It's Monday! What Are You Reading? 6/9/14

I am excited to be a part of the conversation at #IMWAYR! Thank you to Sheila, Jen and Kellee
for inspiring and hosting this meme.

I am definitely more of a cat person than a dog person, but dogs undeniably have a special place in the world of children's literature, and this past week I read a couple of wonderful exemplars.



There are quite a few books out there about dogs who have played a role in wars, but Stubby the War Dog: The True Story of World War I's Bravest Dog is exceptional.  Written by Ann Bausum, this nonfiction narrative uses primary sources (including some incredible photographs) to tell the story of one "war dog" and his soldier.  Meticulously researched and cited, Stubby the War Dog is a fascinating read and will appeal to animal lovers and war buffs, reluctant and voracious readers.






Ice Dogs by Terry Lynn Johnson is a riveting fictional account of the Alaskan wilderness, a girl striving to find her place in it, and the dogs who help her survive. Victoria lives for her sled dogs, especially after her father is killed in an accident.  Over confident about her navigational abilities, she makes a rash decision to go out with her dogs alone and gets stuck in a blizzard; along the way she rescues a boy who has been in a snowmobile accident. Together they fight the elements and try to keep themselves and the dogs alive. This is fast paced with riveting action and I loved the strong female protagonist.





I loved both of these books… and now I'm ready for a cat hero story!