My Life in Dog Years [NOOK Book]

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Overview

Gary Paulsen has owned dozens of unforgettable and amazing dogs, and here are his favorites--one to a chapter. Among them are Snowball, the puppy he owned as a boy in the Philippines; Ike, his mysterious hunting companion; Electric Fred and his best friend, Pig; Dirk, the grim protector; and Josh, one of the remarkable border collies working on Paulsen's ranch today.

My Life in Dog Years is a book for every dog lover and every Paulsen fan--a perfect combination that shows vividly the joy and wisdom that come from ...
See more details below

Overview

Gary Paulsen has owned dozens of unforgettable and amazing dogs, and here are his favorites--one to a chapter. Among them are Snowball, the puppy he owned as a boy in the Philippines; Ike, his mysterious hunting companion; Electric Fred and his best friend, Pig; Dirk, the grim protector; and Josh, one of the remarkable border collies working on Paulsen's ranch today.

My Life in Dog Years is a book for every dog lover and every Paulsen fan--a perfect combination that shows vividly the joy and wisdom that come from growing up with man's best friend.


From the Hardcover edition.

The author describes some of the dogs that have had special places in his life, including his first dog, Snowball, in the Philippines; Dirk, who protected him from bullies; and Cookie, who saved his life.

Editorial Reviews

Publishers Weekly
"Here's a treat to make Paulsen fans sit up and beg for more," said PW in a starred review; "Paulsen's paean resonates with a robust appreciation of the species." All ages. (July) r Copyright 1999 Cahners Business Information.
Publishers Weekly
Here's a treat to make Paulsen fans sit up and beg for more: scenes of Paulsen's life viewed in terms of the dogs who graced them. Aficionados who have read Paulsen's other memoirs (Father Water, Mother Woods; Eastern Sun, Northern Moon) already know of the author's rough-and-tumble childhood as the son of alcoholics; readers of Winterdance already know of his devotion to the sled dogs who pulled him through the Iditarod. Although he returns to familiar territory here, his approach is new. Profiling such dogs as Dirk, who "had Airedale crossed with hound crossed with alligator" and who unfailingly protected him from hoodlums who routinely menaced him in his youth, he both reveals himself and pays vivid tribute to his canine companions. In deceptively casual prose, he writes of his own troubles matter-of- factly while wittily and affectionately enumerating his dogs' virtues. Not all the episodes are bleak, fortunately, and one of the most successful chapters describes the glee inspired by a particularly brilliant border collie. While most boy-and-dog accounts tend either toward the tearjerker or toward the consciously heartwarming, Paulsen's paean resonates with a robust appreciation of the species; his writing percolates with energetic love. Illustrations not seen by PW. Ages 10-up. (Feb.)
Children's Literature
Any Paulsen fan knows that Paulsen has a deep appreciation for animals in general, and dogs in particular. So it makes perfect sense to recall periods of his life in terms of memorable dogs. Paulsen dedicates this book to his dog, Cookie, who led his first Iditarod race and saved his life. Paulsen has indeed known some amazing dogs--there's Snowball who brightened his seven-year-old existence by rambling with him in the strange Philippine world to which his parents had moved; Ike appeared when he needed a hunting dog and then, one day, disappeared just as mysteriously. It wasn't until years later Paulsen discovered Ike's secret. From the tiny watchdog, Dirk, to the gentle and gigantic Great Dane, Caesar, Paulsen remembers each canine pal with warmth and humor. Each dog has a special quality and story to tell and Paulsen tells them marvelously well. 1999, Yearling, Ages 8 up, $15.95 and $4.99. Reviewer: Susie Wilde
VOYA
This collection of seven informal essays about some of Paulsen's dogs should be a hit with dog lovers and the popular YA writer's fans. Some of the earlier pieces are as much about Paulsen as the dogs. We learn about his parents (he calls them drunks ) as well as about his loneliness as a child. Anyone who has ever been picked on by other kids will cheer on alley dog Dirk as he protects his master and chases his tormentors. But there is joy as well as terror. Ike, the black Labrador, who did not belong to Paulsen but hunted with him, meant a lot to him, as did his discovery of hunting, "the opening into a world of wonder." I wish Paulsen and a child's father had not lied to a child in the Iditarod story about Quincy. But most of the book is casual, and the stories tend to sentimental endings. They are like Reader's Digest anecdotes and might be titled "One of the Most Unforgettable Dogs I Ever Knew." But Paulsen is master of the shrewd one-liner: "Of all the dogs I have had, Fred was closest to being nuclear in his capacity for destruction." Paulsen believes dogs analyze and plan. If he really means for me to believe that his border collie Josh used to irrigate his fields, I don't. But such questions and any lack of substance will not trouble those countless readers young and old who cannot wait to read every word Paulsen writes. My Q rating is based on the (dangerous) assumption that the final, edited version of this text will be at least as stylistically well done as Paulsen's previous published work and not contain the serious defects of this unedited version. VOYA Codes: 3Q 2P M J S (Readable without serious defects, For the YA with a special interest in the subject, Middle School-defined as grades 6 to 8, Junior High-defined as grades 7 to 9 and Senior High-defined as grades 10 to 12).
School Library Journal
Gr 4 UpPaulsen reveals bits and pieces of his own life story through his experiences with eight of his dogs. After a heartfelt dedication to Cookie, the sled dog who saved his life, the author introduces readers first to Snowball, the puppy he acquired when he was seven years old and living in the Philippines, and then follows chronologically with profiles of other canine companions. He concludes with tales about Josh, the border collie with whom he currently shares a home. Paulsen is a master storyteller with a dry wit. His description of his dog Fred, whom he claimed was actually "nuclear in his capacity for destruction," and his account of his Great Dane Caesar, who was so petrified of trick-or-treaters that he would hide in the bedroom closet every Halloween with a housecoat over his eyes, are sure to elicit smiles. Paulsen can also make readers sigh when he relates how Snowball saved him from being bitten by a poisonous snake and how Cookie pulled him out of the water when he fell through the ice while trapping beaver. The statement, "Josh...is a person. I do not think in my heart that he is a dog," gives youngsters a real sense of how the man looks at these animals. An attractive pen-and-ink sketch of the profiled animal opens each chapter. This well-written, readable reminiscence serves as a tribute to the dogs in one person's life, written by someone who considers them his best friends.Carol Kolb Phillips, The Library, East Brunswick, NJ

