Hello from the shop dogs! We find ourselves smack in the middle of our favorite time of year: summer — the season when everyone agrees lounging around is the best use of time. To celebrate the arrival of our new pal, Cat’s puppy Goober (he’s the one who doubles as a floofy brown bear, see above), we’ve put together this lifestyle guide and reading list to help him live his best dog life. Now if we could just get him out of the pool long enough to get started . . .
PS: If the little human critters in your life need a good way to spend hot days, don’t forget about our annual Find Waldo Local scavenger hunt in July! Read on to the end of this post for all the details on how to participate.
Meet Cat’s new pup, Goober! He’s still deciding whether he’s going to hang around in the store or work from home, but either way, we have some suggested reads for him on how to attain “good dog” status. (Sure, technically we “can’t read,” but that doesn’t mean we don’t have great taste in books. Books taste great.) We’ve suggested he start with Good Dog by Cori Doerrfeld, Good Dog by Dan Gemeinhart, Good Dog, Carl by Alexandra Day, and — if he’s going to hang around all this literature — How to Read a Book by Kwame Alexander.Sparky recommends conserving energy on sweltering days by finding a beloved author to carry you around. (Pictured here: Kate DiCamillo, author of classic novels such as Because of Winn Dixie, Flora & Ulysses, The Tale of Despereaux, and lots more.) For younger pups, he also recommends lying low with a stack of picture books about summer, such as Summer Evening by Walter de la Mare, A Lullaby of Summer Things by Natalie Ziarnik, and Summer Color! by Diana Murray.Opie suggests Goober learn to sit as soon as possible, because when you can sit, you can beg for treats. Reading-wise, he suggests Hot Dog Girl by Jennifer Dugan for when Goober’s a little older. It’s a sweet coming-of-age story about a girl spending her summer working at an amusement park … playing the part of the hot dog. While Opie may have been disappointed this young adult novel didn’t involve actual hot dogs, he enjoyed its humor and heart. See also: Sarah Dessen’s The Rest of the Story, another wonderful YA novel about a magical summer. (It was the June pick for the ParnassusNext subscription box, and we still have a few signed copies!)What with her nose being situated especially low to the ground, bathing beauty Mary Todd Lincoln excels at finding lost toys and snack crumbs in the grass, plus seashells and tiny sand-life during her walks on the beach. She keeps Backpack Explorer: Beach Walk nearby to help with shell identification, and loves all the fun games and activities it includes to help beat boredom during those rare rainy beach days.Fun fact about Lewis: he loves travel. Whether it’s a road-trip vacation, a sleepover in the living room with a sleeping bag, or camp (why can’t kids take their dogs to sleep-away camp, can someone answer that?) he always comes prepared with a tote full of books perfect for reading by flashlight. He digs Camp, a graphic novel for kids by Kayla Miller; The Last Last-Day-of-Summer, a fun and adventurous novel for kids by Lamar Giles; and Super Summer: All Kind of Facts and Fun, a fascinating volume of interesting information by Bruce Goldstone.It’s time to tell the truth: Eleanor Roosevelt has a book-eating habit. (Pictured here — resting up after shredding two paperbacks.) If your little ones are similarly tough on books, may we suggest some sturdy board books? Jane Foster’s Summertime and Summer Babies by Kathryn O. Galbraith and Adela Pons make nice choices.May we offer you a basket for all these books? Bear loves his job as the official greeter. Work is fun! On that note, here are two books about kids who get summer jobs as dog-walkers: Rules of the Ruff by Heidi Lang (for middle grade / independent readers) and The Unexpected Everything by Morgan Matson (young adult).
And remember, the air is cool and the sofa’s comfy here at Parnassus. Pop in and pat a shop dog anytime. We’re waiting for you.
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The dog days of summer are lots of fun for young humans, too!
The FIND WALDO LOCAL scavenger hunt begins July 1, and children are invited to come to Parnassus to get their official Waldo Passports anytime throughout the month.
After you collect 10 signatures on your passport, return to Parnassus Books to collect your reward and a coupon to Parnassus Books. If you manage to find Waldo at all 20 participating locations, bring your passport back to Parnassus for those rewards PLUS be entered in a drawing to win great prizes!
Then, mark your calendar for July 30 from 3-4 p.m. and join us for our Where’s Waldo grand celebration! We’ll hold our grand prize drawings at 3:30, including a special prize donated by AshBlue, and we’ll have yummy refreshments and fun activities. Waldo himself will even stop by to pose for pictures!
(Fine print: Parnassus Books encourages readers of all ages to participate in Where’s Waldo, but buttons, coupons, and prize drawing eligibility are limited to children ages 14 and under. Limit one entry per participant. The hunt for Waldo can be a team effort, but passports and prizes can only be claimed by individuals. To be eligible for the prize drawing, you must turn in your completed passport by Monday, July 29, 2019, at Parnassus Books. You do not have to be present at the party to be eligible to win a prize in the drawing, but some prizes will be limited only to party attendees.)
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