Nubs: The True Story of a Marine, a Mutt and a Miracle

Nubs: The True Story of a Marine, a Mutt and a Miracle
by
Maj. Brian Dennis, Mary Nethery and Kirby Larson
Children's nonfiction, ages 5-10.

After reading about Bobbie and Bob Cat in Kirby Larson's "Two Bobbies" I saw that she published another heart rendering tale of a canine overcoming adversity.
Nubs is one of many stray, starving dogs in Iraq. He lives on the fringes of an army camp begging for food. Nubs, unlike many of the other dogs, likes people. In particular he likes Major Dennis. Marines aren't allowed to own dogs while on combat duty, so Dennis leaves Nubs behind each time he moves out. Nubs waits for him over and over. The last time, however, Nubs can not stand to be parted from Dennis again so he follows him across the desert for 70 miles. What loyalty! Dennis knows he can't abandon Nubs again, so he sees what he can do to get Nubs a better home.
This is a good enough book, but "Two Bobbies" was better because Bobbie was a life saver. Nubs is cute and all, but he doesn't put out any fires or save Timmy from a well or anything.
This book relies on graphics and photographs. "Two Bobbies" had illustrations. Again, I think "Two Bobbies" was better visually.

You can read a lot more about this story by using any search engine. Here is one report.
http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/33585208/

I also read on the internet that they are planning a movie based on this story. Surely there are some stories about drug or bomb sniffing dogs that would be better? I would rather see a movie about the dogs that helped find people in the post 9-11 wreckage.

Two Bobbies

Two Bobbies: A True Story of Hurricane Katrina, Friendship, and Survival
by
Kirby Larson, Mary Nethery, and Jean Cassels
Nonfiction, ages 6 - adult.
My library put this in the children's section, but it is one of those books that many adults would enjoy unaccompanied by a child. I would not be surprised if Reader's Digest didn't feature this story in the Drama in Real Life section.
A cat and a dog keep each other alive during the hurricane that decimated New Orleans. Have plenty of Kleenex ready. This is a tearjerker. There are some amazing details that can only be true because they are so bizarre and unexpected.
I am delighted to see that one of the authors was Kirby Larson, whose book "Hattie Big Sky" I greatly enjoyed.
This is a must have book for elementary, junior high, public libraries, and any library in the greater New Orleans metropolitan service area. It should take its place among the great cat and dog books. Put this on the shelf next to "All Creatures Great and Small", "Black Beauty", "Lassie", "Lad", "Listen to Your Kitten Purr" and other great animal books.
Then again, I have mixed up the fiction and nonfiction section of the library, so I should say that at home you could put them on the shelf together. At the library this book will be under Dewey 636 with true animal books.
You can safely recommend this book to even the most conservative home school parent as the animals act like animals (not people) and compassion is emphasized. You also can recommend it to your most liberal animal rights patrons, so this is a win-win book!