Yellow Dog

Korner, Miriam. Yellow Dog. 2017. 288p. ISBN 978-0-8899-5546-2. Available at FIC KOR on the library shelves.

Winters in Northern Saskatchewan are cold, and there isn’t much to do. Jeremy spends a lot of time with Justin, playing hockey and video games, but Justin’s home life has been sliding lately, and he’s more into hurting animals. When Justin dares Jeremy to pull the tail on a yellow dog who lives at the end of the road, he does so but instantly regrets it the moment he sees the dog’s hurt eyes and fear.

Returning to the site of his mean prank, Jeremy feeds the dog and slowly builds a rapport with him. The old man who lives in the shack notices Jeremy playing with his dog, but he doesn’t say anything. One day he invites Jeremy inside. The old man’s shack is a single room, with no bathroom, running water, or electricity, but it is full of memories. The old man was a musher, and ran his own teams of dogs. Now all that remains of this is the yellow dog in the yard and a few dog houses by his broken-down barn.

As Jeremy learns more about the old man and the way of life before the snowmobile, he realizes that he would like to run dogs too. His mother warns him not to, however, because his father died of an accident in the bush. Jeremy is convinced this is what he needs to do, so he finds other dogs, and begins to train them to pull a sled. With the old man’s help, Jeremy manages to get his team of four dogs and even takes them out on the lake.

His relationship with Justin has suffered, however, since all he wants to do is torture the dogs. When dog culling day comes and Jeremy hears gunshots, he’s sad but not worried about his dogs, which are tied in the old man’s yard. However Justin gives him a note that makes him reconsider his earlier assessment, and he rushes out to discover that his dogs were untied and let loose in the town. Jeremy manages to track all of his dogs, but Lightning was hurt during the hunt. To atone, Justin joins Jeremy to help him with the dogs, and the two develop a truce. The two of them head out on the lake with three dogs, but a snowstorm soon strikes and they become lost. Will the two of them survive the night out with their dogs?

Fans of animal stories will like how Jeremy gets to know his dogs and how he trains them. For another take on dog racing and survival, take a look at Ice Dogs.

Dog Night at the Story Zoo

Bar-El, Dan. Dog Night at the Story Zoo. 2017. 99p. ISBN 978-1-10191838-8. Available in the Graphic Novel section of the library.

When night falls and humans return to their houses, the animals at the zoo get ready to host their own open mike night. Animals from all around the neighborhood, as well as zoo residents, attend and enjoy stories told by other animals. Tonight, at the Story Zoo, it is Dog Night and all of the presenters will be neighborhood dogs.

Throughout the night, a bloodhound tells the story of the day she lost her ability to track bandits and criminals and was helped by Surelick Holmes, a brilliant dog. A bulldog explains that he doesn’t want to be judged by the way he looks. After all, it’s not his fault. A poodle describes how much energy she has and how bothersome she was, until all the right conditions were met and she became the best companion ever. Finally, a stray dog presents how he became the best fetcher ever and saved a man’s emotional well-being, finding a home in the process.

Sometimes sad, sometimes sweet, always entertaining, the illustrated Story Zoo awaits your presence!

Gasparilla’s Gold

Markle, Sandra. Gasparilla’s Gold. 2016. 193p. ISBN 978-1-943431-19-9. Available at FIC MAR on the library shelves.

Twelve-year-old Gus lost his older brother Daniel during a flash flood at camp. Gus had returned to the tent to grab his grandfather’s guitar, and got caught in the rapidly rising waters. Daniel came back and saved him, but in the process disappeared under after being hit by debris. Gus has blamed himself for his death ever since. His father has now taken another job and his moving himself and Gus from New York City to Seattle. But while he searches for an apartment, he is sending Gus to spend the summer with his sister on Pine Island, Florida. Aunt Willie runs Wahkullah, an unofficial animal shelter where injured animals are rehabilitated before being released into the wild.

