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Reading Rockets' children's literature expert, Maria Salvadore, brings you into her world as she explores the best ways to use kids' books both inside — and outside — of the classroom.
Love that dog
There are all kinds of tugs at heartstrings particularly during the holiday season. Many of these have to do with animals.
Some families will consider getting a pet, some will support animal charities, and some children may even lose a pet.
Our dog, a longtime family member, has become ill recently. And even though our son is a teenager, how will he handle her eventual death? They've grown a lot together.
Will he remember how the boy in Sharon Creech's touching novel, Love That Dog (HarperCollins) comes to grips with the loss of his dog? How poetry — and meeting writer Walter Dean Myers, helped?
Books and stories often linger long after the conclusion. Children draw on those vicarious experiences — the positive and the not-so-positive perhaps when they need those stories the most.
Because of the power of story, the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) "recognizes an exceptional children's book with a humane focus on animals or the environment with the KIND Children's Book Award."
In fact, the HSUS website is a good place for parents thinking of getting a pet during the holiday season.
So here's to health and happiness during the season — for people — and their pets!
