Best Dog Books is a blog that features children’s books with key dog characters. Sometimes an adult dog book sneaks in but for the most part Best Dog Books aims to help kids, their parents, teachers, and librarians find appropriate books about a dog.

This title, Presidential Pets, seems like a fitting one for today, November 3, 2020: Election Day. Please make time to cast your vote. Your voice is important and it matters.

In the meantime, let’s hear what the publisher has to say about Presidential Pets:

Many of our presidents have had extraordinary pets including an alligator, tiger cubs, elephants, bald eagles, a hippo, a bear, a zebra, and a coyote. This easy reader, with photos and illustrations, will have stories about many of these animals – including the Obama’s dog, a rescued Portuguese Water Dog.

For other great books about dogs, check out 101 Best Dog Books for Kids.

For published authors and unpublished authors, check out our writing contests.

I’d like to welcome Kate Klimo back to Best Dog Books, a blog that features author interviews with those who write dog stories for kids. Her Dog Diaries series are illustrated by Tim Jessell who was interviewed recently on Dog Reads. Kate’s series is one of my personal favorites.

What is the title of your book? Pub date and publisher?

Dog Diaries #1: Ginger, January 2013, Random House Books for Young Readers

Who is your key dog character? Tell us about him/her.

Ginger is a golden retriever who faces many trials, but still manages to maintain her sense of optimism.

In 70 words or less, provide a succinct plot description of your story.

This is a memoir told by a golden retriever, dealing with her rocky beginnings in a puppy mill, her two failed attempts to find a happy home, and her days of running with a pack of a wild dogs before being rescued and finding a furever home with an eight-year-old boy.

What inspired you to write this story?

Inspiring this story were all the dogs I have ever loved, a canine cavalcade starting with my first dog, a rough collie named Pal who babysat me in my crib, going right up to my sons’ dog, George, who, in the course of defending his family, bit the insurance adjuster. Dog Diaries, the series this book launches, will feature the stories of mostly famous dogs; dogs who made their mark on history. But I wanted to dedicate the first book in the series to an Everydog, your basic run-of-the-mill pooch who wasn’t famous.

What was the biggest challenge you had writing your story? How did you overcome it?

The biggest challenge was telling the story from the dog’s point of view, which is to say, climbing into the head of a dog. I like to think that I was able to do this without giving Ginger too many humanoid thoughts or attributes. The fact is that people and dogs have been living together since the cave days and, in many ways, pets and their human companions live in each other’s heads.

What other YA/MG books have you written? Do any of them feature a key dog character? If so, which ones? What are these stories about?

I have written an early grade series called the Dragon Keepers, about two ten-year-olds who wind up being the caretakers of a dragon named Emmy. In the first book, Emmy hides from a bad guy by “masking” as a sheepdog.

I have written a YA series called the Centauriad, which has lots of horses in it, and lots of other mythical creatures, but, so far, no dogs. Hmmmm…maybe I should reconsider. (Yes, please do!!)

What kind of story can we expect next from you? Is it about a dog?

If so, what is it about? I’ve just finished writing the third and the fourth Dog Diaries, about Barry the legendary St. Bernard of the high Alps, and Togo, the Siberian husky who was the real hero of the Alaskan Serum Run. Both books were a blast to research and write.

What else would you like us to know about you or your story?

I’ve never met a Golden retriever I didn’t like.

Can you remember the first book that made an impact on you? And why?

I loved the The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe so passionately that my best friend and I spent much of our grade school years desperately trying to find a portal into Narnia.

Thank you for joining us today at Best Dog Books, Kate Klimo! Be sure to check back to read more about Kate’s other Dog Diaries books as they come out. To read about Buddy, click here.

For other great books about dogs, check out 101 Best Dog Books for Kids.

For published authors and unpublished authors, check out our writing contests.

We welcome Terry Lynn Johnson back to Best Dog Books with a second book she has written about dogsledding.

What is the title of your book? Pub date and publisher?

Ice Dogs, fall 2013, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt

Who is your key dog character? Tell us about him/her.

Bean is a gangly Alaskan Husky, and the main leader of the dog team. He has a special connection with Victoria, the young musher.

In 70 words or less, provide a succinct plot description of your story.

Victoria, a 15-year old dogsled racer and sled dog owner loses her way on a routine outing with her dogs. With food gone and temperatures dropping, her survival and that of her dogs and the mysterious boy she meets in the woods, is up to her.

