How to Sniff Out a Good Book

If you're like me (a dog) then you may have found that choosing a good book can be very difficult.  You're stuck in the family room or the backyard, the lights are usually turned off when no one else is home, maybe your reading glasses have been placed up high by a well-meaning human...

I am going to share some tips and tricks that may help you!

First, consider the following:

Access - look for books that have been left in piles on low tables or maybe next to a bed.  They are easier to reach and grab with your teeth.

Smell - does the book smell good?  Does it have that old-book smell or, even better, was the last person reading it eating a sandwich or macaroni and cheese?

Ease-of-use - Can you turn the pages with your nose or tongue?  Are the pages thick or thin, is the book heavy or light, can it stay open on its own or do you have to put a Milk-Bone Brand dog biscuit across the pages?

Cover - Is the cover exciting?  Is there a dog on it (good) or a cat on it (bad)?  If there is a small rodent on the cover snatch it right up!

Reader - Who in your family has been reading it?  If it was one of the children it's probably a good read.  If it was your mother and she is a Children's Librarian you can be assured that it is high-quality.  If your dad was reading it it is assuredly boring.

You may discover, if a family-member puts some visiting hamsters up on top of a tall bookshelf, that you can leap up and reach a whole new set of books!  That is what happened to me, and now that I know they're up there there is no stopping me!  Happy Reading!