Why I Love Dogs is about the love story between people and their beloved pets. It is meant to be a conversation piece for families, to help them share the entire cycle of joy, love, and loss that come when a family opens their hearts to a pet. This book brings up questions that I had when I loved and lost a pet but does not pretend to know all of the answers. It also gives a great sense of hope that the experience of sharing the love of a pet is more than worth the sorrow that happens when the pet passes on. There is some mystery regarding what happens when they leave us, but God has a purpose and plan for all of His beloved creation. He put them here for a reason, and His eye is on the sparrow. In many cases, the cycle of love continues as we open our hearts yet again to another pet. All of them are unique treasures and blessings in our lives.
USA Today Bestselling author Andrea Smith gives you her debut YA/Teen novel. A heartwarming story of coping with loss. My name is Victoria Howard and when Mom died just shy of my tenth birthday, nothing could have prepared me for the pain of dealing with my loss. Imagine my surprise when just a few weeks later, on my tenth birthday, Mom had planned a special gift to be delivered to me. A puppy named Sir Percival Howard. A Chinese Pug. As if he could ever replace my Mom! I was angry with my mother. So angry I was determined not to let Percy into my heart. He wasn't a substitute to make me forget my loss. As hard as I tried to ignore this pesky puppy, he just didn't get the hint. But as time went on, something changed, maybe I changed. And I came to realize Percy was the one who would see me through those changes. Maybe it was Mom's plan all along to provide me with a companion to help lessen the loneliness and insecurities that come with growing up. Maybe Percy was part of that plan. So, despite my earlier resolve to reject my puppy, I allowed Percy to worm his way into my life, and into my heart. My rewards came in ways I could never have expected. Thanks, Mom.
HandiLand looks at young adult novels, fantasy series, graphic memoirs, and picture books of the last 25 years in which characters with disabilities take center stage for the first time. These books take what others regard as weaknesses—for instance, Harry Potter’s headaches or Hazel Lancaster’s oxygen tank—and redefine them as part of the hero’s journey. HandiLand places this movement from sidekick to hero in the political contexts of disability rights movements in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Ghana. Elizabeth A. Wheeler invokes the fantasy of HandiLand, an ideal society ready for young people with disabilities before they get there, as a yardstick to measure how far we’ve come and how far we still need to go toward the goal of total inclusion. The book moves through the public spaces young people with disabilities have entered, including schools, nature, and online communities. As a disabled person and parent of children with disabilities, Wheeler offers an inside look into families who collude with their kids in shaping a better world. Moving, funny, and beautifully written, HandiLand: The Crippest Place on Earth is the definitive study of disability in contemporary literature for young readers.
Can an idealistic dog lover teach a jaded hockey player new tricks? “Kelly Jamieson is an auto-buy for me.”—Carly Phillips Lilly: My life is like the love child of a train wreck and a dumpster fire right now. I’ve been canned, my professional reputation is shredded, and now I’m walking dogs to make ends meet. But I still believe everything will work out. Somehow. Then a dog at the park attacks my friend’s dog. At first, I’m ready to give the owner hell—but it turns out he’s in desperate need of doggie daycare. I figure, why not? I love dogs and I need the cash. Too bad his cocky bad boy attitude annoys me. He’s too damn cute for his own good. And I’m not talking about the dog. Easton: My coach is riding my ass and I’m not handling it well. When I’m saddled with an abandoned pooch, my teammate thinks a dog will keep my temper in check. I think I have enough problems already. But when my new dog gets into a tussle that leads me to meet a smoking hot chick who knows how to handle the rascal, I start to think pet ownership isn’t all bad. At least it gives me an excuse to see Lilly again. . . . Neither of us are interested in a relationship. First they steal your bed, then they steal your heart. And I’m not talking about the dog. USA Today bestselling author Kelly Jamieson’s epic Wynn Hockey series can be read together or separately: PLAY TO WIN IN IT TO WIN IT WIN BIG FOR THE WIN Don’t miss any of Kelly’s captivating reads: The Aces Hockey series: MAJOR MISCONDUCT • OFF LIMITS • ICING • TOP SHELF • BACK CHECK • SLAP SHOT • PLAYING HURT • BIG STICK • GAME ON The Bayard Hockey series: SHUT OUT • CROSS CHECK The Last Shot series: BODY SHOT • HOT SHOT • LONG SHOT The standalone novel: DANCING IN THE RAIN