What inspired you to write this story?

I owned a team of 18 Alaskan Huskies, and had many adventures with them. I also work in the field as a Conservation Officer. I find the outdoors, and dogs, to be a never ending source of inspiration.

What was the biggest challenge you had writing your story? How did you overcome it?

Originally, the story was set in northern Ontario – a place I’m extremely familiar with. My agent suggested an Alaskan setting, which of course changed the story quite a bit. It was a challenge to accurately describe the flora and fauna. Many trees that grow in northern Ontario are not found in Alaska. But I have run dogs near Nenana so was familiar with that area. I also have a fabulous critique partner who lives in Alaska.

What other YA/MG books have you written? Do any of them feature a key dog character? If so, which ones? What are these stories about?

Ice Dogs is my second published dogsledding novel. The first was a middle grade novel called Dogsled Dreams.

Thank you for joining us at Best Dog Books, Terry!

For more information about Terry Lynn Johnson, please click here. 

For other great books about dogs, check out 101 Best Dog Books for Kids.

For published authors and unpublished authors, check out our writing contests.

Today, Best Dog Books for Kids welcomes Terry Lynn Johnson, author of Dogsled Dreams.

What is the title of your book? Pub date and publisher?

Terry Lynn Johnson: Dogsled Dreams, December 2010, 4RV Publishing

Who is your key dog character? Tell us about him/her.

Terry Lynn Johnson: We follow Doppler, a black and white Alaskan husky, as he develops from a rambunctious puppy to an intelligent yearling sled dog with leader qualities.

Tell us about your book. What’s the story about? 

Terry Lynn Johnson: Twelve-year-old Rebecca dreams of becoming a famous sled dog racer.

She’s an inventive but self-doubting musher who tackles blinding blizzards, wild animal attacks, puppy training, and flying poo missiles. All of her challenges though, seem easier than living up to the dogs’ trust in her abilities.

Here’s what the critics are saying:

“Any teacher using Gary Paulsen’s Woodsong would want Terry Johnson’s ‘Dogsled Dreams’ as a part of their classroom library ” — Iditarod Education Director, Diane Johnson

“Dogsled Dreams is a captivating and exciting debut novel and introduction to dogsledding.” — Superior Outdoors Magazine

“It wasn’t hard for me to get sucked right into Rebecca’s world. It’s a mix of adventure, learning to trust yourself and being courageous. … I highly recommend picking up!” — Mundie Moms

“A warm, coming-of-age story about hopes and dreams, but most of all, finding the true meaning of family and friends, whether they have two legs or four!” — Darcy Johns, Youth Services Librarian, Cole Harbour, Nova Scotia

“As a father to a young girl, I was thrilled to see Rebecca have such high hopes and dreams for herself and to see her father support and nurture her interests and efforts to achieve those dreams. This is a beautiful story both dads and their daughters can enjoy reading and discussing together!” — Chris Singer, Book Dads.com

What inspired you to write this story?

Terry Lynn Johnson: I wanted to show the special relationship between mushers and their dogs.

What was the biggest challenge you had writing your story? How did you overcome it?

Terry Lynn Johnson: Perhaps because I’m so close to the subject, I had to keep reminding myself (also my editor reminded me quite a bit) that not everyone knows the terms of the sport. I would get little notes back saying, “what’s a snub?” and I would read it and realize I had failed to describe it well enough. It was a challenge to keep the story flowing, but also slow it enough for readers to learn.

What other YA/MG books have you written? Do any of them feature a key dog character? If so, which ones? What are these stories about?

Terry Lynn Johnson: ICE DOGS is a YA survival story about a junior musher who loses her way with her dogteam in a blizzard after she rescues a mysterious boy. With their food gone and temperatures dropping, they have to learn to trust each other, and the dogs, if they are going to survive.

What kind of story can we expect next from you? Is it about a dog? If so, what is it about?

Terry Lynn Johnson: My latest story is a canoeing survival story which features a sled dog named Taiga.

What else would you like us to know about you or your story?

Terry Lynn Johnson: That all of the dogs in the story are real sled dogs. There are photos of some of them on my website if readers cared to meet the real life Doppler, Apollo, Soho, Ulu, Elsie, Denali, even Tarzan the smiling sled dog.

