The Underdogs

March 28, 2016
Expanding on an article written for the New York Times Magazine in 2012, Greene (Praying for Sheetrock) shares uplifting stories from families who have benefited from service animals provided by 4 Paws for Ability, a nonprofit dog training academy. The Ericksons were in terror over their autistic son’s disappearances before acquiring Juke, a Labrador trained to track him. When a golden retriever named Chancer is placed with the Winokurs to help their emotionally unstable son, he becomes the first dog ever assigned to a child with fetal alcohol syndrome. The Millards were denied dogs by other agencies because of son Connor’s tracheal tube and ventilator; then 4 Paws brought them Casey, a devoted goldendoodle who helped the six-year-old come out of his fearful shell. Green profiles 4 Paws founder Karen Shirk, who started the organization after overcoming a debilitating neuromuscular disorder with help from her German shepherd, Ben. She also outlines the organization’s current training regimens, including a program with a local prison where inmates train dogs with rehabilitative benefits for all involved. For the most part these are feel-good stories about the overcoming obstacles, but there are moments of heartbreak as well, and Green relates these in unsparing detail. She astutely sums up the relationship between humans and canines: “There are... reaches of the human psyche accessible only when accompanied by dogs.” Agent: David Black, David Black Literary Agency.

April 1, 2016
Personal stories of service dogs in action. Through personal interviews and behind-the-scenes tales, Greene (No Biking in the House without a Helmet, 2011, etc.) tells multiple narratives of service dogs that have changed lives. Most of the people these dogs help are children who are considered too disabled by many groups to be partnered with a dog. They may have severe autism, been born premature with multiple ailments, or been raised in a foreign orphanage where they were severely neglected. All of them have had considerable luck in adapting to their circumstances with specially trained dogs at their sides. These dogs are available to the children thanks to Karen Shirk, who, in her 20s, was struck down by a debilitating neuromuscular disease that left her in a wheelchair and dependent on a service dog. After connecting deeply with her own dog, she began 4 Paws for Ability. Considering the case and each child's specific needs, Shirk and her trainers match a dog to the special needs child, often with amazing results. At 4 Paws, the training is focused on the partnership between the child and the dog. As one trainer told Greene, "it's not just what does the client need. It's about how a dog can meet those needs in ways that are really fun and rewarding for the dog. Dogs love having important work to do, and being needed and involved every minute of the day. They flourish in their families." The author compassionately interweaves these personal successes with scientific facts about dogs, the bonding that occurs between a human and a dog, and the loss or grief a dog may feel if a child should die. Dog lovers, parents of special needs kids, and those who love feel-good stories will delight in these heartwarming portraits of dogs and their families.

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April 15, 2016
Greene (There Is No Me without You, 2006) lends her trademark empathetic voice to this engrossing inside look at the work of 4 Paws for Ability, a service-dog academy that has placed over a thousand dogs with those in need, particularly children. The stories Greene relates are devastating as she conveys the difficulties families face as they cope with severe autism, debilitating physical illness and injury, crippling anxiety and emotional conditions. She portrays parents at the ends of their ropes who feel hope, long relegated to the status of impossible dream, in the presence of these trained dogs. Greene describes the training facility, introduces its dedicated and talented staff, and presents before-and-after studies of several families. She also provides an historical overview of the relationship between dogs and humans. Acknowledging that exactly how and why these animals do so well with those who need their help remain a mystery, and asserting that no dog can make everything all better, Greene, a master at telling the most human of stories, will still leave readers smiling. And dog lovers will adore this book.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2016, American Library Association.)