Ellie's Story (17 page)
Authors: W. Bruce Cameron
4.
    TALK LIKE A DOG.
Ellie's Story: A Dog's Purpose Novel
is narrated in first person by Ellie the German Shepherd. This helps readers understand the dog's point of view and is also a model for helping children see other peoples' and animals' perspectives. Invite your child to describe, using “I,” a few minutes in the life of his or her own pet. Or, invite your child to describe how you, a sibling, or another family member might understand the child's actions in an exciting or confusing situation.
5.
    HELP OUT. Learn more about the work of search and rescue dogs at SARDUS (
http://www.sardogsus.org/index.html
), find out how dogs help with literacy through the R.E.A.D. program (
http://therapyanimals.org/Contact_Us.html
), visit your local ASPCA or seek out other dog-friendly organizations in your community. Make a family plan to donate 2â4 hours (or more) supporting the great work of dogs.
Reading
Ellie's Story: A Dog's Purpose Novel
in Your Classroom
These Common Coreâaligned writing activities may be used in conjunction with the discussion questions in the “Family” section above.
1.
    POINT-OF-VIEW:
Ellie's Story: A Dog's Purpose Novel
is narrated by Ellie, the German Shepherd. How does the author sensory descriptions (sound, sight, taste, touch, and smell) help readers connect with the dog's viewpoint? What other techniques does the author use to create a believable dog's voice for the narrative?
2.
    COMMUNITIES AND RELATIONSHIPS: Using clues from the novel and your imagination, write a short biography for Jakob or Maya. What lead them to join the police force? Where did they discover their love for animals? What critical life experiences did they have just before meeting Ellie? What do you imagine for their future?
3.    TEXT TYPE: OPINION PIECE. Write a one-page essay explaining why you think Jakob made a good choice in choosing Ellie as the best possible rescue dog from her German Shepherd litter.
4.    TEXT TYPE: NARRATIVE. In the character of Maya, write several journal entries describing your dreams, doubts, and plans to become Ellie's new handler.
5.    RESEARCH AND PRESENT: EL SALVADORAN EARTHQUAKE. Go to the library or online to learn more about the devastating earthquakes that hit El Salvador in 2001, and the role of rescue dogs in helping with recovery efforts. Use your research to create a PowerPoint or other multimediaâstyle presentation to share with friends or classmates.
6.    RESEARCH AND PRESENT: RESCUE DOGS. Go online to learn more about search and rescue dogs. (Hint: Begin your research at
http://www.sardogsus.org/index.html
.) Create an informative booklet that describes the training, the types of rescues that dogs can accomplish, and other facts. If possible, make copies of your booklet to distribute to others in your school community.
Supports English Language Arts Common Core Writing Standards: W.3.1, 3.2, 3.3, 3.7; W.4.1, 4.2, 4.3, 4.7; W.5.1, 5.2, 5.3, 5.7; W.6.2, 6.3, 6.7; W.7.2, 7.3, 7.7
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W. BRUCE CAMERON
is the
New York Times
bestselling author of
A Dog's Purpose
and
A Dog's Journey
. He lives in California. You can sign up for email updates
here
.
    
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Contents
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More About Search-and-Rescue Dogs
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This is a work of fiction. All of the characters, organizations, and events portrayed in this novel are either products of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously.
ELLIE'S STORY: A DOG'S PURPOSE NOVEL
Copyright © 2015 by W. Bruce Cameron
Reading and Activity Guide copyright © 2015 by Tor Books
All rights reserved.
Cover design by Peter Lutjen
Cover photograph by Hans Surfer / Getty Images
A Starscape Book
Published by Tom Doherty Associates, LLC
175 Fifth Avenue
New York, NY 10010
eBooks may be purchased for business or promotional use. For information on bulk purchases, please contact Macmillan Corporate and Premium Sales Department by writing to [email protected].
The Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data is available upon request.
ISBN 978-0-7653-7469-1 (hardcover)
ISBN 978-1-4668-4299-1 (e-book)
e-ISBN 9781466842991
First Edition: April 2015