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Third Graders Are Reading Barking Planet Books to Dogs
Reading to dogs, by third graders in the Longfellow Elementary School in Sheboygan, Wisconsin, is having a definite positive impact on their skills and enthusiasm for reading.
Julie Hauck, the teacher who developed this innovative program, is measuring the results and is producing a study, backed by statistical analysis, that substantiates the positive impact of the program.
Planet Of The Dogs and Castle In The Mist have been chosen as core books for the program -- Pages For Preston.
Preston -- a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel -- is the dog in these photos taken in the classroom.
Jezebel, the second dog currently in the program, is a Papillon.
Here are some comments regarding Planet Of The Dogs made by the children in Wisconsin:
"The kids and the dogs can teach adults a lesson." "The dogs use Daisy and Bean because kids have more love than adults." "I like that there is different places for different kinds of dogs, like Waggy Valley and Muttville." "This book is good because it teaches about problem solving." "The book is good because it teaches about friendship." "The dogs can understand the kids and the kids can understand the dogs."
In April, Julie Hauck made a presentation of the Pages For Preston program at the Wisconsin Interlakes Reading Council. The presentation included a DVD of the children reading to the dogs, an appearance by Preston, and a copy of the Barking Planet books for all the attendees (43). The Council -- comprised of librarians, teachers, school psychologists, principals and other educational professionals -- gave the presentation a very warm reception.
"My students are absolutely enthralled with Planet Of The Dogs. I was in awe at their eagerness to learn about the characters and events in the story...to witness their applying character lessons from the book to their own peer interactions...We started reading Planet's sequel and my students beg to read these books during free time...great motivators...I highly recommend these books..." Julie Hauck
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"The one absolutely unselfish friend that man can have in this selfish world. the one that never deserts him, the one that never proves ungrateful or treacherous, is his dog."-
Samuel Coleridge (Table-Talk 1830)
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A Voice of Love for Dogs There are times when we want to share with others a special experience in the world of books that connects us to the world of children and dogs. We recently read an adult book with many true stories that many children -- especially pet loving children -- would learn from and enjoy.
When we went to Ariel Wulff's Website, www.yelodoggie.com, we saw a charming array of original artwork that will delight children and dog lovers alike. The website has much more going on as the multi-talented Ms Wulff is clearly an involved and committed woman with a big heart and an engaging mind. Here are some samples from yelodoogie. Dogster's Book Club reads Planet Of The Dogs Dogster is an Internet home place for over 383,000 dog lovers (at the time of this post) to talk with each other through their dogs. Everyone posts photos and information, likes and dislikes, personality traits, diary entries and, often, videos about their dogs. One member, Michelle Slatalla, a writer for the New York Times, suggested that one think of Dogster as a Facebook for dogs. To have member's of Dogster's Dog Eared Book Club read Planet Of The Dogs was important to us. They are active dog-book readers, they would understand the backgound premises of the book, and they would be outspoken. We are Dogster members, and on the left you can see me giving one of Muddy's Munchies to our family dog, Dafi. There is also a Catster for cat lovers.
"I read the book in one sitting! I loved it. I can't wait until the human grandson is old enough so I can read it to him. The ideas behind the story are so heartwarming...I liked how you portrayed the immediate trust the children had for the dogs and how the adults were hesitant and more suspicious...keep those stories coming. It would make a great movie."-Sophie "I finished the book and enjoyed it all the way through. I'm not a real expert on kid's lit, but I especially liked the way the "bad" people learned from the dogs and became "good" people...the drawings are lovely and I only wish there were more of them." -- Cosmo
"Ancient Beliefs say that the definition of dog is: Loyalty, Bravery, Prudent, Responsible, Humble, and Honesty. Which is what all of your characters portray in Planet of the Dogs." -- Muddy "We also felt it was a good children's book that adults would enjoy.I bought it around Christmas time and really loved it; then, I gave it to a friend's 8 year old daughter who is dog-crazy. She read it almost in one day! It has great lessons to be learned by all ages" -- Wookie ...Thank you Dog Eared Book Club ........................ A Note on Dog Lovers... My sense of the reason for the ongoing growth of Dogster rests in large part on the member's shared experience of bonding. The bonding that takes place with dogs can be deep, hard to explain to others, and quite profound.
We learned that there are two new children's books now featuring a Castle In The Mist. Our book... Castle In The Mist, the sequel to Planet Of The Dogs, is an adventure...it takes place long, long ago, when dogs first started coming to planet earth. T Now, the dogs have learned that after a year of peace, the Stone City warriors are again preparing for war! The children of Bik, leader of the Stone City warriors, have been kidnapped and are being held in the Castle In The Mist. More dogs must come down to Earth to save the children from the Castle In The Mist and free the land of the forest people from the harsh rule of the Black Hawk tribe. And the dogs must avoid violence... The other book is totally different.
