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FICTION
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A Dog's Life: The Autobiography of a Stray (Ann M. Martin)
Squirrel tells her story, from puppyhood with her (stray) mother, and brother Bone to her old age, when she finally got a nice home to live, after years struggling for food, shelter and companionship.
Publisher: Scholastic Inc. (2005)
After moving to Provence, France, English writer Peter Mayle wrote three successful books — A Year in Provence (1990), Hotel Pastis (1993), and Toujours Provence (1991) — and adopted, with his wife, a wanderer dog.
It turned out to be that the dog, named Boy, was a bit of a philosopher himself and so he decided that he, too, should write a book, to tell his life experiences and share his wisdom.
In A Dog's Life, Boy recollects (digressing every now and then) his tough beginnings with his 12 siblings, his abandonment by his mother and later by his unpleasant owner, and his wanderings through the Provençal countryside until his adoption by the Mayles — which, of course, was a good thing, but, as always, came with some unpleasantness.
With drawings by cartoonist Edward Koren.
Obs.: Cats, Poodles, Corgis, short-legged dogs in general, and babies can be offended by this book.
Obs.²: Boy likes to play with litte balls, just like Anton!
Publisher: Vintage (1996)
A Dog's Purpose (W. Bruce Cameron)
A Dog's Journey
This book by humor columnist W. Bruce Cameron tells the story of a dog who keeps coming back to this Earth again and again, and asks himself why this is happening to him. Does he have a mission to fulfill? First, he is a mutt, whose life is very short. Soon, he is a Labrador Retriever called Bailey and has a young master, Ethan, who he loves to no end, calling him "his boy". Next, he is Ellie, a working dog; he then believes his mission is complete. How wrong he is! He is born one last time, as Buddy, and only then his mission becomes clear to him.
A Dog's Purpose is to become a movie: "DreamWorks has picked up the rights to W. Bruce Cameron's novel with plans to turn it into a live-action film. 'I saw this as a movie virtually from the time the idea showed up whole cloth in my head,' says the writer, whose previous book 8 Simple Rules for Dating My Teenage Daughter was turned into the John Ritter sitcom. He says he hopes for 'an uplifting movie, a movie about joy and purpose and redemption.' source
Sequel
Buddy is a good dog. After searching for his purpose through several eventful lives, Buddy is sure that he has found and fulfilled it. Yet as he watches curious baby Clarity get into dangerous mischief, he is certain that this little girl is very much in need of a dog of her own. When Buddy is reborn, he realizes that he has a new destiny. He's overjoyed when he is adopted by Clarity, now a vibrant but troubled teenager. When they are suddenly separated, Buddy despairs―who will take care of his girl? source
Publisher: Forge Books (2010)
Publisher: Forge Books (2017)
An Unexpected Grace (Kristin von Kreisler)
"Lila Elliot knows she's lucky. A shooting rampage at her office left several colleagues dead and others seriously wounded. Lila's injuries will heal in time. Yet though she gratefully retreats to her best friend's house to recuperate, Lila can't quite move past her fear and anger. Being drafted into caring for Grace - a shaggy, formerly abused golden retriever--only adds to her stress. Lila has been terrified of dogs since childhood. But Grace, like Lila, needs time and space to recover. Grace keeps her distance, sensing Lila's wariness, and only perks up for Adam, the neighbour who rescued her. Though struggling to make sense of her recent tragedy, Lila, an accomplished artist, begins to see beauty in Grace's wisps of fur and haunted eyes. As Adam points out, Grace, too, has suffered through no fault of her own. And in helping Grace to trust, Lila is being gently nudged toward the courage she needs to do the same."
Publisher: Kensington (2013)
Beautiful Joe's Paradise or The Island of Brotherly Love (Margaret Marshall Saunders)Sequel to the best-seller Beautiful Joe. After dying, Beautiful Joe goes to The Island of Brotherly Love, a magical place without human beings, where animals live in harmony. There, all injuries are forgotten. But the place is about to get a human visit... a boy who has just lost his beloved dog.
Publisher: Grosset & Dunlap
Boomer's Bucket List (Sue Pethick)
"When her cuddly canine companion Boomer is diagnosed with a rare heart condition, Jennifer Westbrook decides to take a leave of absence from her busy PR job—and take Boomer on the greatest road trip of his life. Charting a course from Chicago to California, Jennifer plans some pet-friendly pit stops for her four-legged friend, including a dog show, a fire hydrant museum, and a factory full of squeaky toys. But when she tries to sneak Boomer into a NASCAR press box—disguised as her seeing-eye dog—Jennifer’s cover is blown by a curious, but very cute reporter named Nathan Koslow. Boomer takes an instant shine to Nathan, unlike the other men in Jennifer’s life. When the charming journalist asks to join them on their journey, she can’t say no. But when she learns that someone has created a website called “Boomer’s Bucket List”—and it’s gone totally viral—the trip takes a wildly unexpected turn for Jennifer, Nathan, and the dog who brought them together. It almost seems as if Boomer’s last wish is that his two favorite humans fall madly, deeply, in love." Source: Amazon
Publisher: Kensington (2016)
Dog Boy (Eva Hornung)Romochka, a four-year-old boy, one day wakes up to find his home empty: his mother, his uncle, even the furniture are gone. He bravely decides to go outside, leaving the building (also empty) where he lived. After following a pack of dogs (a female and her 2 grown-up pups) to their nest, he starts living with them. He and his new family, wandering on the streets of Moscow, have to face many challenges in order to survive.