Tracy Calhoun, a longtime nurse, shares her heart-melting memoir of working alongside JJ, the Therapy Dog, the brightest and most intuitive dog Tracy has ever trained. When not mooching dog treats, JJ is dedicated to helping humans cope with tragedy and loss through love and hugs. Tracy Calhoun, a nurse on staff at Samaritan Evergreen Hospice House in Oregon, paused at the bedside of an elderly patient in a coma. The woman had no family or friends, but the hospice team had learned she liked dogs, so Tracy put her Golden Retriever, JJ, a staff “therapist,” on the woman’s bed. JJ snuggled up, nuzzled a motionless hand, and then settled in, letting her body warmth cuddle and comfort the patient in her final hours. The woman, who had been unresponsive for days, then performed her final, intentional act. She stroked JJ’s head. Tracy recorded the intimate moment on her phone, then uploaded it to Facebook where she was keeping a modest account for friends, family, and community members who knew her and JJ. In August 2015, that video went viral, and was rapidly seen by tens of millions of viewers worldwide. To Tracy, it was a turning point in her mission to explain to a wider audience the joy that therapy dogs provide, and to do it with humor and canine chaos, as only a dog obsessed with bacon, puppies, and swimming can. Along the way, Tracy’s own story has grown and changed through her love of animals, and she’s found, in difficult times, she has needed the same comfort her pups offer to patients—for herself. “These stories of an unforgettable and deeply intuitive Golden Retriever named JJ, as told by her fabulous handler Tracy, are shared with humor and heart. Many wonderful moments happen when working with therapy dogs and reading about JJ’s magic is an extraordinarily moving experience.” — Donna Frindt, Executive Director, Project Canine “An emotionally satisfying and entertaining collection of tales not only between a dog and her human, but between this remarkable soul in a Golden Retriever suit and dozens of people in crisis—from hospice care to school shootings.” —Janet Velanovsky , Owner, Kaizen Pet Training & Behavior “An inspiring memoir, JJ’s Journey illustrates the medical and spiritual benefits of the human-animal bond through JJ’s unwavering patience, love, and support for the hospice patients and their grieving families. JJ’s Journey brings to light that in our greatest time of need, every person can feel they are loved, honored, and mean something in this world thanks to the unconditional love that comes so naturally from a therapy dog’s heart.” —Colby Webb, Founder, Sav-a-Bull Rescue and author of Forty One Pit Bulls
“As a reader, there’s nothing I love more than finding a set of characters I absolutely adore and learning that I don’t have to say goodbye to them.”—Book Perfume "A hilariously original tale about dating and its place in a modern woman's life."–BookPage Sarah Hurlihy knows how to move on to the next guy. But she really, really doesn't want to do that anymore. What she wants to figure out is how to stick around and make things work with John Anderson. But John's suggestion for a romantic trip to canine camp before Sarah's job as a preschool teacher gears up for another year is sounding anything but romantic, and Sarah and her sisters are worried about their father's new girlfriend, Sweepstakes Sally. And there's a hot new male teacher at Bayberry Preschool. Could it be that what Sarah wants and what she needs are two entirely different things? "Though the third book in the series, one does not need to read the previous two, but most assuredly will want to. Funny and heartwarming, Must Love Dogs: Fetch You Later reflects Ms. Cook's ability to inject comedy into every day circumstances, supplying a remarkable and compelling read."—New York Journal of Books "Cook dishes up plenty of charm."—San Francisco Chronicle From Claire Cook, New York Times bestselling author of the much-loved novel-turned-movie starring Diane Lane and John Cusack comes Must Love Dogs: Fetch You Later, Book 3 of the hilarious and heartwarming Must Love Dogs series. "Funny and pitch perfect."—Chicago Tribune "Wildly witty"—USA Today "A hoot"—The Boston Globe Must Love Dogs (#1) Must Love Dogs: New Leash on Life (#2) Must Love Dogs: Fetch You Later (#3) Must Love Dogs: Bark & Roll Forever (#4) Must Love Dogs: Who Let the Cats In? (#5) Must Love Dogs: A Howliday Tail (#6) Must Love Dogs: Hearts & Barks (#7) Must Love Dogs: Lucky Enough (#8) Go to ClaireCook.com for your free gift, 41 Essential Quotes To Get Your Glow On, exclusively for newsletter subscribers. You’ll also be the first to find out when Claire's next book comes out and stay in the loop for giveaways and insider extras.
