Racing in the Rain: My Life as a Dog

by Garth Stein

Overview

Now a family friendly major motion picture from Fox 2000 Studios—featuring Milo Ventimiglia, Amanda Seyfried, and Kevin Costner as the voice of Enzo the dog!

In this young readers’ edition of the New York Times bestselling adult novel The Art of Racing in the Rain, meet one funny mutt—Enzo, the lovable dog who tells this story.

Enzo knows he is different from other dogs. Most dogs love to chase cars, but Enzo longs to race them.

He learns about racing and the world around him by watching TV and by listening to the words of his best friend, Denny, an up-and-coming race car driver, and Denny's daughter, Zoë, his constant companion. Enzo finds that life is just like being on the racetrack—it isn't simply about going fast.

Applying the rules of racing to his world, Enzo takes on his family's challenges and emerges a hero. In the end, Enzo holds in his heart the dream that Denny will go on to be a racing champion with his daughter by his side.

For theirs is an extraordinary friendship—one that reminds us all to celebrate the triumph of the human (and canine) spirit.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780062015761
Publisher:	HarperCollins
Publication date:	05/03/2011
Pages:	304
Sales rank:	108,590
Product dimensions:	7.38(w) x 5.22(h) x 0.68(d)
Lexile:	720L (what's this?)
Age Range:	8 - 12 Years

About the Author

Garth Stein is the author of Enzo Races in the Rain!, based on the New York Times bestselling novel The Art of Racing in the Rain (and its tween adaptation, Racing in the Rain). His other works include A Sudden Light, How Evan Broke His Head and Other Secrets, Raven Stole the Moon, and a play, Brother Jones. He is the cofounder of Seattle7Writers.org, a nonprofit collective of sixty-two Northwest authors dedicated to fostering a passion for the written word. Garth lives in Seattle with his family and his dog, Comet.

Hometown:

Seattle, Washington, USA

Date of Birth:

December 6, 1964

Place of Birth:

Los Angeles, California

Education:

BA Columbia University, Columbia College, '87, MFA Columbia University, School of the Arts, '90

Website:

http://www.garthstein.com

Editorial Reviews

Gr 4–7—An adaptation of Stein's adult novel, The Art of Racing in the Rain (HarperCollins, 2008). Enzo, an elderly dog who is preparing to die, reminisces about his life with a race-car driver. He is an observer and commenter on Denny's struggles to have a successful career and to raise his daughter despite professional and personal setbacks, including the death of his wife and a custody battle with her parents. The canine's take on things is occasionally far more knowing than a dog's or child's could be, and some themes will be difficult for a younger audience to relate to, although they will get the general emotional resonance and enjoy Enzo's optimistic and occasionally humorous view of humans. The most traumatic scene, Enzo's death, is spelled out clearly from the beginning and is handled in a positive and hopeful way as he is certain he will be reincarnated as a human. Kids looking for more adventure would be better served by Cynthia Kadohata's Cracker: The Best Dog in Vietnam (S & S, 2007), while those looking for stories they're more likely to relate to should try John Grogan's Marley: A Dog Like No Other (HarperCollins, 2007), but Racing in the Rain is a serviceable addition to collections looking for animal fiction.—Natasha Forrester, Multnomah County Library, Portland, OR

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