Dog Eared (and Mouthed)

It’s a testament to his creativity, remarkable versatility, relentless work ethic, and prolific output of quality writing that Dave Eggers was just awarded the John Newbery Medal “which is given to the most distinguished American children’s book … for his middle grade book The Eyes and the Impossible.” This is just Dave’s latest gift to young people after starting youth programs like 826 Valencia and Scholar Match. You’ve got to order the wood-bound hardcover version from McSweeney’s. (The book is written from the perspective of a dog. I tried something similar based on my beagles, but the first few paragraphs ended up being a repetition of the phrase, “Wait, do you smell something?” I’m still waiting to hear back from my agent about my pitch for a book about my beagles’ neutering experience called K9 Unit.)