The Dog Days of Summer
Fetch Stories of Man’s Best Friend at your Yorktown Public Library!
I discovered while browsing the Farmers’ Almanac website that the phrase Dog Days of Summer:
“...refers to the sultry, oppressive weeks of summer (traditionally July 3 to August 11). It traces back to ancient Greek and Roman astrology. They believed that the star Sirius—the "Dog Star"—rose alongside the sun, and its immense brightness combined with the sun's heat to cause the sweltering weather. “
In honor of the dog days of summer, YPL has unleashed several canine capers. Keep reading to dig up materials that are absolutely top dog.
CHILDREN’S COLLECTION
Because of Winn Dixie by Kate DiCamillo
The summer Opal and her father, the preacher, move to Florida, Opal goes into the Winn-Dixie supermarket--and comes out with a dog. A big, ugly, suffering dog with a sterling sense of humor. A dog she dubs Winn-Dixie. Because of Winn-Dixie, the preacher tells Opal ten things about her absent mother, one for each year Opal has been alive. Winn-Dixie is better at making friends than anyone Opal has ever known, and together they meet several people including the local librarian, Miss Franny Block, who once fought off a bear with a copy of War and Peace.
Opal spends all that sweet summer collecting stories about her new friends and thinking about her mother. But because of Winn-Dixie or perhaps because she has grown, Opal learns to let go, just a little, and that friendship--and forgiveness--can sneak up on you like a sudden summer storm.
Clifford the Big Red Dog by Norman Bridwell
This is how it all began. In 1963, Norman Bridwell published his very first Clifford book and kids have loved Clifford ever since. He's an adorable dog whose well-meaning bumblings have great kid appeal. Clifford is everyone's favorite big red dog!
BONUS: This material is also available an audiobook.
The Incredible Journey by Sheila Every Burnford
An inquisitive Labrador retriever, friendly bull terrier, and courageous Siamese cat set out through the Canadian wilderness to find their owner in this truly "incredible" adventure. Instinct tells them that the way home lies to the west and together the three house pets face hunger, the natural elements, and wild forest animals as they make their way home to the family they love. The lengths to which these three animals will go for each other and for their owner make for a thrilling and thoroughly unforgettable tale.
BONUS: This material is also available as an eBook and an audiobook.
Ribsy by Beverly Cleary
Good ol' Ribsy's ever-curious mind has always gotten him into trouble, but this time he may have gone too far. After a comical turn of events, Ribsy finds himself in the wrong station wagon with the wrong children. Ribsy will do anything to find Henry, but there's plenty of excitement to be had along the way--and scoring a touchdown for a local high school team is only part of the fun!
BONUS: This material is also available as an eBook and an audiobook.
The Original Adventures of Hank the Cowdog by John R. Erickson
Hank has been accused of murder! In a fit of despair, Hank resigns his position as Head of Ranch Security and decides to join the outlaw coyotes. There he's known as Hunk (that's Hank in coyote language). Hank meets Missy Coyote, sister to Scraunch -- the meanest, roughest, toughest, most notorious coyote in the whole country. If Scraunch found Hank with his sister... Well, look out for trouble!
BONUS: This material is also available as an eBook and an audiobook.
Pig the Pug by Aaron Blabey
Pig is a greedy and selfish Pug. He has all the bouncy balls, bones, and chew toys a dog could ever want yet he refuses to share with his poor friend, Trevor. Little does he know, however, that being greedy has its consequences. Join Pig as he learns to share - the hard way! Young readers will love the irresistibly quirky and funny illustrations that are paired with a relatable lesson of learning to share with others. For dog and pet lovers everywhere.
BONUS: This material is also available as an eBook.
ADULT COLLECTION
Dead Men Don’t Play Fetch by David Rosenfelt
This book series focuses on lawyer Andy Carpenter. In this book, it is Carpenter’s dream to retire. That goal is once again thwarted when he gets a call from Lou, an old friend who he simply cannot refuse, asking for a favor. Lou runs a rehab center, and when one of his patients, a homeless veteran, is charged with first degree murder, he needs Andy's help. And of course, Andy will also be called on to care for the accused's dog, but that's okay: What's one more dog? Once again, Andy is enmeshed in a puzzling, twisty case. But in order to reunite a man and his dog, Andy will have to untangle it all.
BONUS: This material is also available as an eBook and an audiobook.
The Art of Racing in the Rain by Garth Stein
Nearing the end of his life, Enzo, a dog with a philosopher's soul, tries to bring together a family pulled apart by a three year custody battle between daughter Zoe's maternal grandparents and her father Denny, a race car driver.
BONUS: This material is also available as an eBook and an audiobook.
Dog On It by Spencer Quinn
Meet Chet, the wise and lovable canine narrator of Dog on It, who works alongside Bernie, a down-on-his-luck private investigator. Chet might have flunked out of police school, but he's a detective through and through. In this, their first adventure, Chet and Bernie investigate the disappearance of a teenage girl who may or may not have been kidnapped, but who has definitely gotten mixed up with some very unsavory characters Their search for clues takes them into the desert to biker bars and other exotic locals, with Chet's highly trained nose leading the way. Both Chet and Bernie bring their own special skills to the hunt, one that puts each of them in peril. But even as the bad guys try to turn the tables, this duo is nothing if not resourceful, and the result is an uncommonly satisfying adventure. With his doggy ways and his endearingly hardboiled voice, Chet is full of heart and occasionally prone to mischief. He is intensely loyal to Bernie, who, though distracted by issues that Chet has difficulty understanding -- like divorce, child custody, and other peculiar human concerns -- is enormously likable himself, in his flawed, all-too-human way.
