Dog Diaries: Secret Writings of the WOOF Society

by Betsy Byars, Betsy Duffey, Laurie Myers

It is the first annual meeting of the WOOF Society. Dogs of all different backgrounds and breeds have gathered together to listen to the diaries of twelve dogs from around the world and throughout history. Abu is the ruler of ancient Egypt, but Miu, the Royal Cat, continues to challenge him, except at night. Tidbit, born the runt of the litter, becomes a star singer at the Grand Ole Opry. Jip leads his blinded master back home from the Civil War. Mimi, a dog living in Paris, shares her tips on bathroom protocol and dinnertime etiquette. And eight more! Betsy Byars and her daughters, Laurie Myers and Betsy Duffey, the trio who brought you MY DOG, MY HERO and THE SOS FILE, have pooled their talents once again to write on a subject they love. DOG DIARIES is a collection of humorous and touching stories, complemented by Erik Brooks' black-and-white illustrations, that will appeal to dog lovers of all ages.

Genres: Dogs, Childrens, Humor, Fiction, Animals, Juvenile, Chapter Books

80 pages, Hardcover

First published May 1, 2007

About the author

Betsy Byars was an American author of children's books. She wrote over sixty books for young people. Her first novel was published in 1962. Her novel Summer of the Swans won the 1971 Newbery Medal. She also received a National Book Award for Young People's Literature for The Night Swimmers and an Edgar Award for Wanted ... Mud Blossom!!

Daughters Betsy Duffey and Laurie Myers are also writers.

Reviews

[Josh · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked this book enough to read it myself after my dad read me the first chapter.

[Amy · Rating 3 out of 5]

The pictures were charming but the short stories were a little too simple to hold my 8yo's interest.

[Teresa Scherping Moulton · Rating 2 out of 5]

Humans may think that dogs only know words like "sit" and "outside," but dogs actually have a lot more to say! The WOOF society has gathered to share the stories of dogs, past and present, from all around the world. There are stories of dogs from ancient Egypt, from the gold rush, and from Pompeii during the eruption of Mt. Vesuvius. There's a dog worried about what his new family will name him, a dog who saves his family from a bank robber, and a dog who becomes a new mother to a pair of kittens. These stories are funny, exciting, and sad and all will remind you of the unique personalities and abilities of man's (and woman's) best friend.

I wasn't a huge fan of this book, although some of the stories are better than others. For a seemingly whimsical book about dogs, some of the tales are a bit intense: a bank robber with a gun, a blinded solider in the Civil War, a dog who loses his whole family in Pompeii. I also wish the last story didn't repeatedly include the word "nipple" in a story about a nursing dog, but I guess it's just a body part and the age of kid reading this probably won't be weirded out too much! For a booktalk, I think I will read the shortest story in the book called "Pooch's Invisible Enemy," about a garbage disposal getting all the food scraps that the dog wants.

I would recommend this book to grade 2-4, but I would be careful who to recommend it to based on some intense parts. Dog lovers will obviously be the prime audience for this one. The one readalike I thought of is an easy reader called Three Stories You Can Read to Your Dog by Sara Swan Miller (and its sequel, Three More Stories You Can Read to Your Dog).

[Miss Amanda · Rating 4 out of 5]

gr 3-5

[Orinoco Womble (tidy bag and all) · Rating 1 out of 5]

Awful. The concept is okay for little kids, maybe, but the "stories" are scrappy and many poorly written. One goes so far as to be written in a sort of faux-Ebonics dialect. ??? The author inserts a sort of apology into the introduction to the "tales", by saying that some of the dogs that wrote them aren't very bright. And yet the club exists because dogs are supposedly smarter than humans think they are!! (I am quite aware that many dogs are smarter than many humans, but some of the stories are just cutesy.) A very short book of course, and it's a good thing. It might be okay to get non-readers interested in the act of reading, but then again it might put them off for good.

[Edwina Book Anaconda · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found the story about Dolly Parton feeding a stray dog steak and then, the dog being rescued and taken on tour with Johnny Cash to be simply adorable!
Adults need to read more "feel good" stories like this one.

[MaryAnn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Writings of Our Friends (WOOF) A wonderful concept and the little stories are delightful. Parallel perceptions of reality, witnesses to history, life goes on despite what get's thrown at us and many other delightful lessons and observations. Mundane life is very rich.

[Vida · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sweet vignettes told from a dog's point of view.

[J · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is definitely one series of books that I read out of order but that is okay since it doesn't take away from the reader's experience to do so while only one pair of characters appears in both books as they each tell opposite sides of the same story.

Cat Diaries: Secret Writings of the MEOW Society and Dog Diaries: Secret Writings of the WOOF Society are collections of short stories that focus on the titular animal of the series. In each the gathering of cats or dogs appear together to go over diaries, story-telling or other recorded means to pass on these stories about past and present members of the species thus reminding all who are gathered just what it means to be to be either a cat or dog.

These short stories are provided as different chapters throughout the book thus allowing readers to easily separate the book out such as over couple days or even for bedtime stories. At the same time there are some included illustrations to help the stories but I cannot say I was a fan of them.

All in all they were rather decent and fun to read while quick. For kids who like cats and dogs this will make for a great fictional read while you can discuss with them which book they prefer.

