My Dog Skip

by Willie Morris

Overview

This classic story of a boy, a dog, and small-town America is "a rich experience all around.... Skip turns out to be a dog worth writing about.... I'd take him home in a shot" (The New York Times Book Review).

In 1943 in a sleepy town on the banks of the Yazoo River, a boy fell in love with a puppy with a lively gait and an intelligent way of listening. The two grew up together having the most wonderful adventures. My Dog Skip belongs on the same shelf as The Adventures of Tom Sawyer and Russell Baker's Growing Up. It will enchant readers of all ages for years to come.

A major motion picture form Warner Brothers, starring Kevin Bacon, Diane Lane, Luke Wilson, Frankie Muniz, and "Eddie" from the TV show Frasier (as Skip), and produced by Mark Johnson (Rain Man).

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780679767220
Publisher:	Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group
Publication date:	01/30/1996
Pages:	128
Sales rank:	373,163
Product dimensions:	5.26(w) x 7.90(h) x 0.34(d)
Lexile:	1380L (what's this?)
Age Range:	14 - 18 Years

About the Author

WILLIE MORRIS published his last book, My Cat Spit McGee, with Random House in Fall 1999.  He lived in Jackson, Mississippi, until his death in 1999.

What People are Saying About This

Winston Groom

True artistry and exquisite writing... Morris' years with Skip teach us about canine love and courage, friendship and loyalty.
— Winston Groom, author of Forrest Gump

Editorial Reviews

"A rich experience all around.... Skip turns out to be a dog worth writing about.... I'd take him home in a shot."  —Bruce McCall, The New York Times Book Review

From the Publisher

I read the book in two hours. The last chapter brought tears to my eyes, as it has many times since.
— USA Today

John Grisham

Former Harper's editor Morris presents a memoir of his small-town childhood in the 1940s and the dog who shared it with him. (Feb.)

Publishers Weekly - Publisher's Weekly

In 1943, nine-year-old Morris first met Skip, an English smooth-haired fox terrier puppy who immediately went to sleep in his arms. From that magical moment of connection ("I was an only child, and he now was an only dog") until Morris left home to go to college, boy and dog were inseparable companions. In this sweetly sentimental if slight memoir, the author of New York Days (LJ 8/93) and North Toward Home (9/15/67) recalls growing up with Skip in the small, sleepy town of Yazoo, Mississippi. Unlike the other dogs Morris's family had owned, Skip was special. He could play football, running the "Statue of Liberty" play, much to the amazement of spectators ("Look at that dog playin' football!"). With a little assistance from Morris, Skip could drive a car ("Look at that ol' dog drivin' a car!"). He could run the 100-yard dash in 7.8 seconds, a world record for fox terriers. For anyone who has ever loved a dog, Morris's loving tribute will be a delightful read. [Previewed in Prepub Alert, LJ 12/94.]-Wilda Williams, "Library Journal"

Library Journal