Product Details

  • ISBN-13: 9780307538796
  • Publisher: Random House Children's Books
  • Publication date: 6/3/2009
  • Sold by: Random House
  • Format: eBook
  • Pages: 144
  • Sales rank: 41,580
  • File size: 2 MB

Meet the Author

Gary Paulsen
Gary Paulsen
GARY PAULSEN is the distinguished author of many critically acclaimed books for young people, His most recent books are Lawn Boy Returns, Woods Runner, Notes from the Dog, Mudshark, Lawn Boy, Molly McGinty Has a Really Good Day, The Time Hackers, and The Amazing Life of Birds (The Twenty Day Puberty Journal of Duane Homer Leech).


From the Trade Paperback edition.

Read an Excerpt

I am--I say this with some pride and not a little wonder--a "dog person." I make no excuses for unabashedly loving them--all of them, even some that have bitten me. I have always had dogs and will have dogs until I die. I have rescued dozens of dogs from pounds, always have five or six of them around me, and cannot imagine living without dogs. They are wonderful and, I think, mandatory for decent human life.

All that said, there are some dogs that are different, special in amazing ways....


From the Trade Paperback edition.

Customer Reviews

Average Rating 4.5
( 40 )

Rating Distribution

5 Star

(28)

4 Star

(7)

3 Star

(5)

2 Star

(0)

1 Star

(0)

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See All Sort by: Showing 1 – 20 of 40 Customer Reviews
  • Anonymous

    Posted January 15, 2001

    A very interesting book!

    This book was so cool. I always knew Gary had dogs, but I never knew that he had so many of them!!! I liked Snowball and Rex in paticular. But Josh is my favorite! I would just love to have a dog like him. he sounds so fun to live with!!! This is my favorite of all Gary paulsen's books.