Gus is opposed to go on this trip. His father thinks it’s for the best, and maybe Gus will be able to snap out of his feelings of guilt. Welcomed by Wipllie, Gus soon meets Fiona, the girl next door who has been helping Willie take care of the animals, and Coop, a grizzled grant of a man who used to design movie sets in Hollywood before being  an accident that ended his career. Scared by rain, as it reminds him of the nit Daniel dies, Gus vows he will not spend an extra day on Pine Island, and he contacts his father to plead with him. Soon, though, Gus changes his mind about leaving. First, there are all of the animals to care for. Then, the is also interested in Fiona. But most of all, Gus and Fiona have to work together to find the treasure of the  legendary pirate Gasparilla, rumored to be buried on the island. Armed with a treasure map, the two of them must find the treasure before the Pinders, the resident family bullies, discover it. With bills mounting for the shelter and the loss of Willie’s grant to study wild Florida Panthers, Gus and Fiona work with Coop to find the most likely places.

But when they stumble upon a mother panther and her cub, everything changes. If they can bring proof that the panthers are back on Pine Island, Willie can have her grant back and the shelter’s survival is assured. The Pinders, who run cattle, have other ideas, however, and want the panthers killed before their presence can be confirmed. Can Gus manage to work through his grief over Daniel’s death to save the panthers and the shelter?

Bent Not Broken: Madeline & Justin

Schultz Nicholson, Lorna. Bent Not Broken: Madeline & Justin. Part of the One 2 One series. 2017. 218p. ISBN 9781988347035. Available at FIC SCH on the library shelves.

When they were eight, identical twins Becky and Madeline went on a bike ride. Even though they were wearing both wearing helmets at the time, Madeline fell on her head. She doesn’t remember any of the accident. For her, it’s the before and after. Having suffered a traumatic brain injury, Madeline has spent the last seven years of her life slowly regaining abilities she once took for granted. Walking can be difficult, and she often has to remind herself to put one foot in front of the other. She often loses her cool when the pressure builds inside her head and she will slam her head with her hands. Her speech pattern is slurred and slow. She’s not dumb. She knows exactly what she wants to say, but her brain can’t communicate it fast enough to her mouth. What hurts the most, though, is that she and Becky have drifted apart. They did everything together, dressed the same, talked the same, but now Madeline can only follow Becky, and sometimes not even then. Her parents are divorced, and Becky has new friends who smoke and drink.

Part of a Best Buddies at school, Madeline spends time with Justin, a senior who’s helping her with activities and social skills. They play cards, participate in gym activities with the other differently abled students at school, and sometimes share feelings. For Justin has also suffered a loss when his younger sister Faith, an autistic child who starved herself to death following a bout with anorexia and bullying at school. Justin and his parents have never quite recovered from her death a year ago.

Madeline spends a lot of time every week with therapy horses, especially Willow, a miniature horse. Madeline takes care of Willow and help the other kids attending the stable therapy programs. Willow does not judge, and moreover she loves the attention. When she invites Justin to come with her to the therapy stable, Justin thinks it’s too soon. His sister used to attend a similar program. But being Best Buddies president, he agrees. On his first day there, he realizes that this is what he’s been needing, and soon he gets his mother, who is suffering from a major depression, to also participate. The family healing begins.

Everything is going wrong for Becky, however. She sneaks out at night, hangs with the wrong crowd, and is picking fights with her mother and with Madeline. Madeline feels left behind and begins questioning the bonds that tie her and her sister. Becky harbor a dark secret, however, and it will take a crisis to finally reveal it. Will Madeline be there for her and help her reconnect with her family when the time comes?

The Unicorn in the Barn

Ogburn, Jacqueline. The Unicorn in the Barn. 2017. 304p. ISBN 978-0-544-76112-4. Available at FIC OGB on the library shelves.

The Harper family has struggled financially since Eric’s grandmother fell ill. They had to sell her farm to a veterinarian, Dr. Brancusi, and her daughter, Allegra while grandmother moved in with Eric, his father and his brother Steve. Then grandmother became ill enough that she had to move to a nursing home for specialized care. Eric and his family visit her every weekend. Dr. Brancusi, meanwhile, has transformed the farmhouse into an animal hospital.

