A Dog Named Boo: The Underdog with a Heart of Gold
In her first book, professional dog trainer Edwards brings us the touching story of Boo, a  special needs  dog who becomes an unlikely hero. Edwards and her husband already have two dogs and two cats when she comes across a litter of puppies abandoned at her local pet store, and predictably falls for the slow-moving runt of the litter, whom she names Boo. What seem at first to be extreme clumsiness and recalcitrance towards housetraining turn out to be symptoms of Boo's  cerebellar hypoplasia— a condition which can cause mental retardation, poor balance, and other acuity issues. Edwards weaves her own troubled past into the book: sexually abused by her father as a child, she suffered from undiagnosed learning disabilities. This gives her a particular kinship with Boo, who, on the road to becoming a service dog, encounters naysayers and struggles in classes. These parallels aside, the book is a fascinating look at what service dogs can accomplish. The stories of the lives that Boo touches are moving, although they lose some impact because there are so many. But dog lovers and those interested in service animals will enjoy this story of resilience. (Oct.)--This text refers to theHardcoveredition.