Hero Dogs: Courageous Canines in Action

 Hero dogs, lazy mosasaur

Jackson, Donna M. Hero Dogs: Courageous Canines in Action. New York : Little, Brown, 2003.

Plot: For centuries, dogs have worked with people in daily life. However, the animals help during emergencies. The title follows several canines and their trainers assisting with the aftermath of the Twin Tower disaster. Dogs assisted with rescue efforts, but they also helped people cope with the frustrations and loss within the rescue efforts. Special mention is given to the care and training the hounds receive, showing the effort involved with raising and maintaining such beasts.

The title ends with chapters of assistant dogs, which help people on a daily basis.

Genre: Animals, History

Reading Levels: Grades 4-9

Similar Titles: Animal Heroes, Horse Heroes

Personal Thoughts: The title goes into detail on how much work goes into training a hero dog, which is important. Not every dog has what it takes to work in rescue, assistance, or police situations. Most would, in fact, make horrible pets. A lot of effort goes into them, making what they do more exotic and special than many people may realize.

The title also describes the attacks on September 11th, which is especially important to this blog. As of this year, none of the intended audience of the titles reviewed in the blog were alive during. Yet, the aftermath of the Twin Towers affect the readers' daily lives. It is important for older readers to remember tweens do not know life before the events, and it is important for elders to explain why the attacks have the significance they do.