Eric meets Allegra when she begins posting “no trespassing signs” around their new property. When Eric points out that Allegra is herself trespassing by his treehouse and not putting signs up in the right place, she gets mad at him. Eric spends some time in his treehouse, but he falls asleep. When he awakens, it is dark. He climbs down and heads home, but then he spots a white deer in the woods, whiter than snow. Curious, he follows it around and realizes that it’s a unicorn, and she’s heading straight for the neighbors’ barn. Dr. Brancusi is caring for the unicorn, who suffers from an infected hoof. Pregnant with twins, Dr B. and Allegra are caring for it.

Despite Allegra’s misgiving, Dr. B. agrees to let Eric help with the caring for Moonpearl. Eric realizes that the animal hospital cares not only for regular animals, but for magical animals as well, such as a Cheshire cat, a goose which hatches golden eggs, and even a squonk. The unicorn possesses the ability to heal, but every time it does so it loses some vitality. With his grandmother dying, Eric is confronted with a tough choice. Should he try to save his grandmother even if it may cost the unicorn her soon-to-be born babies? Faced with this tough decision based on a secret, Eric cannot turn to anyone for help, except for Allegra. The two of them don’t get along, but maybe it’s time to end this conflict.

The Unicorn in the Barn is a well-crafted tale of caring, of love and of death. It’s not about the magic, it’s about what we do to help each other.

Ice Dogs

Johnson, Terry Lynn. Ice Dogs. 2012. 279p. ISBN 978-0-547-89926-8. Available as an eBook on Overdrive.

Victoria loves to run her dogs. A dog-sledder and a resident of Alaska all of her life, she’s built a special relationship with each one of her animals. Ever since the tragic loss of her father during one of his wilderness expedition, and blaming her mother for his death, Victoria has retreated within herself, racing with her dog team, trying to dull the pain and the loss. When she hears that a new dog might be available to purchase, she decides to head out. It is a distance to this man’s farm, but she should have plenty of time to gather her gear, hook up her dogs and make the return trip.

Only, she doesn’t have enough time. Running on the trail heading to Mr. Cook’s, the sky opens up and it begins to snow. Deciding to press on, Victoria comes to the site of a snowmobile accident. The sled is destroyed, and the rider is laying in the snow unconscious. Victoria checks him for injuries, and he awakens and stands up. His name is Chris, and he reveals he thinks he lives this way, pointing down a trail Victoria is not familiar with. Unfortunately the snow, which is coming down harder, has covered any tracks, and Victoria is not even sure Chris knows which way he came from. But since he’s convinced, she goes down the trail with her sled and dogs and Chris bundled up aboard.

Soon, it’s clear that they are lost, and in the middle of a blizzard. Victoria’s survival skills are the only thing that keep death away for her dogs, herself, and Chris. But as her father’s death proved, skills are sometimes not enough. What follows is an incredible fight against nature for survival, but in the Alaskan wilderness nature reigns supreme. Can Victoria, Chris, and her dogs make it back to civilization?

Fans of Hatchet and The River will enjoy this story of hope against all odds and the extreme measures Victoria takes to ensure the survival of her team. For another book on dog running, take a look at Yellow Dog.

Incredible Mollusks

Townsend, John. Incredible Mollusks. 2005. 56p. ISBN 9781410917096. Available at 594 TOW on the library shelves.

Looking for alien lifeforms? Look no further. The second largest type of animals in the world after insects, mollusks can be found in every type of environment, from the jungles of Africa to the deepest reaches of the Pacific. Members of the mollusk family include snails and slugs, sea cucumbers, octopus, and clams. Weird feeding and mating habits are explored, and facts are presented about their defenses and amazing bodies.

War Horse

Morpurgo, Michael. War Horse. 2007. 165p. 243 mins. ISBN 9780439796637. Available as an audiobook on Overdrive.