[Emily · Rating 4 out of 5]

A treat for storytelling-lovers as well as dog lovers (I don't count myself among the latter), Dog Diaries covers a meeting of the WOOF (Words Of Our Friends) Society, dogs devoted to growing an awareness of dogs' storytelling talents. The meeting is the frame for a series of monologues/stories from dogs both historical and contemporary. We hear from Abu, a dog of Ancient Egypt; Tidbit, a dog at the Grand Ol' Opry in the late 50s who's given his name by a nice lady named Dolly; Jip, who accompanies his human to the Civil War and leads him home when he's blinded in battle; Mimi, a contemporary dog living in Paris who shares the finer points of dog toilet etiquette (when it's cold, feel free to go inside, as long as you can hide it--under the bed in a guest room is ideal), and more. Often hilarious, sometimes moving, not every story hit the mark for me but most well exceeded it. Will definitely be recommending this one to kids at the library.

[Catherine · Rating 3 out of 5]

he canine members of WOOF ( Words of Our Friends) Society meet to share their stories and those of their ancestors. Chapters include “Abu: the dog who ruled Egypt,” “Dawg Strikes Gold,” and “Bo versus Bank Robber.” Dogs are present at such historical events as the California Gold Rush and Pompeii. There are also some ordinary pet dogs telling of their daily lives. One dog tells of his enemy the Disposal, which gets all the leftovers. “In “Mimi’s Guide to Life” we learn from a poodle that”People prefer to send you outside to do your business,…This is fine…if the weather permits…If rainy or snowy to otherwise disagreeable weather, feel free to use the carpet or floor, but be sure to hide it.” The pencil illustrations add to the story and break up the chapters for beginning readers.

[Matthew Meehan · Rating 5 out of 5]

In my opinion, this book is an instant classic. The illustrations are captivating and effective. They stories are informative and filled with historical events. Dog Diaries is a book that all children should be exposed to. THe book instantly reaches into the audiences heart, as most people has, or have had, a dog in which they ask themselves, "what are they truly thinking?". This book takes a creative twist to answers just what they are thinking -- in times of stress, joy, relief and others.

[Sandra · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enter into the Secret Writings of the WOOF Society and the smile will never leave your face. This children's book is broken up into short chapters with a new story for each new dog it highlights. A read aloud for younger kids with cute pictures to spark their interests, but good for older kids too.

[Kirby · Rating 2 out of 5]

I love, love, love Betsy Byars and I love, love, love dogs. So why didn't this book tickle my toes? The concept is great -- dogs getting together to talk about their unique accomplishments. But I missed a unifying thread to the stories and the personality that usually shines through in Betsy (and her daughters') work.

Loved the illustrations by Erik Brooks, however.

[Amy · Rating 2 out of 5]

Did not like as much as the Cat version. Maybe just because we are cat fans?

Some of the stories were pretty cute but others are QUITE dramatic - armed robbery/forced entry/guns pointed (yikes), people dropping dead in Pompeii, boy blinded by injury in Civil War - more violent than I was expecting - so beware if you have a kid that is sensitive to that.

[Alan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I feel that I was lucky to have won this book in the Goodreads First Reads Giveaway. My daughter is deciding on buying a puppy and my grandchildren are getting very excited. I know they will love these stories and will get their imagination going. I myself found the stories quite entertaining and I'm the other end of the age scale.

[DelGal · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very cute book for children and dog lovers like myself. The stories were sweet, funny and were just the right touch to involve a kid in dreaming about other lands where the dogs were from in the story.

[Duane · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very cute book for dog lovers of any age. Filled with great illustrations, you get to learn who all are members of the secret WOOF sociey to dogs. Each chapter is a diary of a dog and you get to read their thoughts and daily life. A nice read for beginner readers.

[Lorraine · Rating 4 out of 5]

A collection of stories by this society of dogs that gather together and read the stories they have written to one another. Some of the stories are hilarious. A very quick read, and fun for teachers to read two or three of the short stories to their class. Thee will howl!

[Tracie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Each chapter presents a story about dog during a different time period in history. I thought it was enjoyable and could be extended with map studies as well as informational books about different subjects like the explosion of Vesuvius.

[Mary · Rating 2 out of 5]

I looked forward to reading this as I ADORED The SOS File. The stories were interesting and the premise was promising, but I was disappointed. I think some of my students will enjoy this, and it may be a helpful mentor text to show voice and perspective.

[Kelli · Rating 5 out of 5]

Do dogs write diaries? If you want to know read this book! It's about all kinds of dogs gathering together and telling stories about their lives or their adventures. My favorite chapter is Mimi's guide to life because Mimi is a POODLE and I love POODLES! READ! THIS! BOOK!

[Kwirebaugh · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ok, I know this is a child's book, but I love anything dog! It was really fun and I recommend reading it to any child.

[Elizabeth · Rating 5 out of 5]

an absolut grate book!!!

[Gina · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a good book for beginner chapter readers.

[Beth · Rating 4 out of 5]

This would be a great read-aloud. Each chapter is its own story, told by a different dog.

[Karen Arendt · Rating 4 out of 5]

A collection of fiction stories about experiences from a dog's perspective. Some humorous, some heartwarming.

[Annm · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really, really cute.

[Chase.curriculum]

Assigned: 2011 Oct, EL310
2013 Sept/Oct, ELL/EL310

[Jan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Written as eerpts from the diaries of a dozen different dogs, but without an overall theme. Rather blah. Grades 3-5.