Week 12 Prompt

I had to pause and think about the last nonfiction book I've read.  It's been awhile due to school work, but I do enjoy reading nonfiction.  There I remembered that I did a review late last year on The Possibility Dogs and it appeared in a local monthly publication Boom Magazine (http://issuu.com/michianafamilymagazine/docs/boom_october_2014_web?e=3297611/9538150 -- check out page 9).  I've always thought readers' advisory for nonfiction would be difficult, but completing the matrix was helpful.  The matrix showed me that many of the categories that we use to lead people to their next fiction title can work for nonfiction.

Below is my Readers' Advisory Matrix for the book The Possibility Dogs: What a Handful of “Unadoptables” Taught Me About Service, Hope and Healing by Susannah Charleson.

1.       Where is the book on the narrative continuum?

a.       A mix (combines highly narrative moments with periods of fact-based prose)

2.       What is the subject of the book?

a.       The subject of the book is dogs and their use as recovery dogs for those not only with physical disabilities but also emotional issues such as post traumatic stress disorder.  Susannah not only talks about the dogs, developing their personality as she recounts their stories, but she also talks about how her own life was forever changed by each and every one of the rescued dogs.  The fact that Charleson benefits from having a service dog herself makes the story even more impactful.

3.       What type of book is it?

a.       The book is part-memoir and a testament to the benefits of animal rescue.

4.       Articulate appeal

a.       What is the pacing of the book?

                                                               i.      Some of the stories go especially quick, particularly the most intense stories/rescues Susannah recounts, but overall it is a leisurely read.  A person can put down the book between stories and sometimes you need to as some of the segments are extremely emotional.

b.      Describe the characters of the book.

                                                               i.      The main character is Susannah Charleson, a search and rescue worker and dog trainer.  Secondary characters include the tales of the various dogs she encounters and rescues as well as people that aid her in each adventure.

c.       How does the story feel?

                                                               i.      The story is heartbreaking, uplifting, eye-opening, and hopeful all rolled into one.

d.      What is the intent of the author?            

                                                               i.      Charleson wishes to shed light on the need for training therapy dogs as companions to those that have emotional disorders such as soldiers with PTSD, those with depression, and more.

e.      What is the focus on the story?

                                                               i.      The main focus is on Charleson’s road to healing after a particularly emotional search and rescue operation and the learning process she embarks on to select the right dogs to train.

f.        Does the language matter?

                                                               i.      The conversational language is appealing.

g.       Is the setting important and well described?

                                                               i.      Yes, every story is extremely detailed right down to the various settings the various dogs are found in.  One of the most emotional passages is Charleson’s retelling of finding a graveyard kennel of skeletons of abused and abandoned dogs.

h.      Are there details and, if so, of what?

                                                               i.      The details are too numerous to list.  Details include sights, sounds, smells, funny moments in the training process, funny moments between dogs, and details of her own internal struggles.

i.         Are there sufficient charts and other graphic materials? Are they useful and clear?

                                                               i.      None are available or needed.

j.        Does the book stress moments of learning, understanding, or experience?

                                                               i.      All three are stressed.  Mistakes are turned into learning moments.  Understanding is found through tales of those whose lives have been changed by having a therapy dog.  As Susannah becomes more experienced in selecting and training animals, this shows through in her writing.

5.       Why would a reader enjoy this book?

a.       1.  Subject (animals-dogs)            2.  Details            
3.  The Casual/Personal Tone

4.  Inspiration     5. Human-Animal Relationships