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My Life in Dog Years

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Paperback
$7.99 US
5.19"W x 7.56"H x 0.38"D   | 4 oz | 48 per carton
On sale Jun 08, 1999 | 144 Pages | 978-0-440-41471-1
Age 8-12 years | Grades 3-7
Reading Level: Lexile 1150L | Fountas & Pinnell S
Gary Paulsen has owned dozens of unforgettable and amazing dogs. In each chapter he tells of one special dog, among them Cookie, the sled dog who saved his life; Snowball, the puppy he owned as a boy in the Philippines; Ike, his mysterious hunting companion; Dirk, the grim protector; and his true friend Josh, a brilliant border collie.
  • WINNER | 1999
    ALA Quick Pick for Young Adult Reluctant Readers
  • WINNER | 1999
    Maine Student Book Master List
  • NOMINEE | 2001
    Illinois Rebecca Caudill Young Readers Award
* "Guaranteed to charm animal lovers and Paulsen's fans. . . . Something to please at every turn of the page. . . . This honest, unpretentious celebration of dogs further entrenches his reputation as an author who is as successful at writing nonfiction as he is at writing novels."
--Booklist, starred review

"Paulsen is a master storyteller with a dry wit. . . . Gives readers a real sense of how the man looks at these animals."
--School Library Journal

* "Here's a treat to make Paulsen fans sit up and beg for more.... His writing percolates with energetic love."
--Publishers Weekly, starred review
© Tim Keating
Gary Paulsen is the distinguished author of many critically acclaimed books for young people, including three Newbery Honor books: The Winter Room, Hatchet, and Dogsong. He won the Margaret A. Edwards Award given by the American Library Association for his lifetime achievement in young adult literature. Among his Random House books are Road Trip (written with his son, Jim Paulsen); Family Ties; Vote; Crush; Flat Broke; Liar, Liar; Paintings from the Cave; Woods Runner; Masters of Disaster; Lawn Boy; Notes from the Dog; The Amazing Life of Birds; Molly McGinty Has a Really Good Day; How Angel Peterson Got His Name; Guts; and five books about Francis Tucket's adventures in the Old West. Gary Paulsen has also published fiction and nonfiction for adults. He divides his time between his home in Alaska, his ranch in New Mexico, and his sailboat on the Pacific Ocean. View titles by Gary Paulsen
I am--I say this with some pride and not a little wonder--a "dog person." I make no excuses for unabashedly loving them--all of them, even some that have bitten me. I have always had dogs and will have dogs until I die. I have rescued dozens of dogs from pounds, always have five or six of them around me, and cannot imagine living without dogs. They are wonderful and, I think, mandatory for decent human life.

All that said, there are some dogs that are different, special in amazing ways....

About

Gary Paulsen has owned dozens of unforgettable and amazing dogs. In each chapter he tells of one special dog, among them Cookie, the sled dog who saved his life; Snowball, the puppy he owned as a boy in the Philippines; Ike, his mysterious hunting companion; Dirk, the grim protector; and his true friend Josh, a brilliant border collie.

Awards

  • WINNER | 1999
    ALA Quick Pick for Young Adult Reluctant Readers
  • WINNER | 1999
    Maine Student Book Master List
  • NOMINEE | 2001
    Illinois Rebecca Caudill Young Readers Award

Praise

* "Guaranteed to charm animal lovers and Paulsen's fans. . . . Something to please at every turn of the page. . . . This honest, unpretentious celebration of dogs further entrenches his reputation as an author who is as successful at writing nonfiction as he is at writing novels."
--Booklist, starred review

"Paulsen is a master storyteller with a dry wit. . . . Gives readers a real sense of how the man looks at these animals."
--School Library Journal

* "Here's a treat to make Paulsen fans sit up and beg for more.... His writing percolates with energetic love."
--Publishers Weekly, starred review

Author

© Tim Keating
Gary Paulsen is the distinguished author of many critically acclaimed books for young people, including three Newbery Honor books: The Winter Room, Hatchet, and Dogsong. He won the Margaret A. Edwards Award given by the American Library Association for his lifetime achievement in young adult literature. Among his Random House books are Road Trip (written with his son, Jim Paulsen); Family Ties; Vote; Crush; Flat Broke; Liar, Liar; Paintings from the Cave; Woods Runner; Masters of Disaster; Lawn Boy; Notes from the Dog; The Amazing Life of Birds; Molly McGinty Has a Really Good Day; How Angel Peterson Got His Name; Guts; and five books about Francis Tucket's adventures in the Old West. Gary Paulsen has also published fiction and nonfiction for adults. He divides his time between his home in Alaska, his ranch in New Mexico, and his sailboat on the Pacific Ocean. View titles by Gary Paulsen

Excerpt

I am--I say this with some pride and not a little wonder--a "dog person." I make no excuses for unabashedly loving them--all of them, even some that have bitten me. I have always had dogs and will have dogs until I die. I have rescued dozens of dogs from pounds, always have five or six of them around me, and cannot imagine living without dogs. They are wonderful and, I think, mandatory for decent human life.

All that said, there are some dogs that are different, special in amazing ways....