Author Jeff Pawlecki contacted me a while back, asking me to review his fun book for kids called The Three Terrier Tales on the Farm – Barking Up a New Adventure. He lives on a farm in Ohio, with family that includes people and several species of animals. The book is cute and pretty funny. If you know young readers who like terriers, it’s perfect for their bookshelves!
That tiny foster pug puppy from a few years ago came as a revelation. One of the things I love about fostering is getting the chance to experience breeds I’d never know otherwise. So, I felt pretty excited to read some books written by PD the Pug.
Don’t you love the idea of kids learning about dogs through reading? WT Kosmos asked me for a dog book for kids review for the first book in a planned series. It’s called Maya & Waggers – I have to scoop what? (ha ha) The truth is that I had a few issues with some things in the chapter book for kids ages 8 and up. Let’s clap for Kosmos who took my feedback and made revisions so that kids learn accurate (and safe) info about dogs and dog training, including how to teach sit and the dangers of dogs running loose. Yay! Let’s take a look at the book’s premise.
I got news today (Feb 19, 2024) that my fellow Colorado author and border collie lover Leland Dirks died recently. It’s such sad news, but I know that his beloved (late) border collie Angelo shepherded his crossing. As I often do upon the death of people I love and admire, I wrote a bit of a Leland Dirks tribute that I like to pretend he’d appreciate.
Are you sitting down? I’m going to recommend a mystery book series that repeatedly breaks my #1 rule about including debunked, outdated, and total BS dog training and behavior details. Shocker, I know. And, yet, these otherwise funny and engaging books have helped me survive a difficult year, and I adore them. FIVE STARS — Highly recommend. I traded emails with the author to share my angst over those mentions of alpha dogs and being pack leaders and other stuff, so they know where I stand. Why on earth am I writing this? Keep reading to find out what I enjoy these books in the Bought the Farm Series by Ellen Riggs (pssst … that’s a pen name).
Let’s get going with my Starter Dog book review. TL/DR Loved it. Perfect read for a long holiday weekend. Also, don’t miss the reason my copy of the book got chewed up.
Here’s another somewhat overdue book review of Queen of Second Chances by D.M. Barr. It’s a novel with a couple pivotal canine characters who help drive major plot points and excitement. Here’s what I liked about the book, thoughts on places younger readers might feel lost, and a few minor quibbles.
This book review of A Dog of Many Names by Douglas Green is so long overdue it’s comical. The book’s publicist first contacted me a year ago. The review copy arrived in March 2021 in advance of a July release date, but I didn’t get around to reading the book until Clover had minor surgery in October 2021. I took a walk on a local trail in town and then sat next to a creek to read until I got word I could pick her up. I nearly stopped reading the book several times for several reasons, but I did finish it in a single day. I tried contacting the publicist again in October with some questions / concerns, but I never heard back. Still, I think it’s worth discussion, so let’s get to it.
Donna Kelleher, DVM, is a holistic veterinarian who works in the Pacific Northwest of the United States. Her most recent book Zen and the Art of Caring for Pets chronicles her career path and challenges with the demands of the veterinary profession itself and the pressures (and annoyances) caused by clients. Over the years, she worked in emergency / critical care and even for a veterinary practice purchased by a corporation. The book addresses the high rate of suicide among veterinarians (that I talked about recently in the post about how not to get fired as a veterinary client). Kelleher offers keen insights into how she practices veterinary medicine today — from cancer cases to chronic allergies and beyond. The 2 of us agree in many things. Some things in the book, though, I disagree with, doubt, and bring a heavy dose of skepticism too. She knows that based on our private conversations via email and encouraged me to write a book review anyway. So here you go.
As a dog book reviewer, I maintain a short list of quirks — such as NOT liking books told from the dog’s point of view. So when J.G. Eastman asked me to look at Long Nose Legacy, A Dog’s Story of Royalty and Loyalty (a middle grade chapter book for kids ages 9-12) we shared a little back and forth about if I’d be annoyed by the narration in the book. Eastman explained, “It’s told in 3rd person, but the dogs do communicate with each other, and we hear their thoughts.” So, I gave it a try. Here are my thoughts.