“Must Love Dogs has already been a major motion picture, and now New York Times bestselling author Claire Cook’s hilarious and heartwarming book series is begging to hit the screen again.”—New York Journal of Books If you live in Marshbury, Massachusetts, that picture postcard perfect seaside town an hour south of Boston and the epicenter of the Irish Riviera, it’s pretty much mandatory to be a little bit Irish for the whole month of March. Preschool teacher Sarah probably should have warned John about that once they bought the Hurlihy family house. And she definitely should have told him that half the town would be watching the St. Patrick’s Day parade from their front yard. In her defense, Sarah has a lot on her plate. Hormones are flying every which way as she and John ramp up their fertility journey, their five rescue cats get spayed and neutered, and assistant teacher-slash-housemate Polly gets ready to give birth with Sarah’s bossy big sister as her labor coach. To add to the chaos, a new garage addition with a secret exit is about to go up, Sarah’s dad is still living and dating away in his mancave, they can’t seem to get that canned ham trailer removed from the yard, and one of the dogs needs a name change. And like that’s not enough, Bayberry Preschool is filled with malarkey and shenanigans and a wily green leprechaun is on the loose. If you’re lucky enough to enjoy another fun adventure with Must Love Dogs’ loveably quirky cast of characters, you really are lucky enough. Jump right in—you’ll be wagging your tail in no time. The Must Love Dogs series: Must Love Dogs (#1) Must Love Dogs: New Leash on Life (#2) Must Love Dogs: Fetch You Later (#3) Must Love Dogs: Bark & Roll Forever (#4) Must Love Dogs: Who Let the Cats In? (#5) Must Love Dogs: A Howliday Tail (#6) Must Love Dogs: Hearts & Barks (#7) Must Love Dogs: Lucky Enough (#8) “Reading about how life goes for this wacky marvelously lovable family becomes addictive.”— Examiner “A beach tote couldn’t ask for more.”—Kirkus “The exuberant and charming Claire Cook is one of the sassiest and funniest creators of contemporary women’s fiction.”—The Times-Picayune "Claire Cook (Must Love Dogs) has built a brand writing light-hearted women’s fiction blending kernels of the absurd and comedic in compulsively readable combinations.—Shelf Awareness “Wildly witty."—USA Today "Cook dishes up plenty of charm."—San Francisco Chronicle "Funny and pitch perfect."—Chicago Tribune "A HOOT."—The Boston Globe "A hilariously original tale about dating and its place in a modern woman's life."—Book Page "[Cook's] poignancy and sassy humor resonate with readers; her theme of reinvention uplifts and inspires." -Savannah Magazine
“Must Love Dogs has already been a major motion picture, and now New York Times bestselling author Claire Cook’s hilarious and heartwarming series is begging to hit the screen again as a miniseries or a sitcom.”-Nancy Carty Lepri, New York Journal of Books “Reading about how life goes for this wacky marvelously lovable family becomes addictive.”-Pamela Kramer, Examiner Sarah and John are buying Sarah’s family house, and they’re hoping their relationship will survive it. Sarah’s dad is part of the deal, and so is the litter of kittens they’ve discovered under the front porch. Finding a contractor isn’t as easy as they thought it would be, one of the parents at Bayberry Preschool is driving Sarah crazy, and a big nor’easter is barreling toward town. From Claire Cook, New York Times bestselling author of the novel turned romantic comedy movie starring Diane Lane and John Cusack, comes Must Love Dogs: Who Let the Cats In?, Book 5 of the fun and fabulous Must Love Dogs series. The Must Love Dogs series: Must Love Dogs (#1) Must Love Dogs: New Leash on Life (#2) Must Love Dogs: Fetch You Later (#3) Must Love Dogs: Bark & Roll Forever (#4) Must Love Dogs: Who Let the Cats In? (#5) Must Love Dogs: A Howliday Tail (#6) Must Love Dogs: Hearts & Barks (#7) Must Love Dogs: Lucky Enough (#8) “Wildly witty"—USA Today "Cook dishes up plenty of charm."—San Francisco Chronicle "Funny and pitch perfect."—Chicago Tribune "A HOOT"—The Boston Globe "A hilariously original tale about dating and its place in a modern woman's life."—Book Page "This utterly charming novel by Cook is a fun read, perfect for whiling away an afternoon on the beach."—Library Journal CLAIRE COOK wrote her first novel in her minivan at 45. At 50, she walked the red carpet at the Hollywood premiere of the movie adaptation of her novel, Must Love Dogs, starring Diane Lane and John Cusack, which is now an 8-book series. She is the New York Times, USA Today, and international bestselling author of 22 fun and inspiring books. If you have a buried dream, take it from Claire, it is NEVER too late! Join Claire’s newsletter list to receive your free welcome gift and stay in the loop for new releases, giveaways and insider extras at ClaireCook.com.
