Who Let the Dogs Out…

If you’re a dog lover like me you probably can’t get enough of books or movies with dogs as one of the central characters. Scooby Doo was a mainstay on Saturday mornings for me. And when I was a girl, I used to take out armfuls of books from my elementary school’s library about dogs. Books like, Lad a Dog, Big Red, The Incredible Journey, and of course the biggest dog star of all: Lassie. A box of tissue would always be by my side when I watched a movie about dogs. There was a guarantee, an unwritten code that movie producers made sure you would cry. Don’t believe me? Watch Marley and Me, and prove me wrong. I dare you. No. I double dog dare you!

In my book, The Last Timekeepers and the Arch of Atlantis, a smelly deerhound named Tuck—Friar Tuck’s namesake—makes a few cameo appearances. So I thought I gather together a group of fine young adult authors who have made it a point to have dogs in their books. Let the barking commence:

Linda Benson: Walking the Dog

Jared feels like he's the only one who looks past Sophie's scars to see her for who she is. But can he be a true friend when she desperately needs one?

Jared is smitten when his teacher seats the new girl, Sophie, right next to him. Even with the scar running up the side of her face, Jared thinks she’s the most beautiful girl in the entire fifth grade. But why did she transfer here so late in the year? Rumors say something bad happened to her.

Jared and Sophie become friends while walking the guidance counselor’s new puppy, but when his parents object to this arrangement, Jared fabricates a series of elaborate lies to meet Sophie on the sly. But little brothers can be pests. First Petey lets the orange cat loose at the animal shelter where Jared and Sophie have been secretly walking the dogs. Then Petey turns up missing.

And Sophie's past finally catches up with her.



Cordelia Dinsmore: Michaela’s Gift
Twelve-year-old Michaela Cochran still believes in enchanted mountains and fairytale castles, but her happily-ever-after will never happen if she can’t convince her mother to accept the magical gift Michaela has inherited.

Michaela Cochran and her family make the trip to her father’s ancestral home every year, but this year is special. Michaela is now twelve, the age when every girl in the family receives a special gift. When Aunt Sharon explains that Michaela’s gift is a magical ability to bring one of her drawings to life, Michaela begins making plans. What she wants most is a castle high on the mountain, where her family can live together. But if she can’t figure out how to resolve the growing hostility between herself and her mother, her gift is meaningless.

Rita Monette: The Legend of Ghost Dog Island

Behind every legend lies the truth.
Moving is nothing new for ten-year-old Nikki Landry. Her fisherman father relocates their raggedy old houseboat several times a year in search of better crabbing spots. However, their latest move has brought her to a mysterious bayou where she feels something is watching her from a nearby island.

Nikki learns of a local legend about something sinister inhabiting those swamps, stealing the souls of dogs…which would explain the strange howling sounds. Papa reassures her there’s nothing on the island but gators and snakes. He would know. He’s spent his whole life trapping and fishing those bayous and swamps. But Nikki and her new friends uncover strange happenings from years ago that may have started the old legend, and town folks aren’t talking. Then her beloved beagle goes missing.

Join Nikki as she seeks to discover the real truth behind the legend of Ghost Dog Island…before it’s too late.

To finish off this post, I thought I’d pull you back in time (a specialty of mine) to enjoy a musical romp with the Baha Men. Enjoy!