy Hill (Create Space, 2018, $11.99, 28ppPB) Review by Skye Anderson

Do you remember your dreams from when you were five years old? Did you want to be an astronaut, a cowboy, a superathlete, or did you want to save the world, teach the world, feed the world, cure the world? Dreams of saving the world by feeding all the children, by building enough schools and clinics for all the little children of the world?

What did your parents say when you told them? Chances are that they smiled and changed the subject, right? But what if you really wanted to do what God talks about? What would you have given if your parents had listened, really listened, and then helped make your wish come true? 

It happened to Leyni! 

Her wish was to give food and water to the poor. So, her parents, brother and sister, and grandparents Poppy and Grammy helped think of ideas to make money and they loved one idea. So they all set to work and the proceeds came in by the bushels full! Soon they had enough money for a water well in Sudan!

And Then, . . . 

Leyni had another great idea! To buy animals like chickens who lay eggs and sheep to provide wool. And that sounds like another book!

Bonus: Just like Heaven, Just Believe, Leyni's God Adventure also comes in a DIY version, with no pictures so the young reader can read, imagine the pictures and then draw the pictures themselves. How cool is that?