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Our Bookshop Store is Up!

We finally have our Bookshop store up! It’s a work in progress, and I’m constantly adding new books I find or remember, but it’s finally up and running. If you like print books, please consider buying through our page there. All proceeds go back to the organization since we are a nonprofit. For readers who prefer audiobooks and ebooks, we will be setting up our partnerships with audiobook and ebook companies soon as well.

Also, since we are now a nonprofit, this website will soon be shifting over to MyCatJeoffryBooks.org. This site will soon re-direct there.

We are hoping to open in brick and mortar form in Spring 2021. We will definitely keep you posted!

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LOUISIANA’S WAY HOME by Kate DiCamillo

Lovely book we discovered the other day at the Chandler Public Library. LOUISIANA’S WAY HOME by one of our favorite middle-grade authors, Kate DiCamillo, tells the story of Louisiana Elefante, a young girl whose parents have died and who is living with her grandmother.

One day, her granny insists they must leave their home permanently as the day of reckoning has arrived. Granny has done this before but this time Louisiana knows it’s serious. They drive off, leaving behind everything Louisiana has ever known, including close friends, and a beloved dog and cat.

When Granny’s emergency need for medical care causes them to stop momentarily, Louisiana meets some new friends, namely a boy named Burke and his crow, who end up helping her discover who she really is and find home.

Granny, who seems mentally ill, though that term is never used, is irresponsible to the point of being borderline abusive, but somehow you can’t hate her. Louisiana’s voice is so original, so compelling and engaging, you can’t stop turning the pages until you’re sure she ends up well. Readers originally met Louisiana in another DiCamillo book I haven’t yet read, RAYMIE NIGHTINGALE, which of course I now must read.

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A Couple More Beautiful Picture Books: LOST IN THE LIBRARY and LADYBUG GIRL AND THE RESCUE DOGS

A couple more beautiful picture books I picked up at the recent Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators conference in Arizona. LOST IN THE LIBRARY tells the sweet story of the lions who sit guard in front of the main library in New York. In real life, of course, they are statues, but here they are given names – Patience and Fortitude – and they come to life, particularly at night. One morning Fortitude wakes up to see Patience is not there. He must explore the vast library searching for his friend so that they are both in place by the time guests begin arriving. Sweet story by Josh Funk and beautifully illustrated by Stevie Lewis. This is one of my favorite places in the world and made me miss New York badly!

LADYBUG GIRL AND THE RESCUE DOGS is a wonderful addition to the popular LADYBUG GIRL series by David Soman and Jacky Davis. This one focuses on rescue animals. Ladybug girl and her friends are in the park one day for a farmers market when she sees some tents off to the side bearing “adoption” signs and lots of fun-looking dogs. She wanders over to meet the dogs and rescue workers and wonders why no one else is coming over. Ladybug girl is clever and devises a way to get more people to see the animals, and even gets a few of them adopted! She and her friends, Bumblebee Boy and Grasshopper Girl determine to come back to the park every week to help with more adoptions. Love!

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Two Lovely Picture Books: RESCUE & JESSICA and BEFORE YOU WERE MINE

We bought these beautiful picture books while at the Best Friends National Conference two weeks ago.

The first, Rescue & Jessica: A Life-Changing Friendship, written by Jessica Kensky and Patrick Downes is based on a true story. In the book, Rescue, a service dog, befriends Jessica, a double-amputee. The real-life Jessica (Kensky herself) is a survivor of the Boston Marathon bombing, though the Jessica of the book is based on a younger version of herself. Co-writer Downes, Kensky’s partner, is also a survivor of that bombing. Rescue is the dog who assists Jessica and brings her back to life and happiness after tragedy.

I was amazed at all the things Rescue can do. Aside from barking for help if Jessica falls, he can open things hard for her to reach, make a phone call, and help her cross a  busy city street by tapping on the “walk” button with his paw. But, ultimately, the most important thing Rescue gives Jessica is love, and vice versa. Sweet, and very informative story about the remarkable talents of service dogs with realistic, detailed illustrations by Scott Magoon.

