ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
(with a disclaimer about dog training, sort of, mixed
in)
Thank you to my agent
Kirby Kim, who put this fable on the road from dream to print.
Thanks too to Shaun Dolan, Nicole Sohl, Ian Dalrymple, and Derek
Zasky.
Thank you to my
friends at Penguin and Dial, Regina, Jasmin, Lori and Deborah, Liz,
Alisha, Jess, Marie, Steve, Scottie, Donne, Mary, Julianne, and
Samantha. (Nan, Rob, and Emily, while you’ve moved on, you’re
always in my thoughts.) Heather, you went above and beyond,
drinking penny-poisoned milk. Lauri, thank you for making time to
read and to give such awesome notes. Kathy, draft after draft, your
notes excited, heartened and inspired—you are the best. Kate, thank
you for the title, your fearlessness and generosity, your laugh,
and most of all your notes, every one a thrill. Your compassion and
patience are unending, your wisdom and sense of humor
infinite.
While working on this
story, I received encouragement and friendship from the wonderful
writers Scott Smith, Barry Lyga, Sarah Campbell, Jeff Jackson, T.
Stores, Jay Kumar, Phil Gwynne, Scot Gardner, Coe Booth, Shawn
Coyne, Jack Sussek, Rita Williams-Garcia, and the nicest man in
publishing, David Levithan.
Thank you to the
librarians, teachers, booksellers, and literacy and human rights
advocates that have given me opportunities to connect with their
students and readers. I’m particularly grateful to Molly Krichten,
Julianne Wernersbach of Book Revue, Lainie Castle and the ALA’s
Great Stories Program, Pete and Molly Rosenquist and the Doylestown
Bookshop, Richie Partington, James Falletti, Marie Hansen, Debra,
Geri, Chrystal, Patricia, Nafisah and the Bloomfield High School
Book Club, Angela Carstensen, Judy Card, Ann Branton, Nancy Opalko
and the Mississippi Librarians Association, the wonderful folks at
Voice of Youth Advocates, Michael Dodes and the Samuel Gompers
staff, the International Reading Association’s Children’s
Literature and Reading Special Interest Group, Anne Lotito Schuh
and the Crossroads family, Jessica, Ma’lis and Literacy For
Incarcerated Teens, the Texas Library Association, Penny, Michael,
Anne, Bridie and Team Text, Jo, Chris, Micaela and Behind The Book,
the Junior Library Guild, the Chicago Public Library’s Great Kids
Initiative, the Pennsylvania School Librarians Association, Mark,
Jack and Follett Library Resources, the Kentucky Reading
Association, the Amelia Bloomer Project and the Feminist Task Force
of the ALA’s Social Responsibilities Round Table, the Simon
Wiesenthal Center for Tolerance and Human Dignity, the Georgia
Library Media Association, Becky and the Anderson’s Bookstores
team, and, most especially, the glorious Sheila Hennessey, guardian
angel, moon-hanger, and guiding star.
By the way, if you’re
thinking about adopting a pit bull, you’re in luck: Every year more
than a million pits go into shelters, so you’ll have your pick. But
do your research. Pits need a ton of exercise, mental stimulation,
and socialization. If you can afford the time, you’ll never have a
better friend. Much of Mack’s training methodology is mine
(including “spot-peeing”), but there are so many different and
great ways to work with dogs. Read every training book your library
can get you, DVR the dog shows, talk to trainers and dog owners,
check to see if your local shelter or rescue group offers free
classes, and I suspect you’ll end up borrowing a little from here,
a little from there. My experience has been that every dog is a
special case, and keeping an open mind when it comes to
incorporating various training techniques will save you and your
pal a lot of heartache.
Old Dogs, New Tricks
is imagined, but gifted people in prisons across the US are
training dogs for our veterans. Check them out online. I bet they
would be grateful for your interest. To those serving here
stateside and overseas, particularly Lou and Omar: Thank you for
your sacrifice.
Thank you to my wife,
who for the past fourteen years has allowed me to keep an
ever-changing pack of goofballs. They come and go, but Risa
stays.