Trumpet of the Swan by E.B. White (251 pages)
Trumpet of the Swan is a book of family and love. It makes you ask yourself the questions, “Do I really fit in?” Sam and his father go to a hunting ground every year. This year is something special for Sam as he discovers the true meaning of friendship. Swans are beautiful and magnificent creatures. What does one swan have to do to earn a living? How about pay back a harmful, yet to him, horrible crime? This is all revealed in The Trumpet of the Swan.
Review by Cindy P.
When Willie is forced to give up his German shepherd because he’s moving to a small apartment, he can’t find anyone to adopt her. He sees army posters requesting dogs that can be trained to sniff out bombs and alert soldiers of enemy presence. Willie reluctantly sends Cracker off with the army and hopes she will be the best dog in Vietnam. Once at the training camp, Cracker meets her new handler, Rick Hanski. He and Cracker slowly form a tight bond that enables them to work well together once in Vietnam and in the battle zones. Together, they rescue POWs, fly in helicopters, and save plenty of lives. Integrating the brutality of a war story with the sweetness of a dog tale, this novel succeeds at both.
How would it feel to have your dog and best friend taken away? In the village where Maggie lives they have outlawed all dogs that are not sheep herders. Maggie can not and will not give up her dog, Sirius. Sirius is blamed for things that are not his fault. Vera, Maggies cousin helps her hide Sirius in a secret place. When a boat crashes into the rocks during a terrible storm Maggie is faced with a tough decision. Sirius is a very good swimmer and Maggie knows he can rescue the people on the boat. What will then happen to Sirius? My family loves dogs. This is a great story about how smart and loyal dogs are to people. 
The Guardians of Ga’Hoole Series - Book Nine
Book Eight of the Guardians of Ga’Hoole Series
Down-on-their-luck miners have not found anything in Grubstake for years. Most of the townspeople have moved away, especially since the train only comes to town once a month. Sixteen-year-old Arley runs a boarding house full of miners, but she has no money either. When a well-dressed business man arrives in town and begins to offer all the miners a hefty price for their mines, Arley grows suspicious. Why would anyone pay good money for mines that have produced nothing? Soon she uncovers the truth: there is a rare mineral in the mine that is worth enough money to make them all millionaires! Arley does what she can to stop the miners from selling to the smarmy businessman, but most don’t listen. Will she be able to save her town before it becomes a ghost town?
Avi’s five short stories are quick and fun to read. He opens with “Bored Tom” and the reader meets Tom, a boy who wants nothing more than to be able to sleep all day and watch TV all night. A cat approaches him and offers to switch bodies with him so he can get his wish. The next story is “Babette the Beautiful” in which the queen wants her daughter to be born without flaws, but a side effect of her wish is that her daughter is invisible. In “Curious” the reader discovers the secret truth behind all sports mascots. In “The Shoemaker and Old Scratch,” a shoemaker makes a bargain with a cat to split half his income if the cat takes care of all the mice in his shop. He doesn’t uphold his bargain and has some pretty rough consequences. Finally, in “Simon” the reader learns about what can happen to a person if all they do is take, take, and take.
Beginning his life in the loving hands of owner Bob, this tiny border collie puppy was surrounded with love from his mom, dad, and siblings. When a fire destroy’s Bob’s farm, he is forced to sell the pups. The pup then goes through a series of owners. Some are kind to him, some whip and chain him. Through all his owners, the dog has one thing on his mind: find some sheep! His instincts tell him he is supposed to be a working farm dog and he wants to find some sheep before he gets too old. Although he also dreams of returning to Bob’s farm and being reunited with his parents, the dog ultimately knows that is unlikely. This is a cute story that reminded me of Ann Martin’s book A Dog’s Life: The Autobiography of a Stray.
