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Puppies, Dogs, and Blue Northers: Reflections on Being Raised by a Pack of Sled Dogs
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About Puppies, Dogs, And Blue Northers: Reflections On
Product Description An experienced Iditarod racer and award-winning author describes his joy at the birth of a litter of pups and the bonding experience of watching them grow, learn, and develop into dogs that pull sleds across the snow. Amazon.com Review Three of Gary Paulsen's books have made it to the Newbery Honor list: , and . Puppies, Dogs, and Blue Northers is a good bet to join the previous three on that list. This loving biography relates the story of Cookie, Paulsen's dog and friend and the lead dog for the Iditarod sled race in Alaska. The book begins with Cookie's last litter and ends when the arthritic old dog heads out the door for the last time. It is a story no dog lover will be able to resist. From Publishers Weekly Paulsen is at the top of his form in this tribute to his sled dog Cookie, previously introduced in the adult title Winterdance: The Fine Madness of Running the Iditarod. With the same rugged reverence for wilderness that underscores his classic Hatchet, Paulsen trains a sharp eye on the dogs and puppies he kenneled in his northern Minnesota home and trained as sled dogs until heart disease obliged his retirement from the sport. Elizabeth Marshall Thomas might envy his powers of observation as he reports on the dogs' behavior (including the dogs' conscious attempts to teach the pups various skills). The finest moments belong to Cookie, who more than once saved Paulsen's life. She emerges heroically, a formidable presence whose animal nature is unsoftened by any anthropomorphisms. The high-quality production?fine paper stock; the paintings included as plates; etc.?will make it easy to cross-shelve this book alongside adult titles; it would be a shame to use age to limit the readership of this soulful and stirring tale, a love story every bit as much as an adventure story. Ages 10-up. Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc. From School Library Journal Grade 6 Up-In seven vignettes, Paulsen recounts the story of his lead dog, Cookie, as she mates and gives birth, and her puppies mature toward their destiny-to race and pull sleds. Readers are drawn into that special bond between driver and lead dog through Paulsen's real-life experiences racing in Minnesota. (Keep a tissue handy for the last chapter, "Last Run.") Ruth Wright Paulsen's occasional paintings add warmth and charm to the book. The audience for this title is a problem, due to Paulsen's direct and often nostalgic writing style, although interested teens will read it. Those who loved the author's Woodsong (S & S, 1990) will find this new, "slimmer" volume to be a welcome addition. Mollie Bynum, formerly at Chester Valley Elementary School, Anchorage, AK Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc. From Kirkus Reviews Readers who aren't misled by the New Age subtitle--``Reflections on Being Raised by a Pack of Sled Dogs''--will find themselves along on a wonderful ride. Paulsen (Brian's Winter, 1996, etc.) is not known for writing love stories, but that's exactly what this lyrical, tender account is, showcasing Cookie, his primary lead dog for some 14,000 miles (including the path of the Iditarod), who saved Paulsen's life more than once. It's also the story of one of Cookie's litters of pups and the joy and inspiration Paulsen found in watching them learn and grow. He has fascinating tales to tell about how Cookie and the other adult dogs trained them. All wasn't work for the pups; the fun they had when Paulsen broke one of the cardinal rules for raising pups and let them into his house makes for a sidesplitting tale. The story remains, always, Cookie's, and when the day comes that she can no longer run because of arthritis, it nearly breaks her heart- -and Paulsen's too. Upon learning that his health will no longer permit him to run either, man and dog settle into a different life, one of domestic companionship, until Cookie's blessedly peaceful death (there will be, as they say, no dry eyes in the house). ``Such a