    3 out of 3 people found this review helpful.

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  • Anonymous

    Posted June 6, 2008

    Wonderful stories

    I read this to my 11-year-old son and enjoyed it every bit as much as he did. We both now look at our own three dogs with greater appreciation and adoration. I would like to point out that although Paulson wrote this using language that is accessible to his younger audience, the subject matter--especially as it pertains to his unhappy childhood--stretches that audience's zone of comfort and understanding. Kids may have trouble with the sections about Paulson's drunk and negligent parents.

    2 out of 3 people found this review helpful.

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  • Anonymous

    Posted April 22, 2000

    gary paulsen strikes again!

    this book is very unique because it's a story about his life and it's also about the animal he cherishes, dogs.

    2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.

    Was this review helpful? Yes  No   Report this review
  • Anonymous

    Posted November 14, 2011

    Great book!

    This book is an amazing book! I'm twelve and I loved this book but i think it is great for kids and adults ages seven and up.

    1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

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  • Anonymous

    Posted May 5, 2010

    A great lesson about life and how animals can help get you thru difficult times

    We purchased this book as part of a school project/bookreport. It had to be about animals - and it was recommended by the staff at B&N. While my daughter would have perhaps preferred a Geronimo Stilton Book originally (she loves that series) - we recognized the need for more "challenging" material. What a pleasant surprise this book was!

    Although we don't own a dog (just a cat)-- we were all drawn into the stories she shared with us from the book -- and impressed at how she (at age 10) was able to relate to the author's life lessons along the way. It was sad at times, and joyful at others. But it truly demonstrated why Dog is man's best friend!

    1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

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  • Anonymous

    Posted March 3, 2012

    Great book, very moving!

    I've read lots of gary paulsen books but this one is about the dogs that he loves. My favorite part is the dedecation. It is ssssssooooooo moving, i never thought that a dog could be so brave! You have GOT to read this book!

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  • Anonymous

    Posted February 1, 2012

    Great book!

    This book is for anyone who absolutely loves dogs! It tells of all the stories of Gary Paulsen and his many dogs throughout his life. I highly recommend it!

    Was this review helpful? Yes  No   Report this review
  • Anonymous

    Posted January 30, 2012

    Good Book

    I read this book and thought that it was interestingly written and i liked that, but i thought that it would be better for a 9 or 10 year old not a 12 yeear old.

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  • Anonymous

    Posted January 25, 2012

    Yesss:)

    The best book ever and you should definatly get this book even if you dont really like dogs. Gary writes this book about the dogs he has had. Each dog has its own chapter and thw book takes through many emotions; some being sad and others happy.

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  • Posted January 18, 2012

    My Life in Dog Years - ABSOLUTELY AWESOME!!!

    I read My Life In Dog Years for required reading before starting my sixth grade year. I enjoyed the book so much that I chose to read it again for my book review assignment.

    My Life In Dog Years is about a man and his favorite, unforgettable and amazing dogs. He talks about each dog in each chapter. He talks about cookie the dog who saved his life after he fell in the ice by waking up the other dogs and pulling him out. He described Ike, his mysterious dog he found in the woods one day. He describes Dirk, his protector.

    The book describes scenes of Paulsen's life viewed through the dogs who where apart of his life at the time.

    I think the author's purpose in writing this book is to be able to remember each significant part of his life by memorializing the dog that was with him at that specific time in his life.

    The strength he has is that he can remember each dog he had in his life. But the weaknesses are he had dogs that either died or had to be giving away.

    I would recommend this book because I think that it was good idea to remember specific times in his life by the dog that was with him at the time. In each chapter, the author faces problems and the dog solves the or is the problem.

    My favorite part of the book was when Dirk ran the thugs away. That is my favorite part because the author always gets his money stole by them so Dirk chased them away.

