Meet the Scottish terrier who won the hearts of a United States president and the American people. In 1940, Fala came to live with President Franklin D. Roosevelt in the White House. The little dog played in the grass outside the Oval Office, attended important meetings with the president's advisors, and even dined with the president. But as America was drawn into the conflict of a world war, life at the White House changed. Fala accompanied the president across the country and around the world, waiting with him for the return of American servicemen and an end to a terrible war. Author Elizabeth Van Steenwyk offers young readers a glimpse into American history and the life of an American president through the story of a loyal dog. Michael G. Montgomery's full-color illustrations capture the indomitable spirit of Fala and the nation and president who loved him.

President Franklin Delano Roosevelt’s Scottie dog Fala helps run a nation! As President Franklin Delano Roosevelt’s nearly constant companion, Fala the Scottish terrier was in the unique position to witness the workings of the U.S. presidency. And now for the first time, the sassy Scottie shares his story with readers—from his idyllic puppyhood spent chasing squirrels through his adulthood spent chasing dignitaries around the world with FDR! This entertaining tail (that is, tale) gives middle-graders a dog’s-eye view of the events leading up to the United States entering World War II, as well as a look at the private side of FDR’s life in a wheelchair. Based on primary source material, with realistic black-and-white illustrations and an appendix including information about President Franklin Delano Roosevelt, World War II, Scottish terriers, and more, this is the kind of historical fiction that begs to be read by reluctant readers. It’s a perfect choice for supporting Common Core State Standards.

The stories of the dogs belonging to America's presidents are presented in a historical study featuring period drawings and paintings, as well as contemporary photographs.

A fun and informative handbook for young readers on understanding and caring for our feline friends from the kid behind the popular Twitter account I’ve Pet That Cat! Pet That Cat! A Handbook for Making Feline Friends is an illustrated guide to understanding, befriending, and caring for cats by Nigel Kidd and his mom, Rachel Braunigan. This fact-filled and fun guide features: • A guide to cat body language—what does it mean when your cat’s tail looks like a question mark or is puffed up? • Helpful tips on how to safely interact with new feline friends. Hint: Let them approach first! • Advice for adopting and caring for your own cat. Choose the perfect cat for you! • Stories of cats throughout history and myth-busting facts—did you know every cat has a unique noseprint? • A cat personality quiz and your very own Cat Tracker to record all the feline friends you meet! This kid-friendly handbook pairs charming illustrations with an interactive format. With step-by-step guides, fascinating stories, and tips from cat experts and Nigel, Pet That Cat! is a must-have handbook for feline fans of all ages. And for dog-lovers and kids curious about dogs, check out Pet That Dog! A Handbook for Making Four-Legged Friends.

Dogs of War is a treasure trove of marvelous anecdotes, scintillating tidbits, and delightful photographs of three beloved dogs sharing the limelight with Roosevelt, Patton, and Eisenhower as they battled together in their efforts to save the world from fascism. It includes such stories as Fala accompanying FDR on board the USS Augusta, where the President and British Prime Minister Winston Churchill signed the Atlanta Charter; Willie, who shuddered with fear at the sounds of gunfire during combat but traveled with Patton everywhere; and Telek, who garnered front page coverage in the British tabloid media when he and wife Caacie, pregnant with puppies, were photographed at a kennel during a six-month quarantine after returning home with Ike from Algiers.Dogs of War celebrates the unconditional, loving bond for man and his best friend, pays tribute to World War II history as our nation approaches the 70th anniversary of Pearl Harbor, and resurrects the tremendous thrill of a forbidden wartime romance. Fala, Willie, and are three incredible dogs who will undoubtedly capture the world's heart!

INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER An incredible, revolutionary true story and surprisingly simple guide to teaching your dog to talk from speech-language pathologist Christina Hunger, who has taught her dog, Stella, to communicate using simple paw-sized buttons associated with different words. When speech-language pathologist Christina Hunger first came home with her puppy, Stella, it didn’t take long for her to start drawing connections between her job and her new pet. During the day, she worked with toddlers with significant delays in language development and used Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) devices to help them communicate. At night, she wondered: If dogs can understand words we say to them, shouldn’t they be able to say words to us? Can dogs use AAC to communicate with humans? Christina decided to put her theory to the test with Stella and started using a paw-sized button programmed with her voice to say the word “outside” when clicked, whenever she took Stella out of the house. A few years later, Stella now has a bank of more than thirty word buttons, and uses them daily either individually or together to create near-complete sentences. How Stella Learned to Talk is part memoir and part how-to guide. It chronicles the journey Christina and Stella have taken together, from the day they met, to the day Stella “spoke” her first word, and the other breakthroughs they’ve had since. It also reveals the techniques Christina used to teach Stella, broken down into simple stages and actionable steps any dog owner can use to start communicating with their pets. Filled with conversations that Stella and Christina have had, as well as the attention to developmental detail that only a speech-language pathologist could know, How Stella Learned to Talk will be the indispensable dog book for the new decade.

From the moment Barack Obama announced that he would get a dog for his daughters upon winning the White House, the “First Pet” has been at the top of the news cycle. And from the moment Portuguese water dog Bo Obama was officially introduced to the nation—in front of the largest press pool since Queen Elizabeth’s state visit in 2007!— reporters everywhere have been trying to get the scoop on America’s top dog. Now, through a special loophole in the Freedom of Information Act (apparently dogs aren’t covered), citizens of the world can see the White House in a whole new way! Open the secret files of America’s First Top Dog to get a highly classified and highly entertaining knee-high glimpse of life in the White House, all told in first-pooch point of view. Following in the rich tradition of such renowned presidential pets as FDR’s Scottish terrier Fala, Harding’s Airedale, George HW Bush’s Millie, and the Clintons’ cat Socks, Bo Obama will surely be making headlines for the next 4-to-8 years!