OCTOBER 2013
SUNRAYS | 91
ONLINE:
SCTXCA.ORG
Nancy is the representative for
the Sun City Library. Questions?
Email
with “Library Column” in the
subject line.
Blessing of the Animals
The Sun City Texas Pet Club will
host its fourth annual Blessing of
the Animals on Friday, October 4
at 9:30 a.m. at the Cowan Creek
Amphitheater and Pavilion. All are
invited; just remember, dogs must
be on leads and cats in kennels. For
more information, see page 111.
News from the SC Stacks
By Nancy Davis
“It’s raining cats and dogs.” The first
time I heard that phrase, I was very
young and I worried that cats and dogs
would really fall from the sky and get
hurt. Thankfully, my mother helped me
to understand that it was just a funny
thing that people said. We had pet dogs
and cats when I was a child, and I loved
them all so much―I read as many ani-
mal stories as I could find:
Lassie Come
Home, My Friend Flicka, Lad: a Dog,
Misty of Chincoteague, Thomasina
, and
The Cat Who Went to Heaven
, just to
name a few.
PETS & THEIR HUMANS
The library has some very good stories
about cats and dogs as pets; some are fic-
tional and some are real-life experiences
about pets and how the cat or dog en-
riched the person’s life. One of my very
favorite dog stories is
The Art of Racing
in the Rain
by Garth Stein. This title
seemed strange for a dog story, but, after
reading it, I thought it very appropriate.
The story is narrated by the dog, who
tries to understand humans so that he is
prepared to be reincarnated as a human
in his next life.
Another dog’s perspective story is
A
Dog’s Purpose
by W. Bruce Cameron,
and its sequel,
A Dog’s Journey
, pub-
lished in 2012. In a fast-paced and funny
series by Spenser Quinn, Chet (the dog)
and Bernie (the detective) solve crimes.
Chet is always trying to figure out why
humans talk and act the way they do.
I recently enjoyed
I Thought You Were
Dead
by Pete Nelson, about an aging
golden lab named Stella who gives ad-
vice to her human.
Solving mysteries is not limited to dogs.
Cats also do very well at helping their
humans. There is the very popular
The
Cat Who…
series by Lilian Jackson
Braun, as well as a series “coauthored”
by Rita Mae Brown and her cat Sneaky
Pie Brown that features the feline char-
acter Mrs. Murphy.
NONFICTION & MORE
On to the non-fiction section for pets
and pet care (Dewey 595).
Dewey: The
Small-Town Library Cat Who Touched
the World
by Vicki Myron is about the
librarian’s discovery of a half-frozen kit-
ten in the drop-box of her library. Anoth-
er favorite cat memoir is
Cleo: The Cat
Who Mended a Family
by Helen Brown.
Cleo is a cat that has a gift for knowing
just where she is needed most.
Marley & Me: Life and Love with the
World’s Worst Dog
by John Grogan,
is a very popular and fun read about a
yellow lab described as “boisterous and
somewhat uncontrolled” but never mali-
cious. Marley was just a puppy when the
young couple brought him home, but he
soon grew into a 97-pound steamroller.
A title that I just couldn’t resist is
My
Cat Spit McGee
by Willie Morris. Willie
is a dog man who married a cat woman.
Eventually a cat came into their lives
and, after Willie saved the cat’s life, Spit
McGee wasWillie’s loyal cat. Another es-
pecially good memoir is
Ever By My Side
by Dr. Nick Trout, a veterinarian who
writes about growing up with dogs and
his loving relationship with his father.
Other notable memoirs include:
Amaz-
ing Gracie
by Dan Dye,
Katie Up and
Down the Hall
by Glenn Plaskin,
My
Life with George
by Judith Summers,
and
Big Little Life
by Dean Koontz.
While most of these books have commu-
nication in some form between animals
and humans, one book that I have read
is very different:
The Road
by Gabriel
Cat
Stories
by
James
Herriot
Ever By
My Side
by
Dr. Nick
Trout
King. It is an allegory about a young cat
who is called to be a savior and travels
along a road, making friends with help-
ful animals and finding indifferent or
evil humans to avoid. The conclusion is
exciting and quite satisfying.
Our pets show us love and devotion even
when we are too busy to reciprocate.
These loving creatures can be complete-
ly helpless and even mistreated. While
keeping these titles in mind, consider
contributing to our local animal shelters
and help our furry friends in need.
Tea and
Dog
Biscuits
by
Barrie
Hawkins
The Best
Cat Ever
by
Cleveland
Amory