Do mermaids like dogs? ............................................................. "Watching Arnold run flat out in a large open space was unforgettable, and opened a window to something exceedingly ancient and precious -- a link to the first time that men followed dogs and hunted to live." --Daniel Pinkwater, The Soul Of A Dog The Fun Times Guide to Dogs is "the collective voice of dog owners sharing all the best stuff". Founder, editor and guide, Lynnette,for over 30 years has raised 10 different dogs, from puppies through adulthood. The "voice" of this site is down to earth, informed, practical and with a good sense of humor. The subject matter ranges from advice on dog issues, to road travel and dog books. They recently reviewed Planet Of The Dogs. Here are excerpts...to read it all, go to http://dogs.thefuntimesguide.com
Available on the Internet and through bookstores. Advance review excerpts: In Castle In The Mist, "Loving, brave dogs come to Earth to help oppressed forest people in this fantasy of kidnapping and war...short, inviting chapters keep the pace going. And, in spite of war, an underlying atmosphere of kindness prevails; there is little actual violence. Especially fine black and white illustrations add much understanding to the text. Young people who want a fast read will probably zip through the story and ask for more."-- Nancy Warren Ferrell, Juvenile Book Review Committee, Juneau Public Libraries... And from Nash Guyre, Age 8, Marblehead, Ma. -- "Castle In The Mist is a great book. If you're into danger, dogs and drama you will love it..." For more information visit our website www.planetofthedogs.net or our blog Http://barkingplanet.typepad.com In Castle In The Mist, the dogs must again come down to planet earth from The Planet Of The Dogs.
Winter is coming to the land of the Forest People, no one in this part of the world has ever seen a dog before, and the children, kidnapped by Prince Ukko, must be freed from the Castle In The Mist. The story takes place long, long ago, when dogs first came down to planet earth... CASTLE IN THE MIST WILL BE AVAILABLE MARCH 10. Here is an ADVANCE REVIEW from Alaska:
We recently received a message "from one dog lover to another" that passed along a touching story told by a veterinarian demonstrating, once again, a child's understanding of dogs. The vet couldn't save a family dog, a ten year old Irish Wolfhound named Belker. He offered to perform a euthanasia procedure at the house of Linda, Ron and their six year old son, Shane. In the words of the veterinarian, this is what happened: "I felt a familiar catch in my throat as Belker's family surrouded him. Shane seemed so calm, petting the old dog for the last time, that I wondered if he understood what was going on. Within a very short time, Belker slipped peacefully away. The little boy seemed to accept Belker's transition without any difficulty or confusion. We sat together for a while after Belker's death, wondering aloud about the sad fact that animal lives are shorter than human lives. Shane, who had been listening quietly, piped up, 'I know why!...People are born so that they can learn how to live a good life - like loving everybody all the time and being nice, right? Well, dogs already know how to do that, so they don't have to stay as long.' " *************************
How do two dogs and their families become friends when separated by the Atlantic Ocean?
Answer: Their families find that each brings something different, something special to the other. It happened to us...
The dogs: Muddrella-waters aka Muddy, an 8 year old Boxer- Chinese Shar-Pei with a wonderful, soulful face...an ASPCA adoption, a...rescued puppy who lives in upstate New York lake country with a "mom" who, in addition to being a dog lover, bakes wonderful, all natural, made to order dog treats.
Our family dog is Dafi, a 6 year old Belgian Shepherd with an excellent disposition and appetite...Dafi lives in Helsinki, Finland...Just before Xmas, a surprise treat of Muddy's Munchies arrived for Dafi. He ate them with gusto and always hoped for more. Every day for a week, Dafi had a smile and a wag when he saw the bag of cookie munchies appear.
Dafi's happy week of Munchies began several weeks before when his "mom" posted this review of Planet Of The Dogs in a Forum on the Dogster Website:"I just recently read the book called Planet Of The Dogs, such a heart warming story about how dogs come down to earth and help humans learn about love, and help them in their time of need...Definitely a must read!!!
Check it out at www.planetofthedogs.net. I give it 4 paws up."We began emailing...When I learned about Muddy's Munchies (www.muddysmunchies.com) , I sent them to family and friends with dogs in the USA (at that time, they were not available in Europe) who raved about them. Now we have a family friendship of dogs and people despite living across the ocean from each other."Recollect that the Almighty, who gave the dog to be companion of our pleasures and our toils, hath invested him with a nature noble and incapable of deceit."...Sir Walter Scott,The Talisman (1825).
Lisa Von Drasek, Children's Librarian at the Bank Street College of Education, is recognized as an authority in the world of children's books. She is outspoken, lucid, and has a passion for her work. She wrote an article on children's books in the December 14, 2007, Barnes & Noble Review in which she stated:
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