DOGS

 I really thought that this was a very nice story.  Most people tend to believe that cats and dogs can’t get along, but this story showed a more positive side to the situation.  Otis was the typical dog who got jealous of the new addition to the family.  This book could be especially read to younger children who are expecting a new baby in the family.  I liked the end of the story when Lucy describes Otis as her best friend.  This conveys the thought that dogs can be a person’s best friend. 
Harvey, A. Dog Days: Starring Otis. New York: Doubleday, 2003.

2.  The Stray Dog is a book about a family who decides to go on a picnic one Saturday afternoon.  In the middle of the picnic the family noticed that there was a little dog starring at them not too far away.  The two children started to play with the dog decided to call him Willy because he had no dog tags to identify his real name.  After the family picnic, the family went home and left the dog in the park because they thought for sure somebody owned him.  But all the family could do all week long was think about Willy.  When they went back to the park the following week they saw Willy racing by because a dogcatcher was after him.  The children quickly stopped the dogcatcher and told him that Willy was their dog.  From that point on, Willy had found a new and cozy home.  

What made this book even more special was that it was a true story.  The whole time I was reading it I pictured a real family in the park playing with a stray dog.  I always feel so sad when an animal is left behind, or doesn’t have a home to go to.  In my opinion, a dog is a family member no matter what.  This is a great book to introduce personal dog stories with students in a classroom, learning about dogs and pets.
Simont, M. The Stray Dog. New York: HarperCollins, 2001.

3.  A Dog of My Own is a story about two friends named Kelly and Ben, who run into Mr. Ackerman on their way to the farmers house to buy a new puppy.  Mr. Ackerman is in the middle of trying to get a loose dog out of the bushes so that he can take him to the pound for someone to buy.  Kelly and Ben decide to take the dog with them and create a home for it.  When they finally put a leash on the dog they were amazed that he was so scared.  When they finally got the dog home they decided to name him Duke.  They also noticed that Duke was very scared and always wanted to hide in a corner until one day when he started barking at a man coming to fix the fence.  After this point Ben and Kelly realized that Duke will always need a lot of love, patience, and care.   

This is definitely one of the sweetest children’s books I have ever read in my entire life.  The authors of the series called, Chicken Soup for the Soul, wrote this book.  I loved that this book conveyed the idea that dogs need a lot of love and care.  I would certainly recommend this book to anyone who has children of any age because it pulls your emotions into the book.  The illustrations of the dog really pull the reader in because of his lonely and scared look on his face.  This was an excellent book.  Canfield, J. & Hansen, Mark V. A Dog of My Own. Florida: Health Communications, 1998.

4.  Dog Breath is a story about a dog named Hally who lived with the Tosis family.  Hally was a kind, caring, wonderful dog the only thing was that she had the worst breathe in the world.  Mr. and Mrs. Tosis thought it would be best if they put Hally up for sale.  The two children hated this idea and tried everything they could to get rid of Hally’s bad breath but nothing worked.  The children thought that it could only take a miracle.  Later that night, two burglars were robbing the Tosis family.  As soon as the burglars stepped foot inside they were approached by little Hally.  Well, Hally runs over and gives the burglars a wet and smelly kiss that knocks them right out.  When the Tosis family woke up the next morning, the two burglars were still knocked out on the floor from the night before.  Ever since then, the Tosis family decided to keep Hally as their watchdog.

This is one of the cutest books I have ever read.  The pictures are bright and colorful and the wording is big enough for children to read themselves.  I also liked this book because it has a lot of hidden detail with the wording and pictures that many students find easy to point out.  I used this book with two of my second grade boys and they thought it was just the funniest book they had ever read. 
Pilkey, D. Dog Breath. New York: The Blue Sky Press, 1994.

5.  Dogzilla is similar to the story of Godzilla except this story involves a gigantic dog and little mice.  A large dog erupts out of a nearby volcano in Mousopolis.  All of the residents, who happen to be little mice, are scared out of their mind.  The mouse army was called in to try and scare the dog away but nothing seemed to work because Dogzilla was destroying everything in her path.  At the end of the story the mice figure out a way to defeat Dogzilla and send him back into the volcano.  

This is another hilarious story written by Dav Pilkey about animals.  His use of pictures and creative story line really make this book exciting and funny to read.  I loved this book just as much as his others because the pictures are actual photographs of real animals and the story line will make you smile throughout the entire story.  I think that boys and girls and even adults would enjoy this hysterical take on Godzilla. 
Pilkey, D. Dogzilla. San Diego: Harcourt Brace & Company, 1993.

6.  Muddy Four Paws is a story about two kids who discover a suitcase on the side of the road.  Little did they know a four-pawed unruly dog named Mud would be inside.  Clara takes Mud home with her, but her mother won’t allow her to keep him until she realizes that Mud has something in common with her son Benji.

