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by Tom Keener
Do you want to have fun and be part of a national campaign tounify communities?
Reading the same book and participating in related programs facilitates an enduring bond between Allen’s citizens. During February and March, ALLen Reads will share Marley & Me, The New York Times bestseller and autobiographical account by John Grogan. Told in first-person narrative, the book tells of Grogan and his family’s life during the thirteen years they lived with their Labrador retriever, Marley. The following free programs are part of ALLen Reads celebrations.
At 10:30 a.m., Saturday, February 9, Richard Cowdrey, illustrator for Bad Dog, Marley, makes a presentation and answers questions at the library’s auditorium, 300 N. Allen Drive. Cowdrey will sign books afterwards. Borders Books will sell books on site or you may bring your own.
"I believe that everybody’s gifted," Cowdrey declares. "It’s just a matter of finding where one’s gifts lay." The 48-year-old father of four and grandfather of four, said he is grateful he found exactly where his talents lay—illustration.
Cowdrey is a freelance illustrator who has designed and executed artwork for clients all over the world, including the official poster and program for Superbowl XXXII in 1998. Bad Dog, Marley! achieved The New York Times Best-sellers list for hardback children’s fiction.
A sequel is eagerly anticipated—A Very Marley Christmas, slated for a 2008 Christmas season release. Call 214-509-4911 for more information.
The Educated Dog: "Dog Whisperer" Aaron Stewart, presents dog training tips and gives advice to those who have their own "Marley" at 2 p.m., Sunday, February 24, Allen Public Library, 300 N. Allen Drive. Stewart has 25 years as an animal behaviorist—15 of those years spent working with scent-detection dogs. His training methods can have your dog acting like a well-mannered family member in no time. Stewart believes that most "behavior" problems can be solved in as little as a single "behavior" session. For more details, call 214-509-4905.
Pup Rally, 10:30-11:45 a.m., Saturday, March 1. Dog-related family activities will be offered in the children’s depart¬ment. Plus, 50 children in first and second grades will have a chance to read to a live dog. Call 214-509-4906 for additional information.
Johnny Heller, Narrator of Marley & Me, 2 p.m., Saturday, March 8. Heller, the winner of 13 Golden Earphone Awards, discusses how a voice talent makes a book come alive. Recipient of the 2005 Audie, the highest award the industry offers, for his narration of The Happiest Toddler on the Block, Audiofile Magazine names Heller one of the top 50 voices of the 20th Century.
From his New York studios, Heller tells ALLen Reads, "Marley is one of the most wonderful stories I’ve ever read. As a dog lover and owner, I could not help but be moved by the story and enriched by it. It’s all about love—plain and simple—and Grogan writes so well that now his dog is everyone’s dog. If you like dogs, you should read this—or, in my case, listen to it! If you don’t like dogs then, well then, there is something deeply wrong with you. I never trust anyone who doesn’t like dogs…although I curb my distrust if your problem is allergy-related or a result of deep wounds suffered in a petting zoo mishap. Marley is a treasure. It’s just a great book experience you can’t help but enjoy."
Marley Book Discussions
Call 214-509-4913
12 p.m., Tuesday, Feb. 5, Library Board Room
7 p.m., Thursday, February 7, Library Board Room
2 p.m., Saturday, February 16, for teens, grades 6-12, meeting room
10 a.m., Thursday, March 6, Senior Recreation Center, age 50 and up.
Movies-Civic Auditorium
Tuesdays, 7 p.m.
February 5, Eight Below. Brutal cold forces two Antarctic explorers to leave their team of sled dogs behind as they fend for their survival.
February 12, Turner & Hooch. A detective must adopt the dog of a dead man to help him find the murderer.
February 26, Iron Will. When Will Stoneman’s father dies, he is left alone to take care of his mother and their land. Needing money to maintain it, he decides to join a cross-country dogsled race.
March 4, Best in Show (rated PG-13). A mockumentary that follows five entrants in a prestigious dog show. The film focuses on the slightly surreal inter¬actions among the various owners and handlers as they travel to the show and compete.
ALLen Reads is sponsored by the Friends of the Allen Public Library, Allen Chamber of Commerce, Allen ISD, Borders Books, High Noon Lions Club, Allen Kiwanis Club, Allen Noon Rotary Club, Allen Arts Alliance, Allen Public Library, City of Allen, Foundation for Allen Schools, Jeannette’s Story, Montgomery Farm, Red Pepper Productions, Inc., and Humanities Texas (state affiliate of the National Endowment for the Humanities). |