Before You Were Mine by Maribeth Boelts is a sweet story about a boy who adopts a rescue dog. The boy wonders all kinds of things about his new little pup, such as what kind of family he had previously, why they gave him up, and whether he ever slept on cold streets and in dark alleys – things anyone who’s ever adopted a shelter animal thinks about. But, ultimately, the boy realizes – as we all do – that none of that really matters. All that matters is that they belong to each other now.  Charming watercolor illustrations by David Walker bring to life this touching tale encouraging adoption.

Picture books are among our favorites since they teach children to love, understand, and respect animals 🙂

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Review, THE GIRL WHO DRANK THE MOON

Normally, I focus on books about or starring animals as main characters, but this middle-grade novel was too brilliant to pass up! And, it has a couple of fantastical animals – a sweet little dragon named Fyrion, and an equally endearing huge swamp creature named Glerk. Both characters stole my heart, along with the humans, which are also a bit fantastical, since many possess some degree of magic.

The Girl Who Drank the Moon, by Kelly Barnhill, very deservedly won the 2017 Newbery Medal for children’s writing. At the beginning the book reminded me of Shirley Jackson’s “The Lottery.” The townspeople – living in a place called The Protectorate – blindly believe that a witch demands they leave the first-born baby of the season for her consumption. Of course, whichever unlucky family must deliver their baby to her, by leaving it out in the forest, suffers unbelievable sorrow, some mothers never fully recovering. This is what happens to a woman who must leave her baby girl, later named Luna, the protagonist.

But who originated this story of the witch? Is she real? And what really happens to the babies left out in the forest? And what if someone begins to question conventional wisdom?

This book is amazing in the breadth of its themes: the power of myth, the ownership of a story, belief that is allowed to go unchallenged, truth, falseness, lies. Then, as the story goes on, the themes turn to love, forgiveness, and hope triumphing over despair. It’s a story for our times and it’s a beautiful one people’d by deeply endearing, enchanting characters and a twisting, turning plot that keeps you on the edge of your seat – whether you’re a kid or an adult!

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Best Friends Animal Society National Conference 2018!

Just got back from the Best Friends National Conference and I am so invigorated and inspired and amazed at all the good work being done out there on behalf of animals! It was my first time at this convention and I met the most wonderful people.

Photo above: I got to meet author / screenwriter W. Bruce Cameron at the members only opening night party. Do become a BF member, by the way: it’s one of the best ways you can spend $25. And I was so excited to meet Cameron. He is one of my favorite “dog authors.” I can’t wait to read his latest – A Dog’s Way Home, and see the movie, which comes out in January!

I also got to meet the adorable and very cuddly internet sensation, Sunglass Cat! What a sweetie. She was born without eyelids so her mom has to give her frequent eye drops and she wears little sunglasses for protection. She really loved being held, and passed around from person to person 🙂

The excellent Jackson Galaxy was there, giving a very informative and entertaining lecture on his Cat Pawsitive program. His discussion of the awesomeness of cat cafes and how they are helping to get people to adoptable cats in new ways really inspired me to get my own bookstore / cat lounge open.

As did a little bookshop the conference had set up. So many books, and the store area was ALWAYS packed. Animals and books just go together! Above are all the ones I bought. Funny, but I listen to the Our Hen House podcast (excellent podcast about animals, with an emphasis on veganism, by the way!) and the second book from the left in the top row – The Animal Lover’s Guide to Changing the World  by Stephanie Feldstein – was the subject of their latest podcast, which I listened to after the conference. Now I’m all the more excited to read that one!

After the conference, we took a little tour of the Best Friends’ NKLA adoption center in West LA. What a beautiful place filled with wonderful adoptable cats and dogs.

Our tour guide mentioned that they have a “read to cats” program at their Mission Hills location up in the Valley, whereby parents can bring their kids just learning to read to read to the cats. It helps both kids with their reading skills and the cats, many of whom love to be cuddled and read to! I signed up to receive information about their program since I definitely want to do that here as well.

I’m a bit overwhelmed with all the information I received – grant writing, fundraising, marketing adoptable animals, building an organization, networking with other nonprofits, promotion, etc. etc. etc. – combined with all the info I’m receiving from the American Booksellers Association on opening a bookstore. But I really want to do this, and the conference made me all the more excited about it!