Publisher: Viking Adult (2010)
Jen and Bob go to a shelter and, among many abandoned dogs, they choose little Miles. Miles likes them and likes his life with them and gets very unhappy when the couple splits up because of another woman. Miles is little, but he is tough, and he will do everything in his power to reunite his beloved owners — no new partners allowed! Miles himself narrates his story.
Publisher: Kensington (2006)
Flush: A BiographyA wonderful book by Virginia Woolf (1882-1941). Based on the love letters between English poets Robert Browning (1812-1889) and Elizabeth Barrett Browning (1806-1861), Woolf wrote the biography of the Cocker Spaniel Flush (1842-?), Elizabeth's beloved pet, who was given to her (when she was still single) by novelist and dramatist Mary Russell Mitford (1787-1855). Published in 1933, it turned out a best-seller. Flush also makes his presence in the Rudolf Besier's play, The Barretts of Wimpole Street (1932).
Elizabeth's most famous work is Sonnets from the Portuguese, a collection of love sonnets (her own love-story, actually) written by Browning, but disguised as a translation — she thought it was too personal to be published, but eventually was convinced by her husband to do so. You can read them here; the most famous poem from this collection is number XLIII. Robert and Elizabeth had a son, Pen Browning (1849-1912), who grew up to be a sculptor and painter; he got married, but didn't have children.
Elizabeth Barrett Browning wrote two poems dedicated to Flush: Flush or Faunus? and To To Flush, My Dog.
Publisher: Harcourt (1976)
Available for free at The University of Adelaide Library eBook and Gutenberg of Australia eBook
Henry The Queen’s Corgi (Georgie Crawley)
"This Christmas, anything could happen… When their pet corgi goes missing on a trip to London, the Walker family search everywhere. But Henry has ended up in the one place they never think to look… Henry has been mistaken for a royal corgi by the Queen’s Guard, and found himself in a very different sort of family home. In no time, Henry is getting the royal treatment in Buckingham Palace, from velvet thrones to a personal chef. If this is a dog’s life, he doesn’t mind it one bit. But as Christmas spirit fills the palace, Henry knows he must somehow get back to the Walkers. Because true family is for life, not just for Christmas…" Amazon
Publisher: Avon (2017)
King: A Street Story (John Berger)
King, the narrator, is the dog of Vica and Vico, an elderly, homeless couple; he understands and can be understood by people and is quite a philosopher without being anthropomorphic on the contrary, he behaves just like a dog.
Publisher: Vintage (2000)
Lucky Dog (Mark Barrowcliffe)
Dave Bartok's life is horrible his mother died, he gambles and looses money, his girlfriend is annoying. Then, he meets Reg, his soul mate. Reg is a dog. And Reg starts talking to him...
Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin (2006)
Niki: The Story of a Dog (Tibor Déry)Hungarian Tibor Déry wrote, in 1956, this fierce critic to the communist regime in his country using a dog as the narrator of the story.
Publishers: Doubleday & Company, Inc. (1958)/Secker & Warburg (1958 - ASIN: B000KZU89I)/Penguin Books (1961)
Original title: Niki. Egy kutya története
Translator: Edward Hyams
Old Yeller (Fred Gipson)
A best seller for generations, this book written in 1956 tells the story of 14-year-old Travis and his loyal dog Old Yeller, living in the late 1800's, in Texas. A moving account of a friendship that had a sad, shocking ending. The book was made into a movie by Disney, in 1957.
Publisher: HarperTrophy (1990)
One Good Dog (Susan Wilson)Adam March loses everything that he held dear to his heart — power, money, a good job, a demanding, beautiful wife and a teenage daughter — after having hitting his administrative assistant in an attack of fury. The judge sentences him to do community service in a homeless shelter, and from that point on, his views change; yet more, when his path crosses with another being who is also fighting for a better life: a Pit bull who just want to be a pet dog.