Can you remember the first book that made an impact on you? And why?

Terry Lynn Johnson: I loved horse books – Black Beauty, The Black Stallion. I was always so much into animals, and loved the characters of the animals, and their relationship with their owners. I read a few dog books, but I must admit I absolutely couldn’t take it when they died. I’m not going to say never, but I doubt I will write a book like that.

For a lesson plan to use in the classroom, please click here.

For more information about dog sledding and Terry Lynn Johnson, please click here.

Thanks for joining us Terry Lynn Johnson at Best Dog Books! We look forward to your next book, ICE ISLAND in February 2014. I hope to meet you one day on a dog sled in Alaska. It has always been my dream to experience the thrill of dog sledding.

For other great books about dogs, check out 101 Best Dog Books for Kids.

For published authors and unpublished authors, check out our writing contest featuring dog stories.

Today I welcome Debbi Michiko Florence to Best Dog Books, a blog that features interviews with authors who’ve written a canine story for kids or young adults. Debbi is here to talk about My Furry Foster Family: Kingston the Great Dane which is a book in a chapter book series published by Capstone for kids aged 6-9.

Best Dog Books: Who is your key dog character(s) and what kind of dog is he/she?

Kingston is a Great Dane.

Best Dog Books: Tell us about your story.

This series is about an 8-year-old girl named Kaita Takano who fosters pets with her family. She has her own dog, Ollie, who is a rescue dog from the same organization she fosters for. Each book features a different pet.

In Kingston the Great Dane, Kingston arrives to stay with the Takano family. His owner had to move from a house to a small apartment and could no longer keep him. Kaita is thrilled to meet Kingston who quickly makes friends with everyone in the family. He copies everything Ollie, a dachshund, does, making for some hilarious happenings. The story focuses on Kaita and her family finding the right new forever home for Kingston. (Spoiler alert: there is a happy ending.)

Best Dog Books: What inspired you to write this story?

I was lucky in that I’d worked with my editor at Capstone before for another series (Dorothy and Toto), so she knew that I loved animals. I have a degree in zoology and have worked with animals big and small. So when this series was being developed, she reached out to me and asked if I’d be interested in writing for it. I said, yes, of course!

Best Dog Books: What was the biggest challenge you had writing your story? How did you overcome it?

Since this was a series developed by the publisher, they gave me the focus for each book – the pet and the pet’s name and the word count/number of chapters. But I had the freedom to otherwise write the story. The stories came easily to me, since I had previously worked in a pet store, the Humane Society, and had many pets. The biggest challenge was the turnaround time. I only had a month to write each book after my outlines were approved. I work well on deadlines, however, so it all worked out.

Best Dog Books: What kind of story can we expect next from you? Is it about a dog? If so, what can you tell us about it?

My newest book is my middle grade debut, Keep It Together, Keiko Carter. It’s about a 7^th grade girl dealing with changing friendships and first crushes. She also wants a dog. So yes, there are dogs in this novel. You’ll have to read it to see if she gets one!

Best Dog Books: What else would you like us to know about you or your story?

I love animals, and especially love dogs. And I can’t imagine having a household without one. Pets bring such joy to a family. I currently have a 3-year-old rescue dog named Kiku, a minilop rabbit named Aki, and a Pekin duck named Darcy.

Best Dog Books: Can you remember the first book that made an impact on you? Why?

Lad: a Dog by Albert Payson Terhune about an amazing Collie. I think I was in third or fourth grade when I read it and fell in love with dogs. I still have my childhood copy on my shelf.

Best Dog Books: What advice would you give to aspiring writers?

I know this is the one that every author gives, but it is so important. Read. Read the kind of books you want to write, but also read from other genres too.

My other advice is keep learning and growing and writing. I wrote, revised, queried, and submitted for almost 15 years before I made my first sale. Five years ago, I had no books to my name. Today I have 17 books published, and three more under contract. Dreams do come true!

If you’d like to learn more about Debbi Michiko Florence, you can check out the author’s website or follow the author on twitter @DebbiMichiko or Instagram @debbi_michiko_florence. You can also find more information and reviews on her site here.

Thank you Debbi for joining us at Best Dog Books. We look forward to reading your book and inviting you back to tell us more about Truman the Dog!

For other great books about dogs, check out 101 Best Dog Books for Kids.

For published authors and unpublished authors, check out our dog story writing contests.