BONUS: This material is also available as an audiobook.
ON THE LIBBY APP
Dog Star (eBook) by Megan Shepherd
Based on an incredible true story, Carnegie Medal nominee and New York Times-bestselling author Megan Shepherd crafts a harrowing, propulsive girl-and-her-dog tale that will linger in your heart long after the last page. Laika is a Cold Dog, a stray pup fighting for her life on the streets of Moscow. Then, one winter night, she is plucked from her alley to become a Starflyer, a dog trained to travel into space. Distrustful of people, Laika tries to do everything she can to escape. That is, until she meets Nina.
Nina is a Cold Girl, lonely and full of questions. Her best friend has moved to America in a rush, leaving Nina to face the school bullies all by herself. Plus, her father's work as a scientist in the Soviet Space Program grows more secretive by the day.
When the two meet in her father's laboratory, their growing bond slowly warms the chill that has settled in each other's hearts. As the Space Race between the United States and the Soviet Union grows fierce, Laika and Nina uncover shocking secrets and hard truths that will test their friendship. How will they find the courage to chase their dreams all the way to the stars?
Cujo by Stephen King (audiobook)
Cujo used to be a big friendly dog, lovable and loyal to his trinity (THE MAN, THE WOMAN and THE BOY) and everyone around him. Cujo always did his best to not be a bad dog. That all ends on the day this nearly two-hundred-pound Saint Bernard makes the mistake of chasing a rabbit into a hidden underground cave, setting off a tragic chain of events. Now Cujo is no longer himself as he is slowly overcome by a growing sickness, one that consumes his mind even as his once affable thoughts turn uncontrollably and inexorably to hatred and murder. Cujo is about to become the center of a horrifying vortex that will inescapably draw in everyone around him--a relentless reign of terror, fury, and madness from which no one in Castle Rock will truly be safe.
BONUS: This material is also available as an eBook.
Elatsoe (eBook) by Darcie Little Badger
A Texas teen comes face-to-face with a cousin's ghost and vows to unmask the murderer. Elatsoe--Ellie for short--lives in an alternate contemporary America shaped by the ancestral magics and knowledge of its Indigenous and immigrant groups. She can raise the spirits of dead animals--most importantly, her ghost dog Kirby. When her beloved cousin dies, all signs point to a car crash, but his ghost tells her otherwise: He was murdered. Who killed him and how did he die?
The Downstairs Girl (audiobook) by Stacey Lee
With Bear, her beloved and fiercely loyal dog who is always by her side, seventeen-year-old Jo Kuan works by day as a lady's maid for the cruel daughter of one of the wealthiest men in Atlanta. By night, Jo moonlights as the pseudonymous author of a newspaper advice column for the genteel Southern lady, "Dear Miss Sweetie." When her column becomes wildly popular, she uses the power of the pen to address some of society's ills, but she's not prepared for the backlash that follows when her column challenges fixed ideas about race and gender.
BONUS: This material is also available as an eBook.
Fluke (eBook) by James Herbert
Fluke is the moving story of a dog with the memories of a human. This dog wanders the streets, compelled by a ravenous hunger. Hunting prey he cannot define, driven by a primal instinct he cannot ignore. He is more than he thinks, more than he can remember and in the depths of his brain the memory of what he once was is clawing for release.
Watchers (eBook) by Dean Koontz
On his thirty-sixth birthday, Travis Cornell hikes into the foothills of the Santa Ana Mountains. But his path is soon blocked by a bedraggled Golden Retriever who will let him go no further into the dark woods. That morning, Travis had been desperate to find some happiness in his lonely, seemingly cursed life. What he finds is a dog of alarming intelligence that soon leads him into a relentless storm of mankind's darkest creation.
DVD COLLECTION
The heartwarming 'tail' of a young girl whose life is changed by a scruffy, fun-loving pooch she names Winn-Dixie. The special bond between them works magic on her reserved dad and the eccentric townspeople they meet during one unforgettable summer.
This is a heartfelt tale narrated by a witty and philosophical dog named Enzo. Through his bond with his owner Denny, an aspiring Formula One racecar driver, Enzo has gained tremendous insight into the human condition and understands that the techniques needed on the racetrack can also be used to successfully navigate the journey of life. The film follows Denny and the loves of his life, his wife, Eve, their daughter Zoe, and his best friend, Enzo.
In rural Maine, Vic and Donna Trenton struggle to repair their crumbling marriage, while their young son Tad befriends a hulking, lovable, 200-pound St. Bernard named Cujo. The once-docile dog undergoes a hideous transformation, becoming a slavering, demonic, implacable killer. Confronting the madness that threatens to overtake the family members, the Trentons discover the strength to face their fear and the courage to fight for their survival.
An orphaned fox cub and a hound puppy become best friends, but as they grow older they grow apart, until the day their friendship is put to the ultimate test.
Benji-The Ultimate 4 Movie Collection
This collection includes the following movies:
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Benji
The colorful canine made his appearance in this "shaggy dog story" of a story who helps police and parents track two kidnapped children--winning himself a real home.
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Benji Off the Leash
Lost and alone on the streets of a small Mississippi town, Benji struggles to save his mom from a backyard puppy mill, avoiding two dopey dogcatchers...and an unwanted sidekick.
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For the Love of Benji
While en route to a vacation in Greece with his family, a passenger "borrows" Benji for just long enough to tattoo a mysterious message on his paw. Separated from his family in Athens, Benji finds himself on the run from an assortment of international spies searching for the message in another exciting Benji adventure.
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Benji's Very Own Christmas Story
In this 1978 special, nominated for an Emmy as Outstanding Children's Program, Benji encounters Kris Kringle.