Publisher: St. Martin's Press (2010)
Puppy Love (Frauke Scheunemann)"Hercules is a dachshund, who was rescued from the animal shelter by the sweet and loving Caroline. Life for this little dog would be perfect if it weren't for Caroline's new boyfriend, Thomas. Hercules and his new friend, Mr. Beck — a tomcat and a good judge of human nature — devise a shrewd plot to get rid of Thomas and to find a new companion for Caroline. But when things don't work out with the men that make the dachshund’s short list — no matter how many romantic moonlight strolls he gets her to take with them — it comes down to just one man they both might agree on..." Amazon
Publisher: House of Anansi Press
Rose in a Storm (Jon Katz)
"Rose is determined and focused, keeping the sheep out of danger and protecting the other creatures on the farm she calls home. But of all those she’s looked after since coming to the farm as a puppy, it is Sam, the farmer, whom she watches most carefully. Awoken one cold midwinter night during lambing season, Rose and Sam struggle into the snowy dark to do their work. The ever observant Rose has seen a change in her master of late, ever since Sam’s wife disappeared one day. She senses something else in the air as well: A storm is coming, but not like any of the ones she’s seen over the years. This storm feels different, bigger, more foreboding. When an epic blizzard hits the region, it will take all of Rose’s resolve, resourcefulness, and courage to help Sam save the farm and the creatures who live there."
Publisher: Villard (2010)
Shadow (Michael Morpurgo)Author of War Horse, and bestselling storyteller Michael Morpurgo touched our hearts with this beautiful story of a boy, his lost dog, and the lengths he would go to be reunited. This timely story of battle-scarred Afghanistan delivers a masterful portrait of war, love, and friendship. With the horrors of war bearing down on them, Aman and his mother are barely surviving in an Afghan cave, and staying there any longer will end horribly. The only comfort Aman has is Shadow, the loyal spaniel that shows up from places unknown, it seems, just when Aman needs him most. Aman, his mother, and Shadow finally leave the destroyed cave in hopes of escaping to England, but are held at a checkpoint, and Shadow runs away after being shot at by the police. Aman and his mother escape--without Shadow. Aman is heart-broken. Just as they are getting settled as free citizens in England, they are imprisoned in a camp with locked doors and a barbed wire fence. Their only hope is Aman's classmate Matt, his grandpa, and the dream of finding his lost dog. After all, you never lose your shadow." Source: Amazon
Publisher: Square Fish (2014)
Soldier Dog (Sam Angus)"With his older brother gone to fight in the Great War, and his father prone to sudden rages, 14-year-old Stanley devotes himself to taking care of the family's greyhound and puppies. Until the morning Stanley wakes to find the puppies gone. Determined to find his brother, Stanley runs away to join an increasingly desperate army. Assigned to the experimental War Dog School, Stanley is given a problematic Great Dane named Bones to train. Against all odds, the pair excels, and Stanley is sent to France. But the war in France is larger and more brutal than Stanley ever imagined. How can one young boy survive World War I and find his brother with only a dog to help?"
Publisher: Square Fish (2014)
The Art of Racing in the Rain (Garth Stein)Novel. Enzo, the dog, tells his story, his life with master Denny, who is a big fan of car races — the art of racing in the rain is a lesson Denny learned watching Brazilian Formula One racing driver Ayrton Senna (AKA the King of the Rain), one that can be applied both in the tracks as well as in life.
Publisher: Harper (2008)
An American mother and two daughters living in Aix-en-Provence, meet the Boss Dog, a pround mongrel that guides the three women through the southern French city. Based on Mary Frances Kennedy Fisher's sojourn in Aix-en-Provence.
Publisher: North Point Press (1991)
The Bunch Book (James Douglas)In this (very rare) book, British author James Douglas (the official "Bunchographer") wrote: If the story of all dogs who have loved and been loved by the race of man could be written, each history of a dog would resemble all the other stories. It would be a love story. He loves his Bunch, a Sealyham Terrier that his wife nicknamed "earthquake" and "whirlwind"... but Bunch stole everyone's hearts anyway and became an important member of the family.
Publisher: Eyre and Spottiswoode (1932)
Illustrations: Cecil Aldin
The Call of the Wild (Jack London)
Buck had a peaceful farm life with his owner till he was stolen by one of his master's employees and sold to dog traffickers. It was 1897, men were after gold, "the Klondike strike dragged them from all the world into the frozen North" and dogs were very valuable to them. In the wild, working for two rude men, with a bunch of other dogs, Buck had to learn fast the law of club and fang. Disobey his masters, never, and always be aware of his canine mates: it was the only way of surviving.