This seems like it would be a really cute story for kids in the third or fourth grade.  This book would be appropriate for those students who are just starting to enjoy chapter books.  I would certainly recommend this book to anyone who is an animal lover. Ure, J. Muddy Four Paws. New York: Barron’s Educational Series, 1999.

7.  The Backward Bird Dog is a story about a dog named J.C. who starts living with his new family, but starts getting attacked by everyone.  The cat that also lives in the house has been smacking him on the nose.  Another dog who is biting his nose, and a mamma bird who starts attacking poor J.C. right where it hurts.  J.C. must figure out a way to point with his nose without everyone attacking him and making his family proud.  

This seems like it would also be a very interesting and humorous story for kids to read.  The plot would keep students interested and the level of reading would not frustrate students.  I also thought that the use of pictures in the story would help to grab the reader’s attention.  I would suggest this book to be read by students in the third or fourth grade.
Wallace, B. The Backward Bird Dog. New York: Pocket Books, 1997.

This is a sad yet wonderful story about a boy and his love for his dog.  This seems like one of the good old classic American novels geared towards young children.  This story will surely stir up your emotions and make you think about your morals and values in the world.  I would recommend reading this story as long as you had a tissue in hand.  Also, at the end of the newer books is a short chapter with pictures describing where Shiloh and Marty played and lived together.
Naylor, Phyllis R. Shiloh. New York: Aladdin Paperbacks, 2000.

9.  Where the Red Fern Grows is a wonderful tale about a boy and his two coon dogs named Dan and Ann.  Billy, the young boy decides to train his dogs and enter them into a hunting contest.  They win the hunting contest but not without a fight to the finish.

This is a fabulous story about a young boy and his dogs.  Where the Red Fern Grows is an exciting tale of love and adventure you’ll never forget.  Be prepared to shed a tear or two by the end of the novel if you are a true animal lover.
Rawls, W. Where the Red Fern Grows. New York: Bantam Doubleday Dell, 1961.

10.  My Life in Dog Years is a biography written by Gary Paulsen about his life over the years and his many dogs.  Each chapter is a story about one of his many dogs and their adventures together.  Some of the dogs he talks about are Cookie, the seld dog who saved his life; Snowball, the puppy he owned as a boy in the Philippines; Ike, his mysterious hunting companion; Dirk, the grim protector; and his true friend Josh, a brilliant border Collie working on Paulsen’s ranch today.

 After reading the beginning of this book and several reviews, I came up with the notion that Gary Paulsen is a true dog and animal lover.  Gary Paulsen is a fantastic writer of many other forms and has decided to share his passion for animals in this lovely book of stories.
Paulsen, G. My Life in Dog Years. New York: Bantam Doubleday Dell, 1998.

11.  Everything Dog is an informational book geared specifically toward kids.  This is a book written in question and answer form.  It is a book about what kids really want to know about dogs.  The book contains questions asked specifically by kids.  For example, how do dogs drink with their noses in the water?  Another question was, why do some dogs like riding in cars and others don’t?  

I would definitely recommend this book to any kids who want to know the answers to these regular questions about their dog.  This book would also be great for parents because sometimes parents don’t even know how to answer their child’s questions. Crisp, M. Everything Dog. Minnesota: Northword Press, 2003.

12.  The Complete Dog Book for Kids is a wonderful book of information regarding where most dogs come from.  This book is excellent because it gives you large pictures of the dogs, fun facts that most people would not know, and a map of where the dog is originally from.  If anyone was looking on information about a certain kind of dog this is definitely the book.

I would recommend this book to any student who was looking for information on their dog.  I would also suggest this book for parents to give to their children when looking to buy a dog.  This is a great way to interact with students about their family dogs.
American Kennel Club. The Complete Dog Book for Kids. New York: Howell Book House, 1996.

13.  Puppy Riddles is a book that is geared directly for kids.  It is a book with riddles on every page specifically about puppies and dogs.  The book gives the students the answers to the riddles and displays a colorful picture to go along with the jokes.

This is a great book for kids who love dogs and love to joke around.  Puppy riddles is harmless and contains beautifully colored pictures.  One of my favorites is why did the puppy jump into the river?  Because he wanted to chase the catfish!
        Hall, K. & Eisenberg, L. Puppy Riddles. New York: Dial Books, 1998.

14.  The Dog Who Walked with God is a tale about a person related to as God who needed a companion before setting to work.  He chose a dog as his companion and set out on the journey of finding a place to settle.  

This is a story about the northern California Kato creation with its haunting refrains and its exuberant naming of all Earth’s inhabitants.  
Rosen, M. The Dog Who Walked with God. Massacusetts: Candlewick Press, 1998.

15.  The Fables of Aesop is a book contained with a collection of fables about animals.  Several of the fables deal with dogs as the main character.  

I enjoyed reading some of the Aesop fables because they were short but cute.  They caught my attention and some of them brought back memories as a child.
Barnes-Murphy, F. The Fables of Aesop. New York: Lothrop, Lee & Shepard Books, 1994.