Told from the point of view of Joey, a horse, this story explores the impact that the First World War had on animals. Joey is a young bay-red horse. He has white socks markings on each leg, and a large white cross on his nose. At six months, Joey is bought at auction and separated from his mother. At first Joey has trouble adjusting to life as a farm animal, especially since the farmer is mean and gets drunk on Tuesday. But the farmer’s young son, Albert, is tender and dedicated and soon both of them become fast friends.

But as 1914 rolls around, the specter of war is threatening to engulf all of Europe. When the conflict erupts, the farmer sells Joey to the army so he can keep the farm. Albert, too young to join, is separated from Joey. He vows to find his horse again. Bought by a young captain, Joey is trained as a war horse for the cavalry, and ships with his regiment to France’s Western Front. There, Joey endures the horrors of war, and as the conflict grounds to a war of trenches, there is no use for cavalry horses. Joey must now do everything he can to survive if he hopes to be reunited with Albert.

Cattle Ranching in the American West

Steele, Christy. Cattle Ranching in the American West. 2005. 48p. ISBN 0-8368-5787-9. Available at 636.2 STE on the library shelves.

When Christopher Columbus first lands in America, he discovers that there are neither horses nor cattle. So on his next trip he brings both. The availability of large open spaces and excellent foraging areas encourage the growth of both populations.

As colonists expanded on the continent, cows and horses went before them, and soon wild cattle and horses were everywhere. Thus evolved a new type of estate, the ranch or haciendia, and a new profession, the vaquero. First these vaqueros, who worked with the cattle, were slaves and indentured servants. But soon enough, with the push by Americans through Texas and what was then Northern Mexico, the vaqueros were transformed into cowboys.

Despite popular representation, cowboys were very low on the social order and worked very hard for meager earnings. Driving cattle from Texas and the Southwest United States to markets in California and the Midwest, they lived dangerous and isolated life.

The history of cattle ranching mirrors the society of the time, and was affected by ups and downs in the fortunes of the United States but eventually fulfilled the Manifest Destiny predicted by American Founders.

A Day No Pig Would Die

Peck, Robert Newton. A Day No Pig Would Die. 1972. 160p. ISBN 0394482352. Available both on the library shelves at FIC PEC and on Overdrive as an ebook and audiobook.

Involved in a fight at school, Rob flees and returns home to the farm. Crossing his neighbor’s field, he comes across one of their cows, who is having trouble giving birth. Ignoring his own safety, Rob assists the cow and delivers two calfs. In the process he loses both his pants and gets seriously injured.

Recovering from his wounds, Rob is offered a newborn pig from the neighbor for saving his cow and her two babies. Rob’s father, a true Shaker, first refuses to accept the gift, saying that Rob did what any neighbor would do, but eventually he relents and Rob becomes an animal owner. This animal changes Rob’s life.

His parents have lived on this farm for a long time, slowly paying it off until they own it outright. Rob’s father works as a butcher of hogs, and every day he comes home smelling of pig. With his father’s help, Rob raises the piglet. Still working hard on the farm, and not so hard at school, Rob is invited by Mr. and Mrs. Tanner, who offered him the pig, to go with them to Rutland for the agricultural fair where his pig is to be entered. And, to Rob’s surprise, he wins a ribbon, but passes out from the excitement and exertion.

Back home, his father tells him a terrible secret. The old man is sick, and knows he does not have much time left to live. Rob, as the only male in the family, will need to take over and becomes the man of the household. So, it is with trepidation mixed with fear that Rob gets ready for the biggest change in his life, when comes the day that no pigs would die.

This tale of growing up and transitioning to adulthood goes well with The Chocolate Wars.

The Subtle Knife

Pullman, Philip. The Subtle Knife. Book 2 of His Dark Materials trilogy. 1997. 326p. ISBN 9780679879251. Available at FIC PUL on the library shelves.