“Claire Cook has done it again. Must Love Dogs: Bark & Roll Forever is another fun visit with the irrepressible Sarah Hurlihy and her family . . . so likable and real.”—Looking on the Sunnyside “Reading about how life goes for this wacky marvelously lovable family becomes addictive.”—Examiner Sarah and John are finally going to move in together. But where? And what’s up with Sarah’s ex enrolling his twins at Bayberry Preschool and Sarah’s wasband’s wife trying to sell Sarah’s house right out from under her? Sarah’s new teaching assistant has a secret, her niece Siobhan has a boyfriend who could be trouble, and her dad has a new job working for the Bark & Roll Forever ladies as well as plans to date at least one of them! "These characters are so engaging I would probably enjoy reading about them sitting around discussing dish soap, but fortunately, the plot here is fresh, heartfelt, and always moving forward—not to mention laugh-out-loud funny.—Book Perfume “This totally delightful novel reads like a Hallmark movie.”—New York Journal of Books From Claire Cook, New York Times, USA Today, and #1 Amazon bestselling author of the much-loved novel-turned-movie starring Diane Lane and John Cusack, comes Must Love Dogs: Bark & Roll Forever, Book 4 of the hilarious and heartwarming Must Love Dogs series. The Must Love Dogs series: Must Love Dogs (#1) Must Love Dogs: New Leash on Life (#2) Must Love Dogs: Fetch You Later (#3) Must Love Dogs: Bark & Roll Forever (#4) Must Love Dogs: Who Let the Cats In? (#5) Must Love Dogs: A Howliday Tail (#6) Must Love Dogs: Hearts & Barks (#7) Must Love Dogs: Lucky Enough (#8) “Wildy witty"—USA Today "Cook dishes up plenty of charm."—San Francisco Chronicle "Funny and pitch perfect."—Chicago Tribune "A HOOT"—The Boston Globe "A hilariously original tale about dating and its place in a modern woman's life."—Book Page "This utterly charming novel by Cook is a fun read, perfect for whiling away an afternoon on the beach."—Library Journal (5 stars!) "If you haven't read a Claire Cook book yet, start with this one. You don't need to have read the first book, but why not grab that one, too, and read it? Her books are like potato chips—you can't have just one!"—Pamela Kramer, National Book Reviewer, Examiner CLAIRE COOK wrote her first novel in her minivan at 45. At 50, she walked the red carpet at the Hollywood premiere of the movie adaptation of her novel, Must Love Dogs, starring Diane Lane and John Cusack, which is now an 8-book series. She is the New York Times, USA Today, and international bestselling author of 22 fun and inspiring books. If you have a buried dream, take it from Claire, it is NEVER too late! Go to ClaireCook.com for your free gift, 41 Essential Quotes To Get Your Glow On, exclusively for newsletter subscribers. You’ll also be the first to find out when Claire's next book comes out and stay in the loop for giveaways and insider extras.
