Library Notes
January 16, 2009
Susan Triplett
Patrons entering the library are likely to spy the carousels filled with current rental
selections which sit just inside the main doors. For many visitors, the sight of popular
new books and DVDs prompt a closer look. Fewer patrons, however, may notice the copies of a slim periodical, BookPage, which sit atop each rental display and are also available – for free.
As a monthly publication, BookPage can’t be beat for pithy, informational summaries of the latest books. The editors’ selections are representative of a broad range of genres and often include books which patrons might not otherwise readily discover. One such book, The Leanin’ Dog, comes from the periodical’s December issue and stands out as an invitation to family reading, enjoyment, and discussion.
The Leanin’ Dog is ostensibly written to an 8 – 12 yr-old audience. On one level, the novel is the adventurous story of a girl and her dog. Yet as a coming-of-age tale, The Leanin’ Dog is ambitiously comprehensive in the spectrum of issues it addresses, for instance: grieving the loss of a parent, experiencing life as a child with special needs,
developing trust, and overcoming fear. How do an 11 yr-old child and her father handle the leaps of faith that life asks of them?
In The Leanin’ Dog, Dessa Dean and her dad share a spartan existence in a remote part of Colorado. During the winter months, they’re completely isolated. Dad must tend his traps and Dessa is left on her own at home each day. The harsh cold and snow-filled days and nights provide a beleaguering background throughout the novel. The reader quickly learns that Dessa’s mother recently froze to death, an event which imbues the high plains’winter season with particular menace. The loss of her mother has left Dessa
slightly frostbitten, deeply grieving, and severely phobic.
When Dessa meets an equally fearful dog, the story of how a girl and a dog actually save each other takes off. It’s a tale which could easily fall into stereotypes, becoming overwrought and sentimental. Instead, the reader is likely to find the story credible and down-to-earth; even the dog’s behaviors seem true to life. Told in first person narrative, the prose is simple yet descriptive, the sensory images are compelling, and the pace moves along without a ho-hum pause. What’s the significance of the title? Check it out!
BookPage is full of pleasant surprises for the patron seeking the next good book – of just about any genre. Why not take a copy of BookPage home today?
