THE LEANIN' DOG- K.A. NUZUM

About two weeks ago, I read an article about THE LEANIN' DOG, by K.A. Nuzum, a Colorado author. I'm buried in piles of CYBILS Intermediate/YA Nonfiction, but since it was a dog story, and since it was by a Colorado author, I made a mental note, and resolved that as soon as I had made it to December 31st, and had read all 59 of the CYBILS books, I absolutely had to get hold of this book. Then  last week I was at the TATTERED COVER, and there it was, THE LEANIN' DOG, just sitting there, calling my name. And of course I had to have it. And once I had it, of course I couldn't wait to read it. And boy, am I glad I did! This is one heckuva great read!!!!!!   SOOOOOOOOOO GOOD!!!! Definitely one of the best books I have read this year. 

Eleven-year-old Dessa Dean lives with her dad in a cabin high in the Colorado mountains. It is December, about a week before Christmas, and Dessa is grieving the loss of her mother, who froze to death about six weeks earlier, as Dessa sat next to her in the snow, begging her to get up. The trauma of the accident has caused Dessa to become an agoraphobic, and she has not left the house/front porch in over six weeks. 

One day, as Dessa studies, she hears a noise on the porch. She opens the door and finds a big brown dog with a gimpy leg. Dessa and the dog become friends, and the relationship becomes a place for the healing of Dessa's deep sadness.  

This is a story of grieving, friendship, and healing. A must read for any dog lover…

HOW TO STEAL A DOG- BARBARA O' CONNER

Now here's a book I loved! Realistic fiction, kids who don't have perfect lives, and a dog to boot!

Georgina Hayes' dad has left. She lives with her mom and her brother in their car, while her mom is working two jobs, struggling to make enough money to lease an apartment. One day Georgina sees a poster advertising a $500 reward for a missing dog. The poster is old, and she figures that dog was probably found a long time ago, but she hatches an elaborate plot to steal another dog and collect the reward money, which she will then give to her mom so that the family can move into a new apartment. 

Her scheme, however, doesn't work out quite as well as she had hoped. Georgina thinks she will only have to take care of the dog for a day or so, but things don't work out that neatly. She ends up finding help in very unlikely places and learns some very big life truths in the process.

Sometimes, when a kid is struggling, they just need to know that they are not alone, that other people have been through the same things they are going through, and that, too, they will survive. This is definitely one of those books.