So no time for lazing around, as this little cutie was in the NKLA kitten room 🙂

 

 

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Review of GOOD DOG by Dan Gemeinhart

This is a time when I wish I had a good book club for animal lovers because I’d so love to discuss this one with others! GOOD DOG is a middle-grade novel by well-regarded author Dan Gemeinhart. The book begins with Brodie having died and gone to a place between earth and heaven. He senses that the boy he has just left down on earth, Aiden, is in trouble and he wants to go back down and help him before going off to the Forever. But in doing so, he risks losing his soul and living in darkness forever. It’s a risk he has to take to save his boy.

Along the way he meets Tuck, a lovable pit bull, and Patsy, a tough-talking but deep down goodhearted tabby, who are both in the same situation but decide to help Brodie instead of focusing on their own humans. To find Aiden, they have to battle the hellhounds, dark dogs who’ve lost their souls and now need to feed on the light of others. I was on the edge of my seat the whole way through their search for Aiden.

The stories of how each animal died are all so sad and overall this was a real tearjerker. But the expressions of love between each animal and their human and especially between Brodie and Aiden are so beautiful, so moving. I think this is a book kids – and adults who love a good story! – will cherish.

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Review of CHESTER AND GUS by Cammie McGovern

Absolutely loved this middle-grade novel by Cammie McGovern. Chester, a chocolate lab, has failed his certification as a service dog due to his fear of loud noises, to his mother’s dismay. Chester feels badly at displeasing his family so. But his trainer, Penny, says he may still serve as a therapy dog, since those standards aren’t so rigorous. The family who adopts Chester needs him to work with their ten-year-old son, Gus, who is autistic and can’t speak. Chester must help Gus fit in at his school and out in the world. But Gus doesn’t seem to like Chester much. Until Chester finds a way to get through to his new best friend. It’s a beautiful story full of twists and turns and I found myself on the edge of my seat at several points, cheering for these two wonderful heroes.

Jeoffry gives this heartwarming, entertaining book for kids five delicious bonito flakes!

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Do Some Wolf Yoga with Moon!

After our reading of the mesmerizing A Wolf Called Romeo, we just loved the idea of this debut picture book by Alison Oliver called MOON. It’s about a little girl who leads a very busy life. She longs to take a break from it all and find her true self. She meets a wolf who helps her do just that by exploring her wild side! Try out some wild wolf yoga poses here. 

Thank you to Book Riot for alerting us to this gem!

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Review of THE ONE AND ONLY IVAN, by Katherine Applegate

Our sister, Rhea, poses with our copy of the book. Ivan’s coloring on the cover kind of matches her coat 🙂

The One and Only Ivan is an excellent novel by Katherine Applegate, and it very deservedly won the Newbery Medal for children’s literature in 2013. Set in a small circus, it stars Ivan the gorilla, billed as “the Mighty Silverback” by Mack, the circus owner, Stella and little Ruby, the elephants, and a stray dog named Bob, who befriends them. Mack doesn’t treat the animals very well, unsurprisingly. Particularly the elephants, who are prodded with a claw stick, sometimes harmfully, into performing tricks. And they are kept in too-small cages. When the older elephant, Stella, becomes too injured to perform, and George begins beating sweet, young Ruby into submission so she will take over Stella’s tricks, Ivan becomes determined to save her.

Ivan happens to be an artistically inclined gorilla, who can make drawings with crayons and paint. Mack tries to capitalize on Ivan’s talents by selling the paintings. But Ivan outsmarts him and uses the artwork for something more.

Ivan is based on a real gorilla, also named Ivan, who lived in a tiny cage in a shopping mall circus and, after public outcry, was moved to Zoo Atlanta. He also painted, signing his name with a thumbprint.

This is a wonderful book, and the fact that it’s based on a true story, makes it all the more compelling. Non-human animals do have talents, complex inner worlds, and dreams, and they don’t like being in cages any more than humans do.

We give this one five bonito flakes, and can’t wait to read more books by Ms. Applegate!