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  • Anonymous

    Posted January 14, 2012

    Awesome

    Read this book even if you dont like dogs or gary paulsen (how could someone not like gary paulsen)

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  • Posted September 24, 2011

    Amazing

    I love how this book talks about different breeds of dogs and their life stories. I recomend it to anyone who likes dogs and adventure books

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  • Anonymous

    Posted January 31, 2011

    For Dog Lovers

    I just finished the book My Life in Dog Years. This book is an awesome book about dogs and dog breads. In this book it talks about a wide range of dogs from a hunting lab to a pit bull. It was about how one guy tells about all his dogs that he had in his life. I can relate to this character because I have had many dogs in my life. My favorite part was when he met the hunting lab because it scared him and then they become good friends and the best hunting buddies. I recommend this book to everyone not just certain people but everyone. I really like this book and I hope you do too.

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  • Posted January 2, 2010

    Great Independent Read for 2nd Grade and Up

    I let my 8 year old determine the star ratings based on her experience with the book. She needed a biography for school (3rd grade) and wasn't finding one that sparked her interest at school. We looked at B&N and found My Life in Dog Years. Paulsen uses his natural style of writing to reveal important moments from his life--each of which was influenced by one of his many dogs. Each chapter is of a different dog and has a drawing of that dog. My daughter would have enjoyed seeing more pictures or illustrations. One of these stories appears in my 7th grader's literature textbook, so the interest level could certainly go into the older grades. I read the final chapter and teared up, myself. My daughter was inspired to read Paulsen's book, Guts. It is very good, but it was above her reading level.

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  • Posted April 8, 2009

    Great read for all ages

    My life in Dog Years is a great memoir about the dogs Gary Paulson has raised through his lifetime. Each chapter has a different story about one of the many dogs he has owned. In one of the chapters, Gary, at the age of seven, lived in Vietnam during the war, and there obviously weren't very many kids living there at that time. So, as you can imagine Gary was lonely and he wanted a friend, and one day found a black puppy with a perfect white circle on its side, but there was a problem. The dog belonged to a butcher and the butcher was planning on eating the dog, plus the butcher wasn't just going to give up his food without a price!

    My opinion: This is great book that is exciting, happy, and sad. I would recommend this book to any middle school student that has feelings for dogs.

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  • Posted April 8, 2009

    more from this reviewer

    A series of exciting stories

    My Life In Dog Years, by Gary Paulsen, is about Gary's unforgettable story about the dogs he has owned. It is a great book for all ages and anybody who loves dogs. Every chapter is an exciting short story about how a particular dog has come into Gary's life and changed him. Each story talks about how the dogs become his best friends and even protect him like in the chapter Dirk the Protector. He also tells about how he came to know these dogs and what they have done for him. Every page has a new event that is happening between Gary and the dog. Back when Gary was our age or younger, he tells about growing up with these dogs. Even today, he loves dogs just the same.

    Under the dogs names it has two or three words giving an idea to the reader about what the chapter is about. Every chapter made me want to read more like Dirk the Protector because it was suspenseful. I think that Gary Paulsen did a really good job on putting all the details in and making it feel like you're really there. It takes place in many different places. If I were to give it a star rating I would give it a 4.5 stars. My favorite chapter was called Cookie because it was about a Husky saving his life and Huskies are my favorite kind of dog.

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  • Anonymous

    Posted January 2, 2007

    READ THIS BOOK

    This book is the best book i have ever read!!

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  • Anonymous

    Posted December 20, 2006

    Great Book

    I think that evrybody should read this book. If you like dogs this would be the right book for you to read.He talks alot about his life and all of the dogs he had.

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  • Anonymous

    Posted May 17, 2006

    Great book!!!

    Great book of people who like to read about the outdoors. It is about a Boy named Brian was got to see his dad and he was on a small plan. The pilot had a heart attack and Brain landed the plan. So if you like outdoors this book is for you

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  • Anonymous

    Posted December 25, 2004

    A Very Good Book

    This was a very good book by Gary Paulson, telling all about all the dogs that he had had in his lifetime, and how they had made an impact on him. It was very enjoyable, though sad in some parts, and it led me to read his other books. He is a great author, and I love his books.

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