Will has been protecting his mother for years now. Still a young teen, he’s shouldered the responsibility years ago when he noticed that the games of hide and seek his mother played with him were not games, but rather something in her mother’s head. This chase, however, doesn’t make it any less real.

So when men begin showing up at the house, looking for secrets his missing father left behind, Will realizes that he must hide his mother in a safe location before he himself goes in search of his father. Unfortunately, while searching his own home the two men return. During a confrontation, Will accidentally kills one of the men but he manages to escape and begins to roam the streets of Oxford.

Coming upon a cat, he sees the cat go through a dimensional door to another place. Seeing safety at last, Will goes through and appears in another world, a safe place where his pursuers will not chase him. He comes face to face with Lyra and her daemon, and she is shocked to see he does not have a daemon yet he still is able to function. A truce of sorts associates the two of them, and Lyra becomes fascinated by Will’s Oxford.

Crossing over several times, Lyra and Will are ambushed by an old enemy and put to a task. They must retrieve the Subtle Knife from its rightful guardian or risk losing everything. With Lyra’s mother. Mrs. Coulter not far behind and with Lord Asrael moving forward with his plan to bring the fight to God, both children are about to find themselves pawns in a holy war.

The story concludes in The Amber Spyglass.

The Golden Compass

Pullman, Philip. The Golden Compass. Book 1 of His Dark Materials trilogy). 1995. 399p. ISBN 9780679879244. Available at FIC PUL on the library shelves.

Lyra Belacqua has always been a free spirit. At eleven years old, she rules the children of Jordan College, in Oxford, and her education has been spotty at best. Every human has a daemon, a creature that reflects their innermost self. Human and daemon are never separated and live in a symbiotic relationship.

When Lyra trespasses in the Master’s chambers, she’s only doing it for a lark. But then she secretly witnesses the Master poisoning the cup of Lord Asriel, her uncle who has just returned from an expedition to the north. Seeking more money to fund another expedition, Lord Asriel finds Lyra, who tells him what the Master of Jordan’s College did to the cup. Seeking to raise more money, Lord Asriel downplays the poisoning attempt and presents to the scholars more information about dust and an ethereal city beyond the northern lights, which he suspects is actually in another universe.

At the same time, Gobblers have been kidnapping children for some nefarious purposes. Left behind by her uncle, Lyra is suddenly entrusted to the care of Mrs. Coulter, a charismatic scholar who also seems to be investigating dust. Mrs. Coulter and her golden monkey daemon are in charge of the Ablation Board, an organization within the Church. But when Roger, Lyra’s friend, is kidnapped by the Gobblers, who work for the Ablation Board and Mrs. Coulter, Lyra realizes that the Ablation Board is involved in terrible experiments on these children. With the help of unexpected allies such as witches and armored bears, it is up to Lyra to save the children from the clutches of Mrs. Coulter and her ilk. The secrets she will discover, however, could destroy everything she knows...

The story continues in The Subtle Knife.

Antarctica

Goldsworthy, Steve. The Natural World: Antarctica. 2015. 320p. ISBN 978-1-4896-0938-0. Available at 5678.09 GOL on the library shelves.

Antarctica is the most forbidden place on the planet. With average temperatures below freezing, only the hardiest plants and animals can live in this hostile environment. Yet, many have found ways to evolve and survive where most couldn’t.

This book describes the unique life that inhabits the coldest continent on Earth. Information about the various land and aquatic biomes that are in Antarctica is presented, along with gorgeous pictures. The various insects, birds, fish and mammals that call Antarctica home are shown, and the impact of human activity on the continent is also explored.

This short book that provides an excellent overview on a land that most of us know next to little about.

Cat vs Human

Surovec, Yasmine. Cat vs Human. 2011. 152p. ISBN 978-1-4494-0865-7. Available on the library shelves in the graphic novel section at GFX SUR.

This book takes an hilarious look at the many one-sided relationships people have with their cats. From fun and relaxing times with cats to the crazy cat lady struggling to keep it together, the stories all add up to undying devotion to our feline friends, even when it might be misplaced.