Publisher: Scholastic Paperbacks (2001) — and many others
At Project Gutenberg
The Dangerous Book for Dogs: A Parody by Rex and Sparky (Joe Garden, Janet Ginsburg, Chris Pauls, Anita Serwacki and Scott Sherman)
The Dangerous Book for Boys. The Daring Book for Girls. Rex and Sparky decided that was time to write a book to teach dogs how they should do things properly — because to be a canine living among humans isn't easy nowadays. Don't get it wrong, both Rex and Sparky love their human (and in the end of the book you will see how that is very true), but... wear ridiculous clothes, put up with annoying visitors at dinners and be constantly denied a good sleep on the master's bed are things that a dog does not need in his/her life. So, if you are a dog, buy this book and learn how to avoid all the bad things, as well as tips like how to have a good walk, to build a bed made out of your master's clothes, or to embarrass him when he deserves to be embarrassed.
Publisher: Villard (2007)
Illustration: Emily Flake
The Dog Who Spoke with Gods (Diane Jessup)Elizabeth Fletcher, a pre-med studant, makes a friend at the University where her father (a cardiac surgeon) works — a Pit bull kept for research purposes. This unusual friendship — for her, as she was brought up by people who thought dogs are just things to be used and abused — will change her life forever. She won't forsake her canine friend Damien, risking everything dear to her heart.
"Diane Jessup is the author of The Working Pit Bull, and co-author of Colby's Book of the APBT. She created and runs the LawDogs program, putting pit bulls in law enforcement agencies as narcotics and explosives detection dogs. Over the past 35 years Diane has trained industrial guard dogs; dogs used in movies and commercials; and put over 60 training titles on her own dogs. She is a certified police K9 trainer and retired from 20 years as an animal control officer."
Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin (2002)
The Honest Truth (Dan Gemeinhart)
"In all the ways that matter, Mark is a normal kid. He's got a dog named Beau and a best friend, Jessie. He likes to take photos and write haiku poems in his notebook. He dreams of climbing a mountain one day. But in one important way, Mark is not like other kids at all. Mark is sick. The kind of sick that means hospitals. And treatments. The kind of sick some people never get better from. So Mark runs away. He leaves home with his camera, his notebook, his dog, and a plan to reach the top of Mount Rainier — even if it's the last thing he ever does. Rare and extraordinary novel about big questions, small moments, and the incredible journey of the human spirit."
Publisher: Scholastic Press
The Story of Edgar Sawtelle (David Wroblewski)
Edgar's grandfather started, when he was young, breeding dogs; soon, his dogs were known as sawtelles. The boy, having been brought up among dogs (his father kept the tradition), is very fond of them and one of his best canine friends is Almondine, present in his life since he was born. Edgar, for some reason unknown to the many doctors who saw him, can't speak.
He is a happy boy living with his father, mother, and dogs, til uncle Claude (his father's brother) arrives and ruins everything. After an accident with the veterinarian who cares for the dogs, Edgar runs away, to the Chequamegon Forest, with 3 sawtelles. Alone in this world, he has to prove that his father has been murdered by his uncle and reclaim his property as well as his beloved sawtelle dogs.
Based on Shakespeare's Hamlet.
Publisher: Ecco (2008)
Timbuktu: A Novel (Paul Auster)
With Timbuktu, Paul Auster tackles homelessness in America using a dog's point-of-view. Mr. Bones, a mutt, and his master, Willy G. Christmas, a middle-aged schizophrenic (due to drug abuse in his youth) poet who has been on the streets since the death of his mother four years before, wander in the Baltimore streets searching for a new master for the dog as well as a former teacher of Willy's, someone who can keep the multitude of manuscripts he has stashed in a bus terminal. Willy dies, and Mr. Bones has to go on in his journey alone — always hoping one day he will join his beloved master in the afterlife, referred to by Willy as "Timbuktu". A beautiful story about love, friendship, loyalty and... suffering.
Publisher: Picador USA (2000)
Timoleon Vieta Come Home (Dan Rhodes)
Carthusians Cockroft, to please a lover, ditches his canine friend Timoleon Vieta in front of the Colosseum. Timoleon starts a journey back home — well, he shouldn't.
Publisher: Canongate Books (2003)
Walter, the Improbable Hound: A socially insignificant study with copious annotations and a brief, shameful appendix (Frederick Ayer Jr)"Walter (a Basset Hound) was housebroken at Wenham, Massachusetts. He has led an active life and traveled many thousand of miles and earned a reputation as an outstanding gourmand if not gourmet. He has held no town offices other than Town Bum. His owner is a sometimes author Fred Ayer Jr, who has previously written millions of words for various governmental agencies."
Publisher: H. Regnery Co. (1958)
Illustration: Erich Sokol
The story takes place in the Yukon, Canada, during the Klondike Gold Rush at the end of the 19th-century. A wolf born in the wild takes a journey — terrible sometimes — that ends with him as a much loved pet dog.
The book was made into a movie in 1991, directed by Randal Kleiser, starring Ethan Hawke, Klaus Maria Brandauer and Seymour Cassel. A sequel to the film, White Fang 2: Myth of the White Wolf, was released in 1994.
Publisher: Puffin (1994) — and many others
At